You came to Dubai for a bit of shopping – or let’s say, a lot of shopping. This is not unprecedented since Dubai lures tens of thousands of shopping enthusiasts each year. From luxury clothing brands to top-recommended lifestyle products, there are a number of things you can purchase in Dubai. But on your journey back home, do you remember that you also need to also claim your VAT Refund at Dubai Airport (DXB)?
It is a fact that all goods and services in Dubai carry a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 5%. But do you think it is possible to indulge in a bit of tax free shopping in Dubai? It definitely is. Shopping in Dubai can be tax free as shoppers get a refund of the VAT paid on certain purchases.
If you are an international tourist (including GCC national) of age 18 years and older, you can definitely claim a VAT Refund in Dubai. But there is a catch. This refund is applicable on certain purchases and there is a minimum transaction amount to take into consideration too. Let’s understand the minute details of this entire situation better.
Tax free shopping in Dubai is possible. Let nobody tell you the opposite. But there are some intricacies to it, such as your eligibility for tax refund at Dubai International (DXB), the process of validating your goods and the final step of choosing a refund method to claim your amount. The key to all these, you ask? PLANET – the exclusive operator of the UAE tax refund system for tourists. Let’s get started then?
Step 1: Understand the scope of tax free shopping in Dubai
There is a lot of scope, let me put things straight in the beginning itself. Overseas tourists in Dubai of 18 years and older can easily get VAT Refund at Dubai Airport, subject to some terms and conditions (more on this soon).
You need to request for a refund on the VAT incurred at the time of purchasing of certain goods (mind you, not all goods are eligible for this scheme). PLANET is the exclusive operator of the tax refund system for tourists. Many major brands are part of this system and the refund amount can be claimed at the time of departure via land, sea or air. Isn’t it seamless?
Step 2: Partner brands of PLANET – Exclusive VAT Refund in Dubai Operator
You can rely on many brands to claim your VAT Refund at Dubai Airport (DXB). There are brands like Adidas, Louis Vuitton, Zara, Patek Philippe, Visa, Versace, V&V, United Colours of Benetton, Tory Burch, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, The Natural Shoe Store, Superdry, Sony, Solitaire, Samsung, Samsonite, Sephora, Reiss, Rachel Couture, Pepe Jeans, Pandora, Omega, Nars, Mulberry, M&S, MANGO, Lotte, L’OCCITANE, Lacoste, Karl Lagerfeld, Calvin Klein and more. Basically, a full dose of clothing and accessories, right?
From beautiful shoes to trendy clothes and irresistible perfumes, there are a lot of things you can purchase for tax free in Dubai. Just get to these stores, shop and ask the retailer to issue you a tax free transaction for all your eligible purchases. There is a little more process to it, but you’ll soon get the hang of it.
Step 3: Understand the eligibility of VAT Refund in Dubai
I think I had mentioned this before: there is a catch to tax free shopping in the UAE. Let us see through that in detail. Goods and services in Dubai and other Emirates carry a 5% VAT. This has been there for quite a long time. But you can get a sizeable amount of this VAT back at PLANET’s validation point at Dubai International Airport (DXB).
| VAT rate on goods and services in UAE for tourists | 5% |
| Minimum spend for VAT Refund in Dubai | AED 250 |
| Minimum age of tourists | 18 years or older |
| Time limit to complete the validation process | Once your transactions are issued, there are 90 days for you to validate goods at PLANET’s validation points from each respective tax invoice date – at the time of departing UAE. |
| Time limit to depart UAE | Depart UAE in less than 6 hours of completing the validation process. If you fail to do so, your refund is going to be cancelled and you need to start the validation process all over again during your actual date of departure. |
| Time limit to claim VAT Refund in Dubai | 12 months from the date of export validation |
| Eligibility for VAT Refund in Dubai | Overseas tourists (including GCC nationals) |
| Goods eligible for VAT Refund in Dubai | Goods that have VAT applied are eligible for the tax refund system, except:- goods consumed fully or partly in the UAE or any Implementing State- motor vehicles, boats and aircraft- goods not accompanied by the overseas tourist at the time of leaving the UAE- services- goods used fully or partially in the UAE and not accompanied by the original packaging |
Step 4: Let’s understand tax free shopping in Dubai
By this step, you already have an idea about all the partner brands for PLANET and the eligibility criteria for VAT Refund at Dubai International Airport (DXB). Time to go for tax free shopping in Dubai. You can splurge and go on a race!
a. First of all, shop from any of the registered merchants. The earlier portion of this article has listed a handful of names and you can get more on planetpayment.ae/tourists-landing/tourist-home/. From clothing to shoes and perfumes, there are a lot of things to shop and splurge on. Once done, request a tax free transaction for your purchase – do not forget.
b. Second, keep your passport handy. The merchant is going to enter all your information, such as your name as in the passport or GCC ID and a valid phone number into the digital tax free system. Make sure that all the details entered are correct.
