The practical sequence starts at the shop: request a Planet tax-free transaction, keep the goods accessible and visit Planet before handing over your checked baggage at Dubai International Airport. Payment follows validation and departure.
Who qualifies, and which purchases count?
You must live outside the UAE and have entered as a tourist. Holding a foreign passport alone does not qualify someone who lives in Dubai. Airline and ship crew are excluded from the tourist scheme.
Eligible purchases are physical goods on which VAT was charged, bought from a retailer registered with Planet, the scheme’s operator. Hotel stays, restaurant meals and other services fall outside this shopping refund.
Other exclusions include consumed perishables, motor vehicles, boats, aircraft and goods shipped separately by cargo. Your purchases must leave the UAE with you.
Keep the original packaging. Goods used fully or partly in the UAE without their original packaging are excluded; retaining a receipt alone does not resolve that problem.
These rules concern purchases you take out of the country. Goods you bring into Dubai are covered separately in our Dubai airport customs rules.
Minimum spend and the refund you actually receive
The minimum eligible spend is AED 250 excluding VAT per tax-free transaction, under the FTA’s tourist refund rules, checked on 11 September 2026. With 5% VAT applied throughout, that means an invoice total of AED 262.50. The threshold applies to the transaction, rather than your combined shopping budget for the trip.
Planet deducts 13% of the VAT amount plus AED 3.60 per tax-free transaction. Your net refund is therefore:
VAT paid × 87% − AED 3.60 per transaction
Dubai’s standard VAT rate is 5%, but a VAT-inclusive price already contains that tax. Calculate the VAT component by multiplying the total by 5 ÷ 105, or use the VAT amount shown on the invoice.
| One eligible transaction | VAT included | 87% of VAT | Net refund after AED 3.60 fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| AED 1,050 | AED 50 | AED 43.50 | AED 39.90 |
| AED 5,250 | AED 250 | AED 217.50 | AED 213.90 |
These examples assume the entire purchase qualifies and carries 5% VAT. They exclude any effect of currency conversion. The fixed fee applies separately to each tax-free transaction, so several transactions produce a lower combined refund than qualifying transaction with the same total VAT.
Use the net figure when comparing a Dubai purchase with a price elsewhere. In the first example, the refund reduces your effective cost from AED 1,050 to AED 1,010.10.
Register the purchase before leaving the shop
Ask whether the retailer participates in Planet Tax Free before paying. Then request the tax-free transaction using the same passport or GCC national ID you used to enter the UAE, with your name recorded correctly and a working mobile number.
Depending on the retailer, you will receive either a paper tax invoice with a Planet tag or a digital invoice and transaction. The tag’s QR code or the link sent by SMS opens the Shopper Portal, where you can review your purchases. The Planet Tax Free ME app is another option.
Open the transaction while the store can still correct it. Missing purchases, a name mismatch or a failed invoice verification need the retailer’s attention before departure. An ordinary sales receipt without an issued tax-free transaction is insufficient for the airport refund process.
Mobile data lets you review the portal while shopping; Roafly’s UAE eSIM can provide that connection on a compatible, unlocked phone. Give the retailer a number that can receive the SMS link—the eSIM supplies data.
Claiming at DXB: visit Planet before bag drop
Pack purchases where you can reach them without emptying your suitcase. Take your original entry passport or GCC ID, any paper invoices and tax-free tags, access to digital transactions, and your departure ticket or confirmed booking. Photos of your identity document are not accepted, and the registered shopper must complete validation personally.
At Dubai International Airport:
-
Go to Planet before checking your luggage. Leave time for this stop as well as airline check-in and security.
-
Scan your original travel document at the kiosk and follow its instructions. Staff can assist at the validation counter.
-
Present purchases if inspection is requested. Follow any further inspection directions before putting goods beyond reach.
-
Select your refund method after successful validation. Cash collection takes place at a participating exchange counter after immigration.
Planet’s DXB validation points are in these departure areas:
| DXB terminal | Where to find Planet |
|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | Departures near check-in Area 1; another location near Area 5, opposite Starbucks |
| Terminal 2 | Departures near Entrance 1, on the left beside the marhaba counter |
| Terminal 3 | Near Entrance 2 |
| Terminal 3 Business Class | Main Business Class check-in entrance, beside the Emirates unaccompanied passenger lounge |
Complete export validation within 90 days of each invoice, then leave the UAE within six hours of completing validation. If a flight delay takes you beyond that six-hour window, contact Planet staff to repeat validation