Register on the Emirates Group Careers site, check you meet the physical and experience requirements, and attend an Open Day or assessment day in person. Emirates says it is not currently offering online assessment days, so the process happens face to face.
The requirements are unusually specific, and one of them stops more applicants than all the others combined: you must be able to reach 212cm.
The Requirements, Exactly as Emirates States Them
- At least 21 years old. Emirates publishes no maximum age.
- At least 160cm tall, and able to reach 212cm high. The reach is measured, usually on tiptoes against a wall, because it is what lets you access the overhead safety equipment. Height alone is not the test.
- Fluent in written and spoken English. Other languages are an advantage rather than a requirement.
- At least 1 year of hospitality or customer service experience. Retail, restaurant, hotel and call centre work all count.
- A minimum of high school, Grade 12, education. No degree required.
- No visible tattoos while in the Emirates cabin crew uniform. The test is visibility in uniform, not whether you have tattoos.
- Able to meet the UAE's employment visa requirements.
These apply equally to all candidates. There is no separate standard for men and women.
What Emirates Actually Pays
This is worth stating plainly, because most guides present these numbers as third-party estimates and hedge them against a conflicting basic salary figure. They are Emirates' own published figures for Grade II, Economy Class crew:
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Basic salary | AED 4,980 a month |
| Flying pay | AED 69.6 an hour, on an average of 80 to 100 hours a month |
| Average total | AED 11,244 a month (about USD 3,061) |
The structure matters more than the headline. Roughly 55% of your pay is variable, because it depends on hours flown. A light roster month pays noticeably less than a heavy one, and that is normal rather than a problem with your contract.
On top of the cash, Emirates lists:
- Free furnished accommodation, including utilities, shared with other crew.
- Company transport to and from the airport.
- 30 days of annual leave plus one free ticket home a year.
- Medical and dental cover at Emirates Clinics, plus life and accident insurance.
- A non-contributory end of service benefit.
Because accommodation and utilities are provided, the take-home figure goes much further than the same number would elsewhere. The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals, so the AED 11,244 is not reduced by payroll tax either.
The Gratuity Rule Most Applicants Misjudge
The "non-contributory end of service benefit" is a real UAE legal entitlement, not a company perk, and it is worth knowing how it accrues before you plan around it. Under UAE private sector rules:
- You qualify after one year or more of continuous service. Leave before that and you get nothing.
- You earn 21 days' salary for each of the first five years, then 30 days' salary for each year after that.
- The total is capped at two years' wages.
- It is calculated on basic salary only, excluding housing, transport and other allowances.
That last point is the one people get wrong. For cabin crew the basic is AED 4,980, not the AED 11,244 average, so the gratuity accrues against the smaller number.
How the Open Day Works
Emirates does not run a conventional application-to-interview pipeline. You register an account, then attend a recruitment event, and Emirates holds these in cities around the world. If nothing is scheduled where you live, you can attend one elsewhere, and Emirates says it will tell you when it is visiting somewhere nearby.
- Introduction. A presentation about the role and the company, and the first look at candidates.
- Assessment. Group activities testing teamwork and communication, plus an online test taken at the venue. The reach test happens around this stage.
- Final interview. A longer one-to-one about your motivation and your customer service experience.
What to bring: an up-to-date CV in English, a copy of your education certificate, and a copy of your passport as a PDF. If you do not have a passport yet, bring valid photo identification, though you will need a passport if you are selected.
Dress as you would for a formal interview in a customer-facing industry. Emirates shows examples rather than publishing written rules, so err toward business formal and conservative grooming.
Training and the First Year
- Training runs seven and a half weeks in Dubai, covering induction, safety and emergency procedures, group medical training, security, hospitality, uniform and service.
- Probation is the first six months.
- The roster gives approximately eight days off a month in Dubai, and you receive it at graduation.
- You are not assigned to a region. Emirates states crew fly different routes each month rather than being allocated to one part of the network, so plan on variety rather than on being routed home.
- Progression runs Economy, Business, First Class, Cabin Supervisor, then Purser, and Emirates says strong performers can reach Purser within about five years.
The safety component is the largest single block of the course, which tells you what the job actually is. Service is the visible part; the reason the role exists is the thirteen days on emergency procedures.
Recruitment Fraud: Emirates' Own Warning
Airline cabin crew recruitment is one of the most impersonated hiring processes in the world, and Emirates publishes a direct warning about it. In its words, any job offer seemingly from the Emirates Group that asks you for money is fraudulent, and the Emirates Group will never ask for money transfers or payment of any kind from job applicants, nor for advance payment toward travel expenses, visas or work permits if your application succeeds.
So: no agent fee, no "assessment registration fee", no visa deposit, no training payment. Register directly on the Emirates Group Careers site, and treat any offer arriving by WhatsApp or a free email account as fake until proven otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Emirates cabin crew earn?
Emirates publishes a basic salary of AED 4,980 a month plus flying pay of AED 69.6 an hour over 80 to 100 hours, averaging AED 11,244 a month, with free furnished accommodation on top.
What is the height requirement for Emirates cabin crew?
At least 160cm tall and able to reach 212cm high. The reach is the test that matters, because it is what lets you access overhead safety equipment.
Do I need a degree to be Emirates cabin crew?
No. A minimum of high school, Grade 12, education is required, along with at least one year of hospitality or customer service experience.
Can I have tattoos as Emirates cabin crew?
Emirates requires no visible tattoos while in the cabin crew uniform. The rule is about visibility in uniform, not about having tattoos at all.
Is there an online assessment for Emirates cabin crew?
Not currently. Emirates says it is not offering online assessment days, so you need to attend an Open Day or assessment day in person.
How long is Emirates cabin crew training?
Seven and a half weeks in Dubai, covering induction, safety and emergency procedures, medical training, security, hospitality, uniform and service.
Is Emirates cabin crew salary tax-free?
The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals, so the salary is not reduced by payroll tax. Accommodation and utilities are also provided free.
Does Emirates charge a fee to apply?
No. Emirates states that any job offer seemingly from it that asks you for money is fraudulent, and that it never asks applicants for payment of any kind.
People Also Search For
Emirates cabin crew salary in dirhams
A published average of AED 11,244 a month, made up of AED 4,980 basic plus flying pay.
Emirates open day requirements
CV in English, education certificate copy and a passport copy, plus the 21-year, 160cm and 212cm reach standards.
Emirates cabin crew reach test
You must be able to reach 212cm high, which is how overhead safety equipment is accessed.
Cabin crew accommodation Dubai
Emirates provides free furnished shared accommodation including utilities, plus transport to the airport.
UAE end of service gratuity
21 days' basic salary a year for the first five years, 30 days a year after that, capped at two years' wages.
Emirates cabin crew days off
Approximately eight days off a month in Dubai, on a roster issued at graduation.
Emirates purser promotion
Progression runs Economy to Business to First Class to Cabin Supervisor to Purser, reachable in about five years for strong performers.
Emirates recruitment scam
Emirates says any offer in its name that asks you for money is fraudulent, including visa and travel advance payments.
More Job Guides
Looking at Gulf and hospitality work more widely? These cover it:
- Receptionist Jobs in UAE — front-of-house work in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
- Hotel Jobs in USA for Foreigners — the hospitality experience Emirates asks for, and where to get it.
- How to Get a Job in Saudi Arabia as a Foreigner — the other big Gulf market and how its sponsorship works.
- Security Guard Jobs in UAE — another route into the Emirates with employer sponsorship.
- Accountant Jobs in UAE — the professional end of the UAE market.
- How to Get a Logistics Driver Job in the UAE — driving and delivery work in the Emirates.
- How to Apply for Oman Air Cabin Crew Jobs — the Gulf carrier that publishes neither pay nor standing requirements.
- How to Apply for Kuwait Airways Cabin Crew Jobs — the Gulf carrier whose careers portal most guides cannot find.
- How to Apply for Etihad Airport Jobs in UAE — why Abu Dhabi ground jobs are advertised by a company called Velora.
- How to Apply for Singapore Airlines Cabin Crew Jobs — published pay, a five-year contract, and the service bond most guides omit.
- How to Apply for Heathrow Airport Jobs in the UK — the five year vetting and counter terrorism check that decide the application.
This article is for general informational purposes, using the Emirates Group Careers cabin crew pages for requirements, pay, process and training, the Emirates recruitment fraud notice, and UAE government guidance for tax and end-of-service rules. Requirements and recruitment events change between hiring cycles. Always check the official cabin crew page before you travel to an Open Day.
