Emirates city check in: Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where to drop your bags before a flight

What is city check-in?

City check-in lets you hand over your suitcases and get your boarding pass at a desk in the city, then travel to the airport with only hand luggage. Dubai and Abu Dhabi each have a version. The two work differently, so read the one for your airline.

Both can free half a day before a late flight. That is where a car with a driver helps.

How does Emirates city check-in in Dubai work?

Emirates runs its City Check-in and Travel Store in ICD Brookfield Place on Mustaqbal Street, in the DIFC business district. The airline says you can drop bags as early as 24 hours and up to 4 hours before your flight.

The desk has self check-in kiosks and check-in agents. You must be an Emirates customer, you cannot be flying to the USA or Israel, and flydubai customers use the airport instead. Oversized bags up to 110 cm wide are accepted.

Emirates publishes the opening hours on its own page. Check them on the day.

Steps for Emirates city check-in

1. Check in online or retrieve your booking. Make sure your flight is Emirates and not to the USA or Israel.
2. Go to ICD Brookfield Place between 24 hours and 4 hours before departure.
3. Drop your bags and collect your mobile boarding pass.
4. Travel to Terminal 3 later with hand luggage only.

All Emirates flights depart from Terminal 3, so your chauffeur takes you there. OSRM puts the drive from DIFC to Terminal 3 at about 20 km and 31 minutes without traffic. Our guide to airline terminals at DXB lists the other airlines.

How does Morafiq city check-in in Abu Dhabi work?

In Abu Dhabi the service is run by Morafiq and serves several airlines, not just one. Etihad’s page gives fees of AED 35 for adults, AED 25 for children aged 12 and under and AED 15 for infants aged 2 and under. These are third-party fees.

You can drop bags from 24 hours to 4 hours before departure. At Al Ain the window closes 7 hours before. Etihad lists the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, Mussafah and Al Ain. Gulf News reported a newer Muroor Road site in the Etihad ticketing office, open 10 am to 10 pm, and a 24 hour desk at Mina Cruise Terminal. That is a news report, not an official page.

Call Morafiq on 800 667 2347 to confirm the site, hours and whether your airline is covered. Our Mina Rashid cruise terminal guide covers Dubai’s cruise port, which is a different place.

Which airports does the car go to?

Where you check in	Airport	Drive without traffic (OSRM)
DIFC, Dubai (Emirates)	Terminal 3, DXB	about 20 km, 31 minutes
Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi (Morafiq)	Zayed International (AUH)	about 43 km, 34 minutes

Book the car for the airport and the time you want to arrive. See Assure airport transfers at Zayed International for Abu Dhabi, or DXB transfers for Dubai. The full list is on our airport transfers page.

How do you plan the hours between check-in and departure?

With bags gone, you have a free afternoon. A car with a driver by the hour keeps you moving between meetings, shopping and lunch, then drives you to the terminal. Our hourly or transfer comparison explains when each makes sense, and the car with driver service page covers hourly booking.

Dubai Airports recommends arriving 3 hours before departure. City check-in changes what you do in that time, but you still need to clear security and passport control. Our Dubai airport departure timing guide sets out a timeline.

What about Sharjah?

Sharjah Airport runs a home check-in service in Sharjah City only. It works daily from 11 am to 11 pm, and you book it up to six hours before the flight. Packages are priced by the number of bags, and the airport’s own page lists them.

For other airports, our UAE airports guide shows what each one offers.