Hafilat Smart Card Abu Dhabi: Prices, Passes, Permits and How to Use It
By Thasmiya
If you regularly use public buses in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain or Al Dhafra, the **Hafilat Smart Card** is the main card you need to pay for journeys.
Operated by Abu Dhabi Mobility, Hafilat automatically calculates your fare when you tap the card while boarding and again when leaving the bus.
The system also offers weekly and monthly unlimited-travel passes, plus special annual permits for students, senior citizens and People of Determination.
## **What is a Hafilat Smart Card?**
Hafilat is Abu Dhabi’s smart payment system for public transport.
Passengers tap their card on the reader when entering a bus and tap it again when leaving. The system calculates the fare according to the journey and deducts it from the card balance.
Hafilat can be used on standard public bus services across **Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra**.
## **How much do Abu Dhabi buses cost?**
The current standard bus fare is **AED 2 as a boarding fee plus 5 fils for every kilometre travelled**.
The maximum standard fare is **AED 5 per journey** for trips exceeding 60 kilometres.
Children aged **10 and below travel free** on standard services.
Passengers can also transfer between eligible public transport services without paying another AED 2 boarding fee, provided they tap into the next service within 60 minutes of the previous tap-out, do not travel back in the opposite direction and make no more than two transfers using three buses. Intercity services are excluded.
## **How much does a Hafilat card cost?**
There are two main card options.
The **Anonymous Hafilat Card costs AED 10** and is valid for **16 years**. No documents are required to obtain one. You can add balance as well as seven-day and 30-day public transport passes.
The **Personalized Hafilat Card is currently free** and is also valid for **16 years**. It supports balance, seven-day and 30-day passes and special annual permits for students, seniors and People of Determination. It also allows the balance and passes to be transferred if the card is lost or damaged.
## **Hafilat 7-day pass**
If you use buses frequently, buying a pass may be cheaper than paying for every journey separately.
The regular **7-day Hafilat pass costs AED 35** and begins from the date of purchase.
It provides unlimited trips within the city and suburbs across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra on eligible standard services.
Intercity services are not included.
## **Hafilat 30-day pass**
The regular **30-day pass costs AED 95** and is valid for 30 days from the date it is purchased.
Like the seven-day option, it provides unlimited eligible trips within Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra, including city and suburban services.
Intercity services are excluded.
Certain beneficiaries of the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority and Ministry of Community Development can receive a subsidised **30-day pass for AED 80**.
## **Students can get an annual Hafilat permit**
Students can apply for a special annual permit linked to a Personalized Hafilat Card.
The **Student Permit costs AED 500 for one year** and provides unlimited trips within the city and suburbs across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
Applicants need a valid Emirates ID, personal photograph and a valid document proving their student status.
Intercity services are not included.
## **Free bus travel for senior citizens and residents aged 55+**
One of the most useful Hafilat benefits is available to older residents.
Both **UAE citizens and residents aged 55 or above** can qualify for the Senior Permit.
The permit is **free**, valid for one year and provides unlimited travel within the city and suburbs across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
Applicants need a Personalized Hafilat Card, valid Emirates ID and personal photograph. Intercity services are excluded.
## **Free Hafilat permit for People of Determination**
Eligible People of Determination can also receive a **free one-year permit** providing unlimited travel within Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra city and suburban services.
The benefit can also cover **one accompanying person**. The companion must hold a personal Hafilat card.
Applicants may need an Emirates ID, photograph and Aounak or People of Determination card. A medical report may be required for temporary cases.
## **Where can you buy a Hafilat card?**
Anonymous Hafilat cards can be purchased from sales and recharge machines, Customer Happiness Offices at bus stations and the airport, and participating retail partners.
Abu Dhabi Mobility currently lists partners including **SPAR/Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society, Al Ain Cooperative Society, Lulu Hypermarket and Lulu Exchange branches** across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
Cards can also be requested through the Hafilat website.
Personalized Hafilat Cards can be obtained through Customer Happiness Offices at bus stations, the **Zayed International Airport office**, which Abu Dhabi Mobility lists as operating 24/7, and through online application.
## **What do you need for a Personalized Hafilat Card?**
Residents generally need a valid Emirates ID and personal photograph. A photo can also be taken at participating Customer Happiness Offices.
Visitors applying for a personalized card can use a passport and visa according to Abu Dhabi Mobility’s current requirements.
## **How to recharge your Hafilat card**
Hafilat cards can be topped up through sales and recharge machines, dedicated recharge machines, sales offices and online channels.
Some physical machines update the card balance immediately, while certain online and BMBE-machine transactions may take around **two hours** to appear on the card.
It is therefore a good idea to recharge before travelling rather than waiting until you are already boarding a bus.
## **How to use your Hafilat card**
Before travelling, check that the card, pass or permit is still valid and that there is enough balance for at least one journey.
When you enter the bus, **tap the Hafilat card on the reader**.
When you reach your destination, **tap the card again before leaving**.
The system then calculates the distance travelled and deducts the appropriate fare.
## **Don’t forget to tap out**
This is particularly important.
If you forget to tap the Hafilat card when leaving the bus, the system cannot correctly calculate where your journey ended.
Abu Dhabi Mobility states that failure to tap out can result in the **full amount of the bus journey being automatically deducted when the card is next used**. This also applies when transferring between services.
So remember the simple rule: **tap in and tap out every time.**
## **What happens if your Hafilat card is lost?**
There is an important difference between anonymous and personalized cards.
A Personalized Hafilat Card allows the remaining balance and active public transport passes to be transferred to a replacement card. A replacement fee of **AED 5** applies in cases of loss or damage.
An anonymous card normally does not provide the same protection unless it has been linked to a UAE Emirates ID.
For regular commuters, this is one reason a Personalized Hafilat Card may be the better choice.
## **Which Hafilat option should you choose?**
For an occasional visitor or passenger, the **AED 10 Anonymous Hafilat Card** is the simplest option.
For regular residents, the **free Personalized Hafilat Card** offers additional protection if the card is lost and provides access to special permits.
Frequent commuters can consider the **AED 35 seven-day** or **AED 95 30-day pass**.
Students may benefit from the **AED 500 annual Student Permit**, while eligible residents and citizens aged 55+ can obtain the **free Senior Permit**.
People of Determination can also qualify for a **free annual permit**, including eligible travel for one companion.
## **Quick Hafilat prices to remember**
The Anonymous Hafilat Card costs **AED 10**. The Personalized Hafilat Card is **free**. The seven-day pass costs **AED 35**, while the 30-day pass costs **AED 95**.
Standard bus journeys cost **AED 2 plus 5 fils per kilometre**, capped at AED 5 under the current standard-service fare structure.
The Student Permit costs **AED 500 per year**, while annual permits for eligible seniors aged 55+ and People of Determination are **free**.
## **Why this matters**
For anyone regularly travelling around Abu Dhabi without a car, understanding Hafilat can significantly simplify public transport.
The card itself is straightforward, but choosing the right pass can make a difference. Daily commuters may save with unlimited passes, while students, seniors and People of Determination should check whether they qualify for subsidised or completely free travel.
And whichever option you choose, remember the most important Hafilat rule: **tap when you get on and tap again when you get off.**
## **Source Credits**
Information source/resource owner: Abu Dhabi Mobility.
Official Hafilat Smart Card information
## **Image Credits**
Image credit/resource owner: Abu Dhabi Mobility / Hafilat.
For article images, use official Hafilat card, public bus or card-reader visuals from the Abu Dhabi Mobility source above.