Coming to the third step of tax free shopping in Dubai, there are a couple of methods here. One is the legacy method and the other, paperless. For the legacy method, a PLANET tax free tag is affixed to the back of your tax invoice. But in the paperless variant, you are issued a digital tax invoice and an SMS is sent to your phone number. Let’s understand each step in detail.
c. Legacy Method: The merchant issues a tax invoice and a PLANET tax free tag is affixed to the back of your invoice. You can scan the QR code on the tag to visit the shopper portal.
c. Paperless Method: You are issued a digital tax invoice. Then, an SMS is sent to your phone number upon issuance of your first paperless transaction. Get to the shopper portal using the link and you can find details of all your transactions.
d. Fourth and the last step, validate your tax free purchases at DXB. Before leaving the country, one of the best tourist destinations today, validate your tax free purchases at any of PLANET’s validation points located at all major exit points. You need to present your travel documents, goods and tax invoices (legacy method) or travel documents and goods (paperless method) to PLANET’s staff prior to check-in counters.
Step 5: Locating PLANET validation points at Dubai International Airport (DXB)
| Terminal at Dubai International Airport (DXB) | Exact Location |
| Terminal 1 Area 1 | Departure area near check-in in Area 1 |
| Terminal 1 Area 5 | Departure area near check-in Area 5 opposite Starbucks |
| Terminal 2 | Departure area near entrance 1 left beside Marhaba meet-and-greet counter |
| Terminal 3 | Near entrance 2 |
| Terminal 3 Business Class | Main entrance of Business Class check-in departed beside Emirates non-accompanied passenger lounge |
Step 6: Understanding the process of validating tax free purchase at Dubai Airport
Your shopping is done. The merchant has issued a tax invoice/digital tax invoice (be it legacy method or paperless method). You are departing the UAE soon. This is the time to validate your tax free purchases in Dubai and get a hefty percent of the 5% VAT back. The first step is to go to PLANET’s validation point prior to checking in your luggage. Next, present your travel document and tax invoices for inspection. Get the goods ready for the purpose.
Next, there can be a couple of cases: Green Channel Validation or Red Channel Validation. Let’s understand each process better.
In Green Channel Validation, your transactions in Dubai have all been validated at PLANET’s points at DXB and you can proceed directly to the next step – the refund method. Choose a refund method as your goods are validated. It can be cash, card or digital wallet (accessible after immigration). PLANET is going to process the refund amount in less than 9 days after you departed the UAE, if you choose to get refunded via Card.
But in Red Channel Validation, the goods you had purchased in Dubai may need to be checked at the PLANET validation points in DXB after immigration. Once validated, choose a refund method. PLANET is going to process the refund in less than 9 days after you have exited the country, if you choose Card.
Common Mistakes One Could Make in Claiming VAT Refund at Dubai Airport
By this time, you already have an idea about PLANET, the exclusive operator of UAE VAT Refund system for tourists. This platform offers fully digital tax free experience, cash and card refunds, 10 days refund processing time, less than 5 minutes validation time at the airport, and so much more. You are not going to be disappointed, for sure.
But there are a handful of mistakes that you should not make. Let’s understand.
a. Forgetting to validate receipts
This is one of the biggest mistakes you could make in Dubai. Tens of thousands of tourists come to Dubai just for the sake of shopping. But if you forget to validate your receipts before departing the country, you could be losing on 87% of total VAT amount paid, minus a fee of AED 4.80 per tax free transaction.
b. Exceeding time limit for claims
Timing is extremely important. Once your transaction is issued, you need to validate your goods in 90 days. You have 6 hours to leave the UAE after completing the validation process. Failure to do so is going to result in your refund getting cancelled. You need to restart the validation process all over again during your actual date of departure.
