The Hafilat card costs AED 10 in its anonymous form and is free in its personalized form, and both pay Abu Dhabi bus fares of AED 2 plus 5 fils a kilometre, capped at AED 5 a journey.

On 21 October 2026 we read six Abu Dhabi Mobility pages, starting with its Hafilat card page and fare page. We did not buy a card or ride a bus. The pages state no minimum balance, and unofficial guides disagree on one. This is general information, not official advice.

Point	Anonymous card	Personalized card
Price	AED 10	Free
Validity	16 years	16 years
What you need	Nothing	Emirates ID, or passport and visa for visitors, plus a photo
Lost or damaged	No balance transfer unless linked to a UAE ID	Balance transfer
Subsidised permits	No	Seniors, people of determination, students

Hafilat card types and what each costs

Both cards work by tapping on the reader when boarding and again when alighting. Anyone can buy the anonymous card with no prerequisites, while only the personalized card carries the annual permits.

The anonymous card is sold at sales and recharge machines, Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society (SPAR), Al Ain Cooperative Society, every Lulu Hypermarket and Lulu Exchange branch in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra, and the Customer Happiness Offices at bus stations and the airport. The personalized card is issued only at the bus-station offices and at the Zayed International Airport office, which is open 24/7.

Hafilat bus fares and transfers

The Standard Service covers trips within the city and suburbs of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra. The fare is a boarding fee of AED 2 plus 5 fils per kilometre, capped at AED 5 for trips of more than 60 kilometres, and children aged 10 and under ride free.

A 20-kilometre trip works out at about AED 3 on our arithmetic, and the cap is reached at 60 kilometres. Khaleej Times reported that the Integrated Transport Centre introduced this pricing on 28 February 2024.

• Transfers avoid a second AED 2 if you tap into the next bus within 60 minutes of the last tap-out.
• You cannot transfer in the opposite direction to your destination.
• A journey can have at most 2 transfers, using 3 buses.
• Intercity services are not included.

Topping up a Hafilat card

The maximum balance on a card is AED 150, and the balance stays valid for 3 months from the recharge date. To keep it, the official page says to use the card for a trip or tap it on a sales and recharge machine before it expires.

• Sales and recharge machines, at bus stations and stops: the balance appears immediately.
• Recharge machines, at stations, stops and shopping centres: immediately.
• Customer Happiness Centers at bus stations: immediately.
• MBME recharge machines in commercial centres and buildings: after two hours.
• The DARBI website, hafilat.darb.ae: after two hours.

Note that the Darbi site and app are for buses and have nothing to do with the Darb toll gates, which we cover in our Darb Abu Dhabi guide.

Passes and annual permits

Either card can hold a pass, which gives unlimited trips on the Standard Service. A 7-day pass is AED 35 and a 30-day pass AED 95, both excluding intercity services. We estimated that at about AED 3 a trip, a 30-day pass pays for itself after roughly 32 trips.

• Social support rate: AED 80 for the 30-day pass, for beneficiaries of the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority and the Ministry of Community Development.
• Student permit: AED 500 for one year, with a valid Emirates ID and proof of student status.
• Senior permit: free for one year for residents and citizens aged 55 and over.
• People of Determination permit: free for one year, plus a free permit for one companion who holds a personalized card.

Annual permits work only on a personalized card, and a card with a permit does not need a pass added.

Using the card and missing a tap-out

The official page gives four steps: check that the card, passes and permits are valid, make sure the balance covers at least one trip, tap on boarding and alighting, and check the remaining balance before getting off.

The fare depends on the distance between the two taps. If you forget to tap out, the full amount of the bus journey is deducted the next time you use the card, and not paying a fare can bring a penalty under the public transportation fines schedule.

If you also ride in Dubai, our Dubai Metro fare guide covers the nol card, and the Dubai to Abu Dhabi guide sets out the intercity options.

Where the sources disagree

Three points differ between the official pages and the guides that rank, so the source matters more than the figure.

• Minimum balance: guides give AED 2.5, AED 5 or AED 10 to AED 20, while the official pages we read state none.
• Online channel: the official recharge page names the DARBI website, while one guide says card services now run only through TAMM.
• Social-support passes: Khaleej Times in 2024 gave AED 30 for 7 days, but the official passes page now shows only the AED 80 rate for 30 days.

What we could not confirm

Several points stay open after our reading, because the official pages are undated and do not cover every question riders ask.

• The minimum balance needed to board.
• The fine amounts in the public transportation fines schedule.
• Whether balance checks or recharges have moved to TAMM.
• Intercity and Abu Dhabi Link on-demand fares, which we did not read.

Quick answers on the Hafilat card

How much is a Hafilat card?

AED 10 for the anonymous card, and free for the personalized card. Both are valid for 16 years, according to Abu Dhabi Mobility.

What is the maximum balance on a Hafilat card?

AED 150, with the balance valid for 3 months from the recharge date.

How do you check a Hafilat card balance?

The official how-to page says to check the remaining balance before alighting. We did not find an official page describing an online balance check, so confirm the current channel with Abu Dhabi Mobility on 800555.

Do children pay on Abu Dhabi buses?

No for ages 10 and under, who travel free on the Standard Service. Older children pay the normal fare unless they hold a student permit.

We read these pages on 21 October 2026 and will update the table if Abu Dhabi Mobility changes the fares or the card terms.