To update this older thread. In 2017 on arrival in AUH airport I was enrolled without asking in the Smart Gates by an officer and a tiny sticker placed on the back of my US passport. I am a US citizen and US passport holder only. I didnt think anything of it as I hadnt planned on much travel through the UAE but now I find myself landing in DXB with a long layover and I could not find out whether this Smart Gate is the same as E-gate and if in fact whatever was done to activate my US passport in 2017 would still allow me to use the Smart Gate (if there is such a thing in DXB) or E-gate in DXB?
Originally Posted by
eternaltransit
The eGate program vetting is not heavy at all
In fact, if you register for eGate and your passport type allows it, you will automatically be enrolled into the Smartgate system.
What happens at the gates depends on what identity document is presented.
If you present an egate card - that can either be a UAE ID card with eGate service activated in the chip, an actual eGate card issued by DNRD, or a Skywards card with RFID eGate service enabled - then that will query the eGate database, and you present your fingerprints for access.
If you present a machine readable passport, then you will enter the electronic gate and present your iris for scanning at the camera.
However
B747-437B is the true expert here - this thread has the details:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/emira...ate-q-s-3.html
As an aside, the T3 DNRD people said that only DNRD dnata on SZR and T1 will activate Skywards egate cards - but they could just be, err...busy...