How to Join Emirates Skywards (Step-by-Step)

If you've ever booked a paid Emirates flight without a Skywards number attached, you've left miles on the table. The fix is to join the program — and it takes less time than ordering a coffee. This guide walks through exactly how to apply for Emirates Skywards membership, what you'll need on hand, how to claim a joining bonus (if one is offered), and what to do in the first 24 hours after your account is active.

Who can join Emirates Skywards

Membership is open to almost everyone:

• Age: 2 years and older. Members under 18 enrol as Skysurfers with a parent or guardian co-managing the account.
• Country: Globally available. There's no residency requirement, and accounts opened in the UAE, US, UK, India, Australia, or anywhere else use the same single Skywards profile.
• Existing memberships: You can hold a Skywards account alongside other airline frequent flyer memberships — including airlines outside of any alliance. Skywards itself is not part of Star Alliance, oneworld, or SkyTeam.
• Cost: Free. There is no membership fee, signup charge, or annual renewal cost. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling something.

A practical note: if you fly Emirates more than once every two or three years, joining is essentially a no-brainer. Even a single Dubai-to-London round trip in economy earns a meaningful number of miles, and the only way to capture them is with a Skywards number attached to the booking.

What you'll need before you start

Keep this short list ready and the form takes about 90 seconds:

• Full legal name exactly as it appears on your passport (first, middle, last).
• Date of birth.
• Nationality and country of residence (these can differ — choose the country where you currently live).
• Email address that you actually check. Skywards uses email for missing-mile claims and account recovery.
• Mobile number.
• A strong password for your Skywards login.
• Optional: a referral code or invite code from an existing Skywards member, if you have one. Joining bonuses are paid for using the code at signup, not after.

That's it. You don't need a credit card, deposit, payment method, or any documents.

Step-by-step: joining Emirates Skywards via the website

This is the most common path. Roughly three minutes start to finish.

1. Go to emirates.com and select your country/region at the top of the page. The Skywards application form is the same globally, but country selection ensures terms display in your local language and that any market-specific bonuses appear correctly.
2. Click "Skywards" in the top navigation (sometimes under "Frequent Flyer" or "Join Skywards", depending on country).
3. Click "Join now" — or "Join Emirates Skywards" — to open the application form.
4. Enter your personal details. Full name (matching your passport), date of birth, nationality, country of residence, language preference.
5. Enter your contact details — email and mobile phone, including the country dialing code.
6. Set a password. Skywards requires a mix of letters, numbers, and at least one symbol.
7. Enter an invite or referral code (optional) if you have one. This is the only place you'll be able to enter it.
8. Accept the terms and conditions and submit.

You'll be assigned a Skywards membership number immediately — usually a 9-digit number — and you'll land on your member dashboard at the Blue tier.

Step-by-step: joining via the Emirates app

If you don't want to bother with the website, the Emirates iOS and Android apps include the same signup flow:

1. Download "Emirates" from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Open the app and tap "Login" in the bottom or side menu.
3. Tap "Join Skywards" on the login screen.
4. Fill in the same details as the website flow (name, DOB, email, password, optional referral code).
5. Confirm and submit. You'll be logged into the app as a new Blue member.

The mobile app also stores a digital membership card under your profile, which you can use at check-in counters and lounges that accept it.

Joining bonuses, invite codes, and referrals

Emirates Skywards runs referral and invite code promotions intermittently — not always-on. When active, an existing member shares a referral code, and both members earn a small bonus (often 2,000 to 5,000 Skywards Miles each) when the new account is created using the code and the new member completes their first eligible flight.

A few rules that catch people out:

• The code must be entered during registration. There is no easy way to retroactively attach a referral code to an existing account.
• The bonus usually pays out after the new member's first qualifying flight, not on signup.
• Skywards occasionally runs standalone joining bonuses (no referrer needed) tied to specific markets or partner promotions. Check the Skywards "Offers" page during signup.

If a friend or family member is already a Skywards Gold or Platinum, asking for their referral code at signup is the easiest way to start with a few thousand miles in your account.

What happens after you join: your first 24 hours as a Blue member

Skywards Blue is the entry tier. It doesn't offer lounge access, priority boarding, or extra baggage — but it does let you start earning miles immediately. Here's what to do right after creating the account:

1. Save your Skywards number somewhere accessible. Add it to your password manager, email signature, or notes app. You'll need it for every future booking.
2. Add your number to any upcoming Emirates bookings. If you've already booked a flight without it, go to Manage Booking on emirates.com, open the reservation, and add your Skywards number under "Frequent Flyer".
3. Claim missing miles from recent flights. Skywards accepts retroactive claims for eligible flights flown within roughly six months of joining. You'll need the original ticket number (a 13-digit number on your e-ticket receipt). Submit the claim under "My account" → "Claim missing miles".
4. Decide whether to opt into Skywards emails. They're the main way you'll hear about promotions, bonus mile offers, and tier upgrade opportunities.
5. Download the digital membership card in the Emirates app so you have it at the airport.
6. Skim the Skywards basics guide so the difference between Skywards Miles and Tier Miles is clear before your first earning flight — it matters more than most members realize.

Common signup mistakes to avoid

• Name mismatches. Even small differences (a missing middle name, a different spelling) between your Skywards profile and your ticket can block miles from posting. Match your passport.
• Wrong country of residence. Choose where you currently live — not where you hold citizenship. The country setting affects which Skywards co-branded credit cards and partner offers you see, and changing it later can be a slow process.
• Skipping the invite code field. If you have a referral code, enter it during signup. Skywards rarely applies referral bonuses retroactively.
• Opening a second account. If you've joined Skywards in the past and forgotten the login, recover the old account rather than starting over — duplicate accounts can be closed.
• Using a throwaway email. Skywards account recovery, missing miles claims, and partner offer codes all run through email. Use one you'll have access to for years.

Frequently used pages after you join

Once you have your Skywards number, these are the pages you'll come back to most:

• Sign in / member login — emirates.com/skywards or the Emirates app.
• Manage Booking — to add your Skywards number to past or future bookings.
• Claim missing miles — for flights flown without your number attached.
• Profile — to update name, contact info, or password.
• My Family — to set up family pooling once you have at least two Skywards members in your household. We cover that in the My Family pooling guide.

What to read next

• The full program primer: Emirates Skywards Explained.
• Two currencies, one program: Tier Miles vs Skywards Miles.
• Once you're earning: Emirates Silver, Gold, and Platinum Benefits.
• Already have a flight booked? How Emirates Upgrades Work.