How to claim your VAT refund in the UAE: a tourist's guide

The UAE charges 5% Value Added Tax (VAT) on most goods — but non-resident visitors can claim much of it back on their shopping when they leave. The system is the Tourist Refund Scheme, overseen by the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) and operated exclusively by Planet Tax Free. It is entirely digital, and at the airport the whole thing usually takes only a few minutes.

Who can claim

The scheme is for non-resident tourists aged 18 and over who entered the UAE on a tourist visa. UAE residents  including those on employment, investor or family visas are not eligible, whatever their nationality. GCC citizens may qualify provided they are not officially residing in the UAE.

How to claim, step by step

1.  Shop at a participating store.  Look for the “Tax-Free Shopping” sign or the Planet Tax Free logo, common across major malls and retailers.

2.  Ask for the tax-free tag at checkout.  Tell the cashier you want tax-free shopping and show your passport. The tag must be issued at the time of purchase — it cannot be added later.

3.  Meet the minimum spend.  You need to spend at least AED 250 (including VAT) with the same retailer to qualify.

4.  Keep the goods unused and leave within 90 days.  The items must be exported — carried out with you — within 90 days of the purchase date, and shown unused at validation.

5.  Validate before you check in your luggage.  At the airport, seaport or land border, go to a Planet desk or self-service kiosk and present your passport (or GCC ID), the tagged invoices, the goods themselves, and your ticket.

6.  Choose how to be paid.  Take the refund as cash (up to AED 35,000 per tourist in any 24-hour period) or have it credited to a card; a digital wallet option is also available. Larger refunds are paid to a card.

How much you actually get back

This is where many online guides are out of date. Tourists receive 87% of the VAT paid — the FTA set the administrative fee at 13% back in 2023 minus a small fixed fee for each tax-free tag. That fixed fee was recently reduced: from 12 July 2026 it dropped from AED 4.80 to AED 3.60 per claim. Because the fee is a flat amount, it barely dents a large purchase but takes a noticeable bite out of a small one: on the AED 250 minimum it eats a meaningful share of the refund, while on jewellery, watches or electronics it is almost a rounding error, leaving your refund close to about 4.1% of the price.

What doesn't qualify

•  Services consumed locally, such as hotel stays and restaurant meals.
•  Goods you've already used or consumed in the UAE.
•  Certain excluded items, such as vehicles and boats.
•  Most online purchases, unless the platform is registered under the scheme.

Other VAT refunds in the UAE

“VAT refund” can mean more than the tourist scheme. VAT-registered businesses reclaim VAT through the FTA's EmaraTax portal when their input tax exceeds their output tax. Non-resident businesses without a UAE base may recover VAT under the Foreign Business Refund Scheme where reciprocity applies. And UAE nationals building a new residence can claim back VAT on eligible construction costs. Each has its own rules and deadlines.

The bottom line

For visitors, claiming your VAT back is quick and worthwhile, especially on bigger-ticket buys. The essentials: shop where you see the tax-free logo, ask for the tag at the till, keep your goods and invoices together, and validate at a Planet point before you check in. Do that, and most of your 5% comes back before you fly home.