How Tourists Can Claim Their UAE VAT Refund

Tourists in the UAE can reclaim most of the 5% VAT they pay on eligible purchases. This guide covers exactly who qualifies, how to get your tax-free tag, and every way to validate and collect your refund.

The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) deducts a 13% administrative fee from the VAT amount, plus a flat AED 3.60 fee per tax-free tag.

Scheme	Tourist Tax Refund
Country	United Arab Emirates
VAT Rate	5%
Minimum Purchase	AED 250
Service Hour	24/7
Service Fee	AED 3.60 per tax-free tag (cut from AED 4.80 on 12 July 2026), plus 13% of the VAT amount
Time	Manned desk: ~5 minutes, Kiosks: ~3 minutes
Refund Time	Cash: instant, Card: up to 9 days

What Is the UAE Tourist VAT Refund Scheme?

The UAE introduced its 5% Value Added Tax in 2018, alongside a Tourist Refund Scheme that lets eligible visitors reclaim most of the VAT on goods they’re taking out of the country.

The scheme is run by Planet, the operator the FTA has authorized to manage validation across airports, land/sea ports, malls, and participating stores.

Who Is Eligible for a VAT Refund in the UAE?

To qualify, you must meet all of the following:

• You’re a genuine tourist — not a UAE resident and not employed in the UAE (this is broader than just “not a UAE national”).
• You’re not a crew member on a flight, aircraft, or ship leaving the UAE — this is a separate exclusion under the scheme’s rules, and applies even if you’re otherwise a non-resident, non-employed tourist.
• You’re 18 years or older.
• You spent at least AED 250 in a single transaction at a retailer registered for the Tourist Refund Scheme.
• The goods are for personal use, not resale.
• You’re exporting the goods within 90 days of the purchase date.
• You have the goods, your tax-free tag, and your original passport (or GCC national ID — copies aren’t accepted) with you at validation.

Motor vehicles, boats, aircraft, and goods you’ve already consumed (like food) don’t qualify.

How Much VAT Can You Get Back?

Detail	Amount
VAT rate on eligible goods	5%
Minimum single-transaction purchase	AED 250
Refund deduction	13% of the VAT amount
Processing fee per tax-free tag	AED 3.60 (cut from AED 4.80 on 12 July 2026)
Maximum cash refund	AED 35,000 per tourist per 24 hours
Card / digital wallet refund	No cap
Validation window	Within 90 days of the purchase invoice date
Departure window after validation	Within 6 hours of completing validation

As of 12 July 2026, under FTA Decision No. 11 of 2026, the flat per-tag fee dropped from AED 4.80 to AED 3.60.

How to Get a Tax-Free Tag When You Shop

1. At checkout, tell the cashier you want to shop tax-free and show your passport (or GCC national ID).
2. The retailer creates a digital tax-free tag linked to your passport in Planet’s system. Most stores no longer issue a separate paper tag, though some still print one alongside your receipt.
3. Keep your receipt (and paper tag, if you’re given one) until you’ve validated your refund.

Method 1: Validate at a Self-Service Kiosk

Self-service kiosks are available at airports, land and sea ports, 24/7. Scan your passport and your tax-free tags or receipts at the kiosk.

A green light means your refund is approved and you can choose how to receive it. A red light means it’s been declined and you’ll need to go to a manned desk instead. The whole process takes about 3 minutes.

Method 2: Validate at a Manned Desk

Manned refund desks sit near departure points at airports, borders, and ports. Go here if a kiosk declines your claim, if you’re refunding a higher-value item, or if you’d simply rather deal with a person.

Bring the same documents and goods. A desk clerk reviews everything and processes the refund, which typically takes around 5 minutes.

Mall & Hotel Kiosks: Validate During Your Trip (24-Hour Rule Applies)

Planet also runs self-service City Validation Kiosks at major shopping malls and hotels, so you don’t have to wait until the airport to validate.

This only works if you’re actually departing the UAE within 24 hours of using the kiosk. You must then leave the UAE within 6 hours of completing that validation.

If you miss that window, Planet cancels the refund and you’ll have to restart the validation process from scratch on your actual departure day. This isn’t a way to spread out validation earlier in a longer trip — it’s strictly a last-24-hours option.

How You Get Paid: Cash, Card or Digital Wallet

Refund Method	Processing Time	Notes
Cash	About 3 minutes	Capped at AED 35,000 per tourist per 24 hours
Credit/debit card	Up to 9 days	No cap
Digital wallet (WeChat / Alipay)	Instant	Mainly aimed at Chinese tourists, available at participating points

Can You Claim VAT Refunds on Online Purchases?

Since its 2024 launch, the FTA’s scheme also covers online purchases — described by the FTA as the world’s first fully electronic system for refunding VAT on e-commerce purchases by tourists.

You verify eligibility with your passport details at the time of the online purchase, your identity is confirmed again at delivery, and the refund is processed when you exit the UAE.

Track Your Refund with the Planet Shopper Portal

Planet sends an SMS to your registered phone number with a link to your Shopper Portal. Open it to see every tax-free transaction you’ve made, where each one stands, and what to do next.

It’s a useful way to keep track of multiple purchases during a longer trip without hunting down paper receipts.

Documents You Need

• Your original passport, or a GCC national ID (copies aren’t accepted).
• Your tax-free tag or digital tax-free invoice from the retailer.
• Your original purchase receipt/tax invoice.
• The purchased goods themselves, in case an officer asks to inspect them.
• A valid travel ticket or confirmed booking (and your boarding pass, if you’re validating at a mall or hotel kiosk).

Common Issues When Claiming Your VAT Refund

These are the most common reasons a claim gets rejected, based directly on the FTA’s and Planet’s own eligibility and process rules:

• Checked-in goods that weren’t inspected first. If you’re putting tax-free purchases in checked luggage, validate them at the desk before you check your bags in — Planet’s own guidance says goods “may need to be inspected” before check-in. Pack tax-free items so they’re accessible, and validate before bag drop if there’s any chance an officer needs to see them.
• Missing the 90-day export window. Goods must be exported within 90 days of the purchase invoice date — beyond that, the purchase no longer qualifies.
• Not carrying the original passport. A photocopy or a photo of your passport isn’t accepted — you need the physical document.
• Being a UAE resident, employee, or crew member. This scheme is for genuine tourists only. UAE residents, anyone employed in the UAE, and flight or ship crew don’t qualify, even if they’re not UAE nationals.
• Spending under AED 250 in a single transaction. Combining several small receipts from the same store on the same day doesn’t count if no single transaction hit the threshold.
• Using a mall/hotel kiosk too early in a trip. City validation only works within 24 hours of your actual departure — using it earlier just means your refund gets cancelled and you start over at the airport.

FAQs

Before You Go

Getting your VAT refund is straightforward if you follow the right order: get your tax-free tag when you shop, validate before you check in bags containing tax-free items, and use the mall/hotel kiosk option only in your last 24 hours in the country.

You can shop smart and save during your holiday in Dubai, or anywhere else in the UAE.