Travel assistance

• Can my child travel alone on an Emirates flight?

  Yes. You can book our Unaccompanied Minors service for children aged 5 to 11 who are flying alone

  We also offer a paid Unaccompanied Minors service for children aged 12 to 15.

  We’ll be there to help your child enjoy a safe, comfortable, and memorable journey from check-in through to meeting their parent or guardian at their destination.

  Children aged between 5 and 11 travelling alone will need to fly on an adult fare. This fare also applies when they travel with an older child who is under 18, as they are not old enough to be the child’s guardian.

  Children between 5 and 11 years old who are travelling in a different cabin class from their parent or guardian are also considered as unaccompanied minors and fly on adult fares. They will only be considered escorted/accompanied if they are travelling in the same cabin class with a passenger over 16 years old.

  Children over 12 already fly on an adult fare and are able to fly alone. However, for an extra fee, you can make a special request for our Unaccompanied Minors service for young passengers aged 12 to 15 . The fee is USD 50 per young passenger for every leg of the journey that you‘d like us to offer the service.

  Have a look at our Unaccompanied Minors for more information about our service, or contact your local Emirates office where you can make a booking

  What if my child has a connecting flight or overnight transfer?

  Connection times

  If your child is transferring to another airline as part of their itinerary, the maximum connection time allowed at the airport is four hours.

  If they’re transferring to another flight in Dubai, the maximum connection time is eight hours. This is because we have specialist members of our team to care for your child and we can only allocate them for this time.

  Overnight transfers and unaccompanied minors

  A child under 16 can’t fly alone if their transfer involves an overnight stay at the connecting airport or they need to travel between airports to get to their connecting flight unless you arrange for an adult guardian to meet and care for them at the transit point.

  In both situations, you’ll need to confirm these details with us before we can accept your child on board.

  Special assistance for children

  If your child needs special assistance or specific care on their journey, they must be accompanied by a fare-paying guardian who is over 18 years old.

  Find out more about our special assistance, accessible travel or medical services.

  Terms and conditions

  For safety and security, as a legal parent or guardian you’ll need to complete and sign a Declaration of Indemnity form before your child can fly with us. You'll find these forms at Emirates Airport Offices.

  The unaccompanied minor’s parent or guardian must stay at the airport until the flight has departed. The parent or guardian collecting the unaccompanied minor at the airport must provide proof of identification. We offer our Unaccompanied Minors service only on our flights, and not with our partner airlines. Please contact the airline to find out about their services for children travelling alone.

  French minors travelling outside of France

  Minors with French citizenship who are travelling outside of France without their parent or legal guardians must carry an official authorisation to exit the country, in addition to their passport. The original authorisation must be presented along with a copy of the identification of the parent or guardian who signed the document.

  Spanish minors travelling outside of Spain

  Spanish minors under 18 years old travelling outside of the Spanish territory without the company of any of his/her legal representatives (parents or legal guardian /s), must carry in addition to passport, a signed declaration of travel permit outside of the national territory. The form may be obtained from the Spanish Police, Civil Guard, Courts, Notaries, Town halls or Consulates.

  In the case of foreign minors in Spain for their Departure from national territory must carry the Passport of their respective State or valid travel document in force.

  Regarding foreign minors resident in Spain or residents in another EU state please contact the Authorities regarding the applicable documentation.

  For more information and queries please contact the Spanish authorities to ensure valid documentation in place.

  Unaccompanied minors travelling to Canada

  Air Canada doesn’t accept unaccompanied minors from other airlines. Therefore, if your child is travelling flying alone with us, you can book our Unaccompanied Minors service as far as Toronto. In Toronto, the child must be collected by their parent or guardian.

  If your child is travelling to Canada alone, or with an adult with no legal custody over them, we strongly advise you to give them a travel consent letter. It must be signed by their legal guardian or a parent with legal custody. The letter should contain these details:

  • authorisation to travel
  • that their destination is Canada and the length of your child’s stay
  • the address and telephone number of the legal parent or guardian

  Italian minors travelling outside Italy without an adult

  There are special requirements for Italian children travelling alone outside of Italy. If your child is an Italian national aged up to and including 13, they will need to carry a letter of authorisation (a dichiarazione di affido) from the local police (questura) if:

  • they are travelling alone
  • they are travelling with someone who is not their legal guardian or parent (as identified in their passport)

  If you live abroad, you can get this authorisation from an Italian embassy or consulate. The dichiarazione di affido can’t be issued by the airport police. Without this authorisation, your child won’t be allowed to leave Italy. This only applies to Italian citizens; all other nationals can travel without this authorisation.

