Good news if you’re the kind of tourist who shops till the suitcase won’t zip. The UAE just made it easier to get some of that spent money back, and you don’t need to be a tax expert to figure it out. Simply claim your VAT refund in the UAE by following these steps.
UAE Tourists, Claim Your VAT Refunds! More Stores Are In On It Now
Here’s the headline number: tourists visiting the UAE can now access VAT refunds through more than 19,300 retail outlets, 100 self-service kiosks and eligible purchases made on the Noon e-commerce platform. That’s a real jump; the number of connected stores grew by 5.9% to about 19,340 by the end of June 2026, up from 18,260 a year before. Another 449 stores joined in just the first six months of 2026, so the list keeps growing while you’re reading this.
Translation: wherever you’re shopping in the UAE, there’s a decent chance you can claim back your VAT before you fly home. Worth checking our guide to claiming tourist VAT refunds in the UAE for the eligibility basics before you land.
The Kiosks Do The Heavy Lifting
No more standing in line with a stack of paper receipts. The system lets tourists get digital invoices, send off refund requests electronically, and finish the whole thing through kiosks at departure points, malls and hotels. And there are more of them now too; self-service kiosks rose to 100 by the end of June, up from 93 a year earlier, a 7.5% increase.
Basically, you scan, you shop, you claim, you fly. FTA Director General Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Mulla put it simply: the whole thing can be wrapped up within minutes at any of the kiosks covered by the system.
Noon Just Joined The Party
This is the bit that’ll matter most if you like shopping from your hotel bed. Noon has been added to the refund system, so tourists can now claim VAT back on eligible online purchases made while they’re in the UAE. It’s run in partnership with Planet, the approved operator of the refund system, and the FTA says more e-commerce platforms will follow. The authority’s calling it a first-of-its-kind move globally, which, fair enough, online VAT refunds for tourists aren’t exactly common anywhere.
If you’re plotting a Dubai shopping run, our roundup of the best malls in Dubai for retail therapy pairs nicely with this, most of them have refund kiosks on site.
Also Read: How To Claim Tourist VAT Refunds In UAE
Who’s Actually Cashing In
Visitors from India, Russia, Turkey, China and the United States made up the largest share of tourist VAT refund claims this year. Also worth knowing: Planet’s app got an upgrade this year too, adding 11 new languages to bring the total to 12, including English. So language isn’t really a barrier anymore either.
None of this needs a tax background to use. Shop, scan your passport, keep your digital invoice, and claim before you leave. That’s genuinely most of it.
Cover Image Courtesy: CanvaPro/creator205314
FAQs
How much VAT can tourists claim back in the UAE?
Tourists can reclaim the 5% VAT charged on eligible purchases made at stores registered with the refund system.
Where can tourists use the self-service refund kiosks?
Kiosks are available at airport departure points, plus a growing number of hotels and shopping malls across the UAE.