You can do a Salik recharge online through the Salik website or app, the RTA Dubai, Dubai Now, Careem or TAMM apps, your bank, a Salik kiosk, or a recharge card redeemed by SMS or phone. To check your Salik balance, enter your mobile number and plate details on salik.ae, open the Smart Salik or RTA Dubai app, use a kiosk, or call 800 SALIK (72545).
Every top-up must be between AED 50 and AED 50,000, in multiples of AED 50, and the balance updates instantly.
Quick context: since 31 January 2025, Salik uses variable tolls. On Monday to Saturday a crossing costs AED 6 from 6 AM to 10 AM and 4 PM to 8 PM, AED 4 at other times, and AED 0 from 1 AM to 6 AM. On Sundays it is AED 4, except 1 AM to 6 AM when it is free. Since 1 June 2026, 5% VAT is added to every toll, so a paid crossing now costs AED 6.30 or AED 4.20. If you want to cut how often you pay, read our guide on how to avoid Salik charges on Dubai roads.
What you need before you recharge
Salik accepts any one of these three sets of details to identify your account:
- Salik account number and PIN code
- Vehicle plate number and the mobile number registered with Salik
- Vehicle plate number and Salik tag number (call centre only)
The tag number is printed on the back of your Salik tag. Ignore the “DTS” letters before the digits when you type it in.
Salik recharge online through the website and apps
Salik website
On salik.ae you can recharge without logging in. Choose your recharge method, enter your details and the amount, then pay. If you log in with your username and password, you can also top up a friend’s account using their account number and PIN, or their mobile number and plate details.
Smart Salik app
Log in with your username and PIN, tap Recharge, choose a payment method and confirm. The balance updates as soon as the payment goes through.
RTA Dubai app
Open the app, select Salik, then Recharge.
Dubai Now, Careem and TAMM
- Dubai Now: select Salik, enter your account number and PIN, then the amount.
- Careem: go to Bills & recharges, then Salik.
- TAMM: go to My Utilities, then Salik.
Salik lists credit card payment on the Smart Salik app, the Salik website, Careem and TAMM.
Recharge through your bank
Fifteen UAE banks support Salik recharge through some mix of online banking, mobile banking, ATM, cash deposit machine (CDM), phone banking and SMS. The list includes Emirates NBD, Dubai Islamic Bank, ADCB, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Mashreq, RAKBANK, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Sharjah Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Ajman Bank, Standard Chartered and Citibank.
You will need your Salik account number and PIN, or your mobile number and plate details. The exact steps depend on your bank. Salik notes that banks can change their channels, so confirm with your bank first.
Banks are also the only route to auto top-up. Salik calls it the easiest way to avoid violations. Ask your bank whether it offers the service.
Recharge cards, e-vouchers and SMS
Salik recharge cards are sold at ENOC, ADNOC and Emarat petrol stations. E-vouchers are sold through Axiom Telecom and its partners.
You can redeem a card or e-voucher through the Smart Salik app, the RTA Dubai app, salik.ae, the 24-hour self service line on 800 SALIK (72545), or SMS.
For SMS, send this format to 5959:
R*12-digit recharge card number*Salik account number*PIN
Salik’s own example is R*345678912345*1234567890*1234. Your mobile operator deducts a 30 fils service fee (VAT inclusive) for each SMS recharge.
Paying cash at Salik kiosks and bank CDMs
Salik kiosks are spread across the UAE. Enter your account number and PIN, choose the amount and pay in cash. You can also pay cash at Emirates NBD and Dubai Islamic Bank cash deposit machines. The RTA Smart Drive app shows kiosk locations.