  Minors under 14 years old travelling to and from Vietnam

  Children under 14 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Children travelling with someone other than their parent or legal guardian must carry an authorisation letter from their parents. 

  Vietnamese children: 

  • For arrival into Vietnam, an authorisation letter is not required. 
  • For departures from Vietnam, an authorisation letter is required. The letter must be certified by the local police or HCM Department of Justice. 

  Non‑Vietnamese children: 

  • For arrival into Vietnam, an authorisation letter is required. The letter must be certified by their local authorities. 
  • For departures from Vietnam, the authorisation letter is not required.

  Children travelling under our Unaccompanied Minors service are exempt, as the Unaccompanied Minors form is considered an authorisation document.

  Travelling on other airlines

  Each airline has their own restrictions and regulations on the unaccompanied travel of minors. If your itinerary involves travel on another airline, you should check the specific unaccompanied minors rules for that carrier before making your booking. These can include restrictions on the acceptance of unaccompanied minors when connecting to or from other airlines.

  Learn more

  Please visit the Unaccompanied Minors page for more information, or contact your local Emirates office.

• Are there special services if I’m travelling with young children or infants?

  What are the rules and regulations for passengers travelling with young children and infants?

  You can carry an infant under two years old on your lap. We'll give you a special seat belt extension. If you’re flying with a child over two years old, you'll need to buy a child's fare and they'll have their own seat.
  If you're bringing your own child safety belt or seat (known as a child restraint device or CRD), it must have a label to show that it's approved for use in an aircraft by:

  • any Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA)
  • the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
  • Transport Canada

  Using baby car seats on the plane

  You can use an infant car seat on the flight, however, you'll need to book a separate seat and pay a child's fare.

  Safety regulations

  If you bring a baby car seat on your flight, the check in staff will check that it carries a label showing that it's approved for use on an aircraft, along with the instructions for use. We'll accept car seats that meet one of the following safety standards:

  • Seats accepted by United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations (FMVSS) No. 213. They must be manufactured to those standards on or after 26 February 1985. Your seat must show these labels in red lettering:
  • This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.
  • This child restraint system conforms to all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards.
  • Seats approved to Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) No. 213, 'Child Restraint Systems', or CMVSS No. 213.1, 'Infant seating and restraint systems'.
  • Seats that meet the ECE R44 European safety standards. These seats must bear the orange label marked ECE R44-03 or later amendments.
  • Seats approved for use in aircraft according to the German regulation 'Qualification Procedure for Child Restraint Systems for Use in Aircraft'(TÜV Doc.TÜV/958-01/2001).
  • Seats that meet the AS/NZS 1754 Australian/New Zealand standards.

  If your car seat doesn't meet one of these safety standards, you can check it in to the hold with your other baggage.

  Infants weighing under 10 kg can travel in either a forward facing or rear facing car seat, however if your infant weighs more than 10 kg, their car seat must be forward facing.

  Fitting your baby car seat on board

  Our cabin crew will help you to fit your car seat according to the instructions on the label. It must face the appropriate direction, and it must be secured using the lap seat belt. Unfortunately we can't accept car seats that need to be secured by a three-point seat belt or shoulder harness.

  Restraint Harnesses / Devices for Infants, Children and Adults

  Effective 1 May 2019, in addition to Child Aviation Restraint Systems (CARES), the following restraint harnesses/devices are accepted on board Emirates flights:

  • Special CARES
  • Crelling/Houdini Model 27
  • Meru TravelChair
  • Leckey Firefly GoTo Seat  

  We do not provide these devices. You must contact your nearest Emirates Contact Centre at least 48 hours before travel as these devices can only be used on approved seat locations and in certain cabins.

  If you require any additional support or assistance for your travel, you will need to complete the Medical Information form (MEDIF) our team can then assist you.

  CARES/SPECIAL CARES Limitations:

  • A responsible adult must be seated next to the passenger using the restraint harness/device.
  • The adult is responsible for fitting the restraint harness/device and for ensuring that the occupant is seated and secured correctly in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
  • The passenger’s seat lap belt must be fastened securely while the restraint harness/device is also in use.
  • We will only accept restraint harnesses/devices at the airport if all conditions have been met and we confirm that it is one of the accepted harnesses/devices from the above list.
  • When other airlines or code share airlines are involved in an itinerary, the regulations of the carrying airline are applicable. Please check with the carrier about their policies regarding restraint harnesses/devices before your flight.
  • If your CARES is over the maximum weight and height recommended for FAA certification, or if you are using CARES to connect to another airline, codeshare partner or US airline at an Emirates US gateway airport (including Athens International Airport and Milan Malpensa Airport), you will need to request an exemption for onward travel to or from the US from the FAA prior to your flight.
  • Being a foreign carrier, FAA certification is not applicable for use on Emirates flights. FAA regulations regarding child harness restraints do not directly apply to Emirates or our passengers. However, these limitations are covered in our GCAA approved internal risk assessment.

