Tax Refund Guide
5% VAT back via Planet Tax Free. Minimum AED 250 per receipt, get the tag at point of sale, scan at the airport kiosk before check-in.
The mechanics, step by step
Eligibility starts at the till: spend AED 250 or more in one receipt at a participating retailer and ask for the Planet Tax Free tag, linked to your passport on the spot. Non-participating shops cannot backdate tags, so confirm before paying — mall boutiques nearly all participate, souk stalls generally do not. Keep every tagged receipt with the goods, unused and with tags attached, until airport validation.
At departure, validate landside before check-in and immigration — the kiosks sit pre-security by design, and post-immigration claims do not exist. Scan each tag, present goods if asked, and choose card refund (lower fees, days-to-weeks payout) over cash counters (instant, higher fees). Allow 30–45 extra minutes in peak season; validation queues are real.
What qualifies and what pays most
Goods qualify; services do not — hotels, restaurants, transport and entertainment fall outside regardless of value. The scheme pays best on concentrated value: gold, watches, designer pieces and electronics, where 5% means hundreds of dirhams. Small scattered receipts waste airport time for coins; consolidate big purchases into fewer receipts well above the floor.
Common forfeits: forgetting validation until airside, shopping at non-participating stalls, and goods already used or packed in checked luggage presented too late. The discipline is front-loaded — tags at purchase, envelope for receipts, validation before check-in — and then the money simply arrives.
Watches, gold and high-value tactics
High-value purchases deserve process: confirm the retailer participates before paying (ask to see the Planet terminal, not just assurances), pay by card in dirhams for the paper trail, photograph the tagged receipt immediately, and keep the item boxed and cabin-accessible. For watches, verify international warranty cards are stamped — grey-market pieces without them forfeit both refund eligibility in edge cases and home-country service.
Gold buyers layer three savings: competitive making-charges from Deira comparison, the tourist VAT refund on top, and seasonal gold-rate dips tracked over weeks. Jewellers accustomed to tourists explain all three without prompting when asked directly — the informed-buyer performance pays literally.
Refund checklist
- AED 250+ per receipt at participating shops; tag issued at payment.
- Keep goods unused with tags attached until validated.
- Validate landside before check-in; never after immigration.
- Prefer card refunds; keep claim references until payout.
- Consolidate big buys; skip tiny scattered receipts.
❓ Common questions
How much do I get back?
Roughly the 5% VAT minus a small processing fee — meaningful on gold, watches and designer goods.
Can tourists claim hotel VAT?
No — accommodation, dining, transport and services are excluded. Goods only.
What if I miss validation?
The claim is lost. No post-departure process exists, hence the reminders.
Can tour operators arrange tax-free shopping?
Some luxury concierges and hotel shopping services pre-arrange tags with partner boutiques — ask when booking high-value experiences with retail stops.
Does the refund apply to online orders?
Only for goods bought in person with tags issued at sale — ship-to-home orders and post-trip claims fall outside the scheme entirely.
Cash or card refund?
Card: lower fees, days-to-weeks. Cash counters: instant, higher fees.
Do I show the goods?
Sometimes — keep big-ticket items cabin-accessible with tags attached until through validation.
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