Salik recharge methods compared
| Method | How | Minimum | Speed | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salik website | Card payment, with or without login | AED 50 | Instant | None |
| Smart Salik app | Log in, tap Recharge | AED 50 | Instant | None |
| RTA Dubai app | Salik section, Recharge | AED 50 | Instant | None |
| Dubai Now / Careem / TAMM | Bills or utilities section, then Salik | AED 50 | Instant | None |
| Bank (online, mobile, ATM, CDM, phone) | Account number + PIN, or mobile + plate | AED 50 | Instant | None from Salik; check your bank |
| Bank auto top-up | Set up with your bank | Set by your bank | Automatic | Check your bank |
| Recharge card or e-voucher | Buy at ENOC, ADNOC, Emarat or Axiom, redeem online or by phone | Card value | Instant once redeemed | None |
| SMS to 5959 | R*card number*account number*PIN |
Card value | Instant | 30 fils |
| Salik kiosk | Cash, account number + PIN | AED 50 | Instant | None |
| Call centre 800 SALIK (72545) | Account and recharge card number | Card value | Instant | None |
Every channel caps a single top-up at AED 50,000.
How to check your Salik balance
Salik lists five ways to do a Salik balance check:
- salik.ae, no login: click “Check my balance” and enter your mobile number plus your plate details (plate source, category, colour and number).
- Smart Salik app: your dashboard shows the balance and recent trips.
- RTA Dubai app: open the Salik section.
- Salik kiosks.
- Phone, 24 hours: call 800 SALIK (72545), press 1 for Arabic or 2 for English, press 3 and enter your account number and PIN. The balance is read out straight away. Press 1 to hear it again.
When you log in to the website or app, any unpaid trips appear with a countdown timer. It shows how long you have left before they turn into violations.
Each Salik gate crossing is deducted from your prepaid balance, so check it before a long drive. Image: EditQ / Wikimedia Commons / CC0.
What happens when your Salik balance runs low
If you cross a gate without enough balance, you have five working days from the trip date to recharge. If you miss that window, Salik issues an AED 50 insufficient funds violation for each day you made trips, per vehicle. There is a maximum of one such violation per day per vehicle.
Do not wait for a warning text. Salik says you may not get an SMS when your balance runs out, and a missing SMS does not cancel a violation.
If a violation does land, you can pay it on rta.ae under violations enquiry and payment, on the Dubai Police website for Dubai plates, on the Abu Dhabi Police website for other plates, or at any vehicle registration centre. You can dispute a Salik violation through the Smart Salik app, the RTA Dubai app, salik.ae or 800 SALIK. Disputes are accepted for up to 13 months, even after payment. For a wider view of Dubai penalties, see our RTA fines guide.
Salik does not always send a low-balance SMS, so the owner is responsible for keeping the account topped up. Image: EditQ / Wikimedia Commons / CC0.
New tag? Your first AED 50 is already loaded
A Salik tag costs AED 102.5 including VAT. That covers AED 52.5 for the tag and AED 50 of prepaid toll credit, added when you activate it. Ordering online adds AED 20 for delivery, so AED 122.5 in total. Tags are sold online, through the Careem app, and at selected Emarat, ENOC/EPPCO and ADNOC petrol stations. Activate the tag before your first crossing.
Driving a rental car? You do not recharge anything
Salik makes the vehicle owner responsible for every toll and violation, whoever was driving. With a rental car, the owner is the rental company. The tag sits on its account, so you never recharge or check a balance yourself. The company pays the tolls and bills them to you under your rental agreement.
Before you sign, ask what the company charges per Salik crossing and whether it adds a service fee. Compare that figure across dealers when you browse cars on the OneClickDrive car marketplace. If you drive on to Abu Dhabi, its tolls run on a separate system, explained in our Darb toll gate timing guide.
Questions people are asking
Can I get my Salik balance refunded or moved to another account?
No. Salik balances are neither refundable nor transferable. If you sell your car, remove the tag, deactivate it and take the vehicle off your account, or the new owner’s trips will be charged to you.
Does my Salik balance expire?
It stays in the account for up to five years without activity. If there is no recharge and no trip in that time, the balance is forfeited.
Can I use my Salik balance to pay for parking?
Yes, at a growing number of sites. At Dubai Mall, parking is deducted from your Salik account after the free period of 4 hours on weekdays and 6 hours from Friday to Sunday. Since 22 January 2026 the Salik e-wallet also pays for parking at Dubai International Airport (DXB), and some Parkonic-run car parks, such as Wafi Mall, deduct fees from your Salik account.
Do electric cars still need a Salik balance?
Yes. Electric vehicle owners can get a Salik tag free, but every crossing is still charged at the normal variable rate.
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