FTA Decision FTA Decision No. 2 of 2018 Federal Tax Authority

FTA Decision 2/2018 — VAT refunds for tourists (consolidated 2026)

Federal Tax Authority Decision No. 2 of 2018 on the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme

In force — amended Issued 6 November 2018 In force from 6 November 2018

Official Arabic text (opens in a new tab) English translation (unofficial) (opens in a new tab)

Official Arabic title
قرار الهيئة الاتحادية للضرائب رقم (2) لسنة 2018 — نظام ردّ ضريبة القيمة المضافة للسياح
Document type
FTA Decision
Number
2
Issued by
Federal Tax Authority
Issued
6 November 2018
In force from
6 November 2018
Applies to
Retailers in the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme and overseas tourists.
Current position
In force with amendments. The FTA consolidated text of July 2026 includes FTA Decisions 9/2023, 2/2024 and 11/2026; the latest reduced the fixed fee per refund claim.
Topics
VAT · Refunds
Official text
Official Arabic text · English translation (unofficial)

Factual summary

Sets how the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme works: the checks a participating retailer makes before issuing refund documents, export of the goods within 90 days, the fees deducted from the refund (13% of the VAT and a fixed AED 3.6 per claim), the AED 35,000 cap on cash refunds per 24 hours, the AED 250 minimum purchase, and the goods that are excluded.

What it means in practice Professional insight

Who: retailers participating in the scheme. What to check: customer eligibility checks, including online purchases collected in person, and the current fee figures when explaining refunds to customers.

Key provisions

  • Art. 2 Retailer checks that the customer is an Overseas Tourist present in the State (in store, or buying on an electronic platform from a personal account and receiving the goods in person) and that the supply is within 90 days; no refund forms for customers under 18 (as amended by FTA Decision No. 2 of 2024).
  • Art. 3 The Operator refunds only after verifying export of the goods within 90 days from the date of supply.
  • Art. 4 Fees: an administrative fee of 13% of the VAT refunded and a fixed fee of AED 3.6 per refund claim (fixed fee reduced by FTA Decision No. 11 of 2026); cash refunds capped at AED 35,000 per tourist per 24 hours.
  • Art. 5–6 Minimum tax-inclusive purchases of AED 250 from the same Taxable Person; goods not accompanying the tourist, goods consumed in the State, and motor vehicles, boats and aircraft are excluded.

What changed

  1. 6 November 2018 Issued
  2. 6 November 2018 In force
  3. 19 July 2023 Amended by Federal Tax Authority Decision No. 9 of 2023 (effective 12 July 2023)
  4. 19 February 2024 Amended by Federal Tax Authority Decision No. 2 of 2024 (effective 1 March 2024)
  5. 1 July 2026 Amended by Federal Tax Authority Decision No. 11 of 2026 (effective 12 July 2026)

Relationship chain

Law → decisions made under it → amendments → guidance and announcements; oldest first within each level.

