I start this article with bad news: the short answer is no. Emirates cabin crew cannot have braces, and that includes Invisalign and other ‘invisible’ dental devices. If you are currently in the middle of orthodontic treatment and are planning to apply to Emirates, this is one of the most important things you need to know before you attend an Open Day or submit your application photos.
This article explains exactly what the policy means, why it exists, and what it means in practice for candidates at different stages of their dental journey.
What Emirates Actually Looks For
Emirates is one of the most appearance-conscious airlines in the world. Cabin crew are brand ambassadors in a specific way: The uniform, the grooming, the presentation, and yes, the smile, are all part of a carefully considered brand image that Emirates takes seriously at every stage of the recruitment process.
The smile matters. A lot. Emirates recruiters are looking for what is often described internally as a clean, natural, unobstructed smile – the kind that photographs well, projects confidence and warmth, and is not interrupted by visible dental hardware. It is part of the broader Emirates grooming standard that covers hair colour, makeup, nail length, jewellery, and a range of other presentation elements.
This is not a minor detail or a formality. The ‘smile check’ happens during the Open Day or Assessment Day, and when photographs are submitted to Emirates’ central HR team in Dubai. Candidates who attend a recruitment event with braces, retainers, or any visible orthodontic appliance in place are likely to find that their application does not progress, regardless of how well they perform in every other respect.
Braces and Invisalign: Both Are a Problem
The most common question candidates ask once they understand the braces policy is whether Invisalign is an exception. The answer is no.
Invisalign aligners are removable, and candidates sometimes assume they can simply remove them for the Open Day or for photographs to avoid the issue. This misses the point of the policy in two ways.
First, Emirates is not just checking for the presence of hardware on the day. The airline is assessing the overall state of your smile and your teeth. If your teeth are currently mid-alignment (gaps in different places to where they will eventually be or teeth at angles that will change over months of treatment), that is a different smile from the one you will have when treatment is complete. Emirates wants to see the finished result, not a work in progress.
Second, if you join Emirates with treatment ongoing, you are committing to wearing aligners on duty, removing them for service, managing them in the cabin, and fitting regular dental appointments around a long-haul roster. That is not practical, and Emirates does not expect crew to manage it.
Worth knowing: Some candidates have attempted to attend Open Says with Invisalign removed, hoping the assessment will not reveal that treatment is ongoing. This is not a reliable strategy. Recruiters are trained to assess the full presentation of candidates, and the current state of your teeth. Attempting to conceal ongoing treatment is also the kind of approach that can create problems if discovered later in the process.
The Broader Principle: Complete Cosmetic Dental Work Before You Apply
The braces and Invisalign policy is part of a broader principle that applies to all cosmetic dental treatment. Emirates expects candidates to present with their smile in its finished, natural state. This means:
Whitening: Professional whitening is generally fine once complete, since it enhances the natural appearance of the teeth without altering their structure. Treatment should be completed well before the assessment so that any sensitivity has resolved and the result is stable.
Veneers: Permanent veneers, once placed and fully settled, are generally not an issue since they form part of the natural appearance of your smile. Temporary veneers during a treatment process are a different matter.
Retainers: Fixed retainers bonded to the back of the teeth are typically not visible and are unlikely to be an issue. Removable retainers worn post-treatment are for use outside of work and do not affect the assessment.
Implants and crowns: These are generally not a problem once fully placed and healed, since they restore rather than visibly alter the natural appearance of the smile.
The guiding principle throughout is straightforward: Emirates wants to see your smile in its finished, stable, natural state. Anything that represents an ongoing treatment process should be completed before you apply.
Top Tip: Red lipstick will instantly make your teeth look whiter, so don’t be too worried about your teeth not looking ‘white enough’ ahead of your Open Day or Assessment Day. Add some classic Emirates red to your lips to make your teeth ‘pop.’
What This Means If You Are Currently Mid-Treatment
If you are currently wearing braces or Invisalign and Emirates is your goal, the honest advice is to wait. Continue your treatment, complete it properly, allow your results to stabilise, and then begin the Emirates application process. Attempting to rush the process or work around the policy is unlikely to succeed and risks damaging your candidacy at an airline where your appearance file is part of your permanent record.
This is not a reason to be discouraged. It is a reason to plan. A candidate who completes their orthodontic treatment, gives their smile time to settle, and then attends an Emirates Open Day with a confident, finished smile is in a significantly stronger position than one who attends mid-treatment, hoping nobody will notice.
The Bigger Picture on Emirates Appearance Standards
The dental policy sits within a wider set of Emirates grooming and appearance standards that are among the most detailed and consistently enforced of any airline in the world. No visible tattoos. Natural-looking hair colour. Specific jewellery rules. Precise requirements around makeup and nails. The smile is one element of a presentation standard that Emirates takes seriously at every stage of employment, not just at the point of application.
For the full picture on what Emirates expects in terms of appearance at the open day and assessment day, the Emirates Cheat Sheet covers the complete grooming standards alongside the fleet, cabin products, and recruiter knowledge that candidates need to go in prepared.
For everything about the Emirates recruitment process:
