Tourist VAT Refund Shopping in Dubai

If you want a tourist VAT refund on something you buy in Dubai, ask the seller to issue a Planet tax-free transaction before you leave the shop. Use the original travel document you entered the UAE with, then keep the goods where you can show them before you check in your luggage. For an eligible AED 1,050 purchase at the standard VAT rate, registered as one transaction, the refund comes to about AED 39.90. You pay the full shelf price and claim the eligible amount when you leave. Federal Tax Authority tourist refund service · Planet’s UAE tourist guide

The trip has three checkpoints. The retailer issues the record, you make sure the goods and invoice can be matched to it, and Planet validates the transaction when you leave. An ordinary receipt is worth keeping, but it does not by itself establish that the store registered a tax-free purchase.

Who can claim and what qualifies

Planet and the UAE government’s public guidance put the minimum age at 18. The scheme is for eligible overseas tourists, and the rules define that status in terms of residence and exclude qualifying flight and ship crew. If you live in the UAE or another implementing state, or have a residence status that makes your eligibility unclear, verify it with Planet before counting a refund in your budget. The shopper must be in the UAE when making the purchase and must take the goods out personally within the required window. UAE government eligibility guidance · Planet eligibility FAQ

The minimum is AED 250 including VAT for qualifying purchases from the same taxable seller in the claim. Two unrelated shops selling you AED 150 each do not create one eligible AED 300 transaction. If you are buying several things from one retailer, ask whether it can issue one eligible transaction and which items count before it rings them up. The store must participate in the scheme. Planet’s directory is a starting point, and the counter can confirm whether that particular outlet can issue your record. FTA’s consolidated tourist refund decision · Planet participating brands and locations

Think of clothes, accessories or electronics you will carry out. Hotel stays, meals and other services sit outside this goods scheme. Planet also excludes goods you do not take with you, including separate cargo shipments, and sets restrictions on goods consumed in the UAE or used without the original packaging. If you plan to wear, unpack or use a purchase on the trip, keep the packaging and check the operator’s guidance for that item before you rely on the refund. Planet FAQ on eligible purchases and export

How much you can expect back

The current FTA service page and Planet guidance give the same calculation. You receive 87% of the eligible VAT, with AED 3.60 deducted per tax-free transaction. The FTA’s consolidated decision records the change to the fixed fee effective 12 July 2026. Some older guides and even a retailer’s current help pages may still display an earlier fee. Use the current FTA and Planet figures for an estimate. FTA service fees · FTA VAT legislation index · Planet’s current FAQ

For a purchase that is entirely eligible, with standard 5% VAT already in the price, divide the price by 21 to find the VAT portion. Multiply that by 0.87 and subtract AED 3.60 for one transaction. These examples use one eligible transaction each and round to the nearest fils. Check the actual VAT on the invoice when your purchase includes lines with different treatment.

Two eligible AED 525 purchases registered separately would produce about AED 36.30 in total, compared with AED 39.90 for one eligible AED 1,050 transaction. The difference comes from the extra fixed fee. If you are weighing up a bigger purchase, compare the refund with the price elsewhere, the shop’s return terms and any charges or declaration requirements at your destination. The UAE refund applies to the UAE VAT claim. UAE government VAT overview · FTA fee and transaction rules

Get the transaction right while you can still reach the shop

At a physical store, ask whether it can issue a Planet tax-free transaction for your purchase. Present the same original passport or eligible GCC national ID used to enter the UAE. Check the spelling of your name, the document used and the purchase details. The FTA describes digital invoices and paper invoice workflows, including verification of the invoice image uploaded by the retailer. Keep the original invoice or sales receipt and any tax-free tag the shop gives you. FTA steps and documents · Planet Tax Free Middle East on Instagram

Use the Planet app or Shopper Portal to see whether the transaction appears. If it is missing, the identity details are wrong or a paper invoice fails verification, go back to the seller while it can still correct the record. For a gift bought by someone else, the person linked to the tax-free transaction has to handle validation personally. Plan who will buy and carry the goods before paying. Planet transaction and verification FAQ · FTA validation service