  1. 23 August 2017 Federal Decree-Law FDL 8/2017 — VAT Law In force — amended
    1. 26 November 2017 Cabinet Decision CD 52/2017 — VAT Executive Regulation — Executive Regulation of this law In force — amended
      1. 24 July 2018 Cabinet Decision CD 41/2018 — Introducing the VAT refunds for tourists scheme — Made under Art. 68 In force
        1. 29 August 2018 FTA Decision FTA Decision 1/2018 — Retailer requirements for the VAT refunds for tourists scheme — Made under it In force
        2. 28 April 2019 FTA Decision FTA Decision 1/2019 — AED 7,000 cap on cash VAT refunds to tourists (repealed) — Made under it Repealed
        3. 26 May 2022 FTA Decision FTA Decision 4/2022 — One-year time limit for tourists to claim VAT refunds — Made under it In force
        4. 21 July 2022 FTA Decision FTA Decision 6/2022 — AED 35,000 cap on cash VAT refunds to tourists — Made under it In force
      2. 6 November 2018 FTA Decision FTA Decision 2/2018 — VAT refunds for tourists (consolidated 2026) — Made under Art. 68 In force — amended
      3. 17 December 2018 FTA Decision FTA Decision 4/2018 — No tax invoice for supplies through vending machines — Made under Art. 59(7) In force
      4. 26 May 2019 FTA Decision FTA Decision 7/2019 — Combined tax invoice/credit note and mailing addresses — Made under Arts. 59, 60 In force
      5. 22 February 2023 Ministerial Decision MD 26/2023 — When a supply counts as electronic commerce for VAT records — Made under Art. 72(5) In force
      6. 14 July 2026 Directive on Tax Transactions DTT 4/2026 — VAT on fees within life insurance contracts — Made under Art. 42 In force
      7. 1 September 2026 Cabinet Decision CD 149/2026 — VAT Regulation amendments — Amends Arts. 4, 29, 41, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 60 In force
      8. 9 September 2026 FTA Decision FTA Decision 17/2026 — Input tax on employee expenses — Made under Art. 53(1)(c) In force
    2. 28 December 2017 Cabinet Decision CD 55/2017 — Charities that may recover input tax (list as amended to Dec 2024) — Made under it In force — amended
    3. 28 December 2017 Cabinet Decision CD 56/2017 — Zero-rated medications and medical equipment — Made under it In force
    4. 28 December 2017 Cabinet Decision CD 59/2017 — Designated Zones for VAT (with the FTA list) — Made under it In force — amended
    5. 22 May 2018 Cabinet Decision CD 26/2018 — VAT refund on exhibition and conference services — Made under it In force
    6. 22 May 2018 Cabinet Decision CD 25/2018 — VAT on gold and diamonds between registrants (repealed) — Made under it Repealed
    7. 2 January 2020 Cabinet Decision CD 1/2020 — VAT refund for Expo 2020 Dubai official participants — Made under it In force
    8. 1 September 2020 Cabinet Decision CD 9/12 O of 2020 — Temporary zero rate on COVID-19 protective equipment — Made under it Spent
    9. 16 August 2022 Cabinet Decision CD 82/2022 — Refund of input tax on building and operating mosques — Made under it In force
      1. 29 October 2022 Ministerial Decision MD 162/2022 — Deadlines for mosque input tax refund requests — Made under it In force
    10. 25 August 2023 Cabinet Decision CD 91/2023 — Reverse charge on mobile phones, computers and tablets — Made under it In force
      1. 25 October 2023 Ministerial Decision MD 262/2023 — Which parts and pieces of electronic devices fall under the reverse charge — Made under it In force
    11. 1 November 2024 FTA Decision FTA Decision 8/2024 — Correcting VAT return errors that do not change the tax due — Made under it In force
    12. 16 December 2024 Cabinet Decision CD 127/2024 — Reverse charge on gold, precious metals and precious stones — Made under it In force
    13. 12 September 2025 Ministerial Decision MD 243/2025 — E-invoicing system — Made under e-invoicing provisions In force — amended (see E-Invoicing)
    14. 4 November 2025 Cabinet Decision CD 153/2025 — Reverse charge on metal scrap between registrants — Made under it In force
    15. 8 July 2026 Directive on Tax Transactions DTT 1/2026 — VAT on judicial expert services — Made under Art. 13 In force
    16. 8 July 2026 Directive on Tax Transactions DTT 2/2026 — VAT adjustments after leaving a Tax Group — Made under it In force
    17. 14 July 2026 Directive on Tax Transactions DTT 3/2026 — Converting digital-currency consideration to AED — Made under it In force
    18. 20 July 2026 Directive on Tax Transactions DTT 5/2026 — Valuing deemed supplies of services — Made under Art. 37 In force
    19. 22 July 2026 FTA Decision FTA Decision 13/2026 — Verifying suppliers before deducting input tax — Made under it In force

Official sources

Official Arabic text (opens in a new tab) English translation (unofficial) (opens in a new tab)

Related services: VAT Services · VAT Health Check

Last verified against official sources: 26 October 2026 · اقرأ بالعربية

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General information, not tax advice. Each record is checked against the official source; where they differ, the official Arabic text prevails.