c. Missing out on UAE cash refund limit
There is a maximum VAT refund in Dubai amount, if you are choosing a refund in cash. It is AED 35,000. But if you are supposed to get a higher amount back, share a valid credit/debit card to enable PLANET to process your refund.
d. Not coming early to Dubai Airport
Yes. Validating your goods at PLANET’s doesn’t take much time. But you need to reach the airport early for things to run faster for you. It is definitely not recommended to rush if there is already an option to arrive early. You can claim the refund in your preferred transaction method and not be concerned about anything else.
e. Not double checking your documents
Before getting to the airport, make sure to double check your travel documentation, tax invoices and others. Do all the receipts carry their tax-free tags (if you are choosing the legacy method). Keep your passport handy, you are going to need it plenty of times.
Fancy Some Last-Minute Tax Free Shopping in Dubai?
Yes. Yes. Definitely yes. Dubai Duty Free at Dubai International Airport (DXB) is your key to some last-minute tax free shopping in Dubai. You get access to a broad range of products, from luxury to daily essentials. The place is 24/7 open and has the viral Dubai Chocolate from FIX Dessert Chocolatier, too. Isn’t it incredible? Dubai Duty Free also runs amazing offers and promotions at regular intervals – keep an eye out for them.
Dubai Duty Free is located at all three terminals at DXB. Terminal 1 has a lot of stores offering a broad range of products at great prices, Terminal 2 is for quick purchases and Terminal 3 has a more extensive selection of products. You are going to keep coming back for more.
Shopping in Dubai is an experience. Tens of thousands of people call Dubai their home for some days each year just for the sake of shopping. From beautiful clothes to luxurious shoes and irresistible perfumes, there are a lot of things to shop here. Your experience in Dubai is going to be much more magical than you currently expect it to be.
Don’t miss the extra savings you can make on some of your purchases in Dubai. The VAT Refund at Dubai Airport system for tourists is quite special. You get a sizeable percent of your VAT back, resulting in a beautiful tax free shopping in Dubai experience. Make sure to get all your tax invoices in perfect condition. Check out the names and numbers. Try to reach Dubai International (DXB) as early as possible and keep an eye on the latest updates from PLANET.
VAT Refund at Dubai Airport: Frequently asked questions
1. Who is eligible for VAT Refund in Dubai?
You need to be an overseas tourist of 18 years or older. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals can also claim VAT Refund at Dubai Airports.
2. What is the minimum spend to claim VAT Refund in Dubai?
It is AED 250, as per the current scenario.
3. What goods are eligible for VAT Refund in Dubai?
Goods that have VAT applied are eligible for the tax refund system for tourists. But there are some exceptions, such as goods that are fully or partly consumed in the UAE or any Implementing State; motor vehicles, boats or aircraft; services; goods not accompanied by the Overseas Tourist at the time of departing the UAE; and goods used fully or partially in the UAE and not accompanied by the original packaging.
4. What is the maximum limit for VAT Refund in cash?
There is a limit of AED 35,000 for cash refunds.
5. What is the percent of VAT refunded?
Tourists can claim 87% of the tax paid at the time of purchasing a product, minus a fee of AED 4.80 per Tax Free tag validated.
6. What to do to ensure my tax free claim has been successfully recorded in PLANET’s digital tax-free system?
You need to log in to PLANET’s Shopper Portal by scanning a QR code or use the link that has been sent by the merchant to your registered mobile number. Please make sure that all the numbers and names are correct.
7. Are services eligible for VAT Refund in Dubai?
No, they are not.
8. What is the merchant doesn’t issue a Tax Free Transaction?
It is necessary for the merchant to issue a Tax Free Transaction for you to process your refund request. PLANET has dozens of partner brands, catering to different categories of shopping. You can access the Shopper Portal to ensure all your purchases eligible for a VAT Refund have been issued by the merchant.
9. Can I access the details of my tax free transactions digitally?
You definitely can. To get an idea about your tax free transactions, access the Shopper Portal on PLANET by clicking the link sent to you on SMS. But if there is a PLANET tax free tag attached to the back of your invoice, just scan the QR code and access the portal at ease. In case you are not able to find any details, this probably means the merchant has not issued any transaction. You might be required to revisit the store.
10. If I claim my VAT Refund in Dubai in cash, can I claim the money in my local currency?
So, you are seeking a refund in your local currency, and not in Dirhams (AED), right? This is possible if the refund point you selected offers it.