  Baby bassinets

  Whilst our bassinets are designed for babies up to two years old weighing up to 11 kg (24.2 lb), we won’t be able to provide one if your baby doesn’t fit safely. In First Class, our baby bassinets are 63.5 cm long and 28 cm wide (25 in x 11 in), while they are 74.93 long x 33.03 cm wide x 16.51 cm deep (29.5 in x 13 in x 5 in) in Business Class and Economy Class. Please note that bassinets are limited in number and subject to availability. Remember that you can't request a bassinet if you have booked a normal seat on child's fare rates.

  Using children’s ride-on suitcases and/or leg rests

  Please note that many children’s ride on suitcases or leg rest devices aren’t certified by the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, and therefore aren’t permitted on board our flights. This includes – but isn’t limited to – devices by Bedbox, Fly Legs-up and FLY-Tot. You can get in touch with us for more information.

  Using a baby car seat on board

  If you are taking an infant car seat on board your flight, you must take full responsibility for fitting the device to the aircraft chair in accordance with the manufacturer instructions and aircraft policy:

  • A forward facing car seat, must be installed in a forward-facing direction.
  • A rear facing car seat is restricted to infants whose age is falling between 7 days and 6 months old:
    • If rear facing, it must be installed in a bulk head seat.
    • If a bulk head seat is not available, then it must be installed in a forward facing direction.

  The seat belt must be easily accessible, though it must not be used to attach the infant into the car seat.
  The aircraft seat back must be left in an upright position, in addition, the car seat table attachments (if any) shall be removed during take-off and landing.

  Our cabin crew can assist by raising the armrests, so that you can secure the aircraft seat belt to the car seat. They will also brief you on any safety requirements, and have the right to prohibit the use of car seats which do not meet policy standards.

  Unfortunately we can't accept car seats that need to be secured by a three-point seat belt or shoulder harness.

  Leg rests, seat extensions, ride-on suitcases, and sleepers.

  Leg rests and extensions

  The use of leg rests, or any form of seat-extension device, is not permitted to be used on board. These items are not certified by the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and pose a safety risk as loose cabin items. They include but are not limited to the below:

  • Bedbox
  • Fly Legs-up
  • FLY-Tot
  • Plane Pal
  • Sky Rest

  You can take these items with you on board only if they are stored in the overhead lockers as regular carry-on baggage allowance, and are not used during the flight.

  
  

  Ride-on suitcases

  Ride-on suitcases are permitted to take on board only if they are stored in the overhead lockers as regular carry-on baggage allowance, and not used during the flight. They must meet the size and weight requirements of your assigned carry-on luggage, and must not be used as leg-rests or seat extensions. Ride-on suitcases include:

  • Trunki
  • Zinc Flyte
  • Kiddee Case
  • FOME
  • Jetkids

  Sleepers

  The only comfort device/sleeper permitted to be used on board an Emirates flight is the CoziGo (Fly Babee). The CoziGo may be attached to one of our baby bassinets for the duration of the flight in economy class only. It meets the safety and risk standards required of the GCAA. 

  You will need to reserve a baby bassinet prior to your flight. Please note, CoziGo is not provided by Emirates.

  The following sleepers, and any similar device, are not permitted to use on board:

  • Cocoonababy
  • Flyebaby
  • SkyBaby
  • TravelSnug
  • MonkeyGo
  • BedBox
  • Kooshy Kids

• What are the ticketing rules for child and infant passengers on Emirates?

  Infants 0-1 year

  Tickets for infants travelling on the parent’s lap or in a bassinet are discounted from the full adult fare. When booking online, a request for a bassinet can be made in the Passenger Details section.

  Infants less than seven days old will only be allowed on board in the case of travel for emergency medical reasons (in incubators) or if the mother is travelling on compassionate grounds.

  Children in car seats (6-36 months)*

  Children between 6-36 months may travel on board in car seats as long as a separate seat is purchased for the child. Car seats can be used at any stage of the flight, including take-off and landing. The car seat must be the forward facing type only and one that can be secured to the seat by the use of the lap seatbelt, and not a shoulder harness (2-point seatbelt) as for car vehicles. Airport Services will approve the infant car seat at check-in for use on board.

  Children 2-11 years

  Tickets for children travelling in a separate seat are also discounted from the full adult fare.