Online example using Ounass UAE

Participating e-commerce sites can register eligible tourist purchases made while the customer is in the UAE. The FTA describes verifying the tourist at delivery or fulfilment. Ounass publishes a separate workflow. Its formal terms say eligible items marked “Shipped from UAE” must total over AED 250, and that the delivery name must use Latin characters and match the travel document. That is the retailer’s wording. If your eligible subtotal is exactly AED 250, check whether Ounass offers registration before counting on the refund. FTA announcement on e-commerce purchases · Ounass VAT refund terms · Ounass on Instagram

Ounass says to use the registration option on the order success or details page and complete the form before the order ships. Be there to receive it yourself with the original travel document for verification. The seller issues the tax-free transaction ID. A last-minute hotel delivery only works if you have time to register, receive the goods and take them out with you. If you change or return something, check what happened to the transaction ID. Ounass says post-order changes can cancel the tag, and its terms describe restrictions once a refund has been initiated. Ounass tourist shopping FAQ · Ounass VAT refund terms

Validate at departure before checking your bags

At Dubai International Airport, find the Planet validation point in the departures area before you hand your luggage over. Dubai Airports lists Terminal 1 points near check-in areas 1 and 5, a Terminal 2 point by entrance 1 near the marhaba counter, and Terminal 3 points near entrance 2 and the business-class check-in entrance. Confirm your terminal and check the current location if your departure changes. Carry your original travel document, travel evidence, invoice or digital transaction details and the goods. Keep every claimed item accessible for inspection. Dubai Airports’ DXB counter locations · DXB on Instagram

Validate within 90 days of the invoice date and leave the UAE within six hours of completing validation. If a delay means you miss the six-hour window, Planet says the validation can be cancelled and you may need to repeat it for your actual departure. A city kiosk has a separate rule. For airport departures, Planet says it can initiate validation within 24 hours of departure if you already have the digital boarding pass. Follow the instructions it gives you, including any direction to present goods before airport check-in. FTA timing rules · Planet guidance on delays and city kiosks

The FTA also announced a smart app route at DXB and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport in October 2026. It describes scanning the dynamic QR at an airport service point after registering in the Planet app. The app tells you whether you need inspection and directs you if you do. Follow the route offered at your terminal. Keep the goods available and use a staffed validation point if the app or kiosk directs you there. If your departure is via a land or sea crossing, check that it participates and confirm its hours. FTA smart platform announcement · FTA service locations and hours

A practical example for a morning flight

Say you bought headphones in a shop and received a bag through a participating online retailer. The night before your flight, open the portal and find both entries. Match each to the goods and to the right invoice. If the headphone invoice was verified but the bag never appeared, take the seller’s order reference to customer service while it still has time to check it. Keep any original packaging you need and place both purchases so you can show them without emptying the whole suitcase at departures.

In the morning, go to the validation point for your terminal before checking the suitcase. Follow the kiosk or app for each transaction. One purchase may need inspection even if the other is cleared. Save the confirmation for both before moving on. If you select cash, leave time after immigration to find the partner counter. If you select card, keep the claim details until you can match the refund to the statement. If your flight changes, ask Planet whether the validation will still be within the six-hour departure window. DXB validation directions · Planet delay and tracking guidance

Pick a payout method and keep the claim reference

After validation, choose among the methods available to you. The FTA lists bank card, cash and supported digital wallets, including WeChat Pay and Alipay. If you choose cash, go to the participating cash partner after immigration. The current cash cap is AED 35,000 per tourist per 24 hours. If you opt for a foreign cash currency where offered, Planet says the cash partner sets the exchange rate. FTA tourist refund service · Planet payout FAQ

Save the claim reference until the refund arrives. If you have several transactions, keep the references separately so you can identify which one is still pending. The October platform announcement describes faster processing, while the FTA’s service page still lists a longer estimate for bank-card refunds. Use the status for your transaction to track payment. For a missing store record, the retailer is the first point of contact. For a claim that has already been validated or a payout that has not arrived, use Planet’s support with the transaction details. FTA service estimates · Planet help and tracking

The easiest purchase to claim is one you can identify on the invoice, see in the portal and take out of your bag at departures. If the refund makes a difference to whether you buy, check those first two steps before you leave the retailer or accept the delivery.