  Please Note: the Emirates Unaccompanied Minor service is not available in conjunction with a discounted 'child' ticket—a full adult fare must be purchased.

  Please contact your local Emirates office to book an unaccompanied minor.

  Children travelling in different class to the parents

  Children between 5 and 11 years old who are travelling in a different cabin class from their parent or guardian are also considered unaccompanied minors and need to fly on an adult fare. They will only be considered accompanied if they are travelling in the same cabin class with a passenger over 16 years old. For the comfort of other passengers, we do ask that visits between cabins be kept to a minimum.

  IMPORTANT: New information concerning infant bookings

  Any person 2 years or older must occupy a seat when travelling on Emirates. Therefore, any infant who reaches the age of 2 after the commencement of the journey must pay the applicable child fare and is required to occupy a seat for that part of the journey.

  • Where a passenger travels as an infant on the outward journey and as a child on the onward/ return journey, applicable infant fare will apply for the outward journey and child fare for the onward/return flights. This cannot be booked online and should be booked through your local Emirates office.

  • Where a passenger is an infant but is 2 years or older on travel date at point of origin, the applicable child fare will apply for entire journey

  If the above has not been done at the booking or ticketing stage, then check-in staff will arrange this at the airport on departure.

  If seats are not available at the ticketing or check-in stage, the adult and child passengers will be booked together on alternate flights, subject to availability.

  Should travel plans change while en-route and an infant turns 2 years old after travel has commenced the unused coupon(s) will be reissued at the applicable child fare for the rest of the trip and a seat will also be booked for all remaining flights.

  IMPORTANT: Conditions of travel to Canada

  Parents travelling to Canada with a child under 18 years old are strongly advised to hold documentation showing that the child is theirs. Parents who are separated or divorced are also advised to keep legal and other relevant documents in order to clarify custody rights.

  Children travelling to Canada alone or with adults who have no legal custody over them are strongly advised to hold letter of travel consent signed by legal guardian or parent with legal custody. This letter should contain:

  a. Authorisation to travel, and
  b. Destination in Canada, stating length of stay, and
  c. Signor’s address and telephone details.

  * Two infants may fly with two accompanying adults if suitable seating and oxygen masks are available.
  
  Two infants with one accompanying adult may travel if the second infant is over 12 months and is able to sit in a seat with a seat belt, or is over six months and restrained. The second infant will travel at the applicable child fare rather than the infant fare. Three infants can travel with two adults if each adult watches over an infant during take-off and landing and if either the third infant is over 12 months and is able to sit in a seat with a seat belt, or is over six months and is restrained. A child fare will apply to the third infant.

Travel health FAQs

• How do I make arrangements for accessible travel or special requests?

  Please contact your local Emirates office and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.

• Can my service animal or pet travel with me?

  Certain service animals are allowed to travel in the cabin on Emirates flights, subject to a number of conditions. For more information on travelling with a service animal, please see our accessible travel information(Opens page in the same tab), or contact your local Emirates office(Opens page in the same tab).

  Travel to and from the US

  If you are travelling with a service animal on an Emirates flight either to or from the US, you will need to complete a U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form(Opens a PDF in a new tab) before you travel to attest the animal’s health, training and behaviour. Additionally if your flight is longer than 8 hours, you will also need to submit a U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Relief Attestation Form(Opens a PDF in a new tab) to attest that the dog will not relieve itself in the aircraft or can do so in a sanitary manner. Once you download and complete the forms, please submit them here to our Special assistance team(Opens page in the same tab) for review and we will contact you to confirm this is validated before you travel.

  Pets are not permitted in the cabin of Emirates flights. Learn more about transporting your pet(Opens page in the same tab), or contact your local Emirates office.

• Can children travelling alone use online check-in?

  No. Passengers under the age of 16 and travelling without an adult must proceed to the airport for normal check-in at the Emirates desk.

• Can I order a special meal for my flight?

  Yes, you can order a special meal up to 48 hours before your flight through Manage your booking(opens in the same window). Just enter your booking reference and last name, and you’ll be able to choose your meal preference.

  We offer a variety of special meals(opens in the same window) including gluten friendly, low lactose, vegetarian and vegan meals. All of our onboard meals and snacks are halal.

• What if I have special medications that I must carry with me?

  If you require special medication, you should always carry your prescription with you when you board any flight. Different countries have different laws governing the possession and importation of prescription drugs, and some countries have limited supplies should you require a refill of your prescription, so it is always better to bring an extra supply with you. For further information concerning any particular medications, consult with your physician and contact the local embassy of the country to which you are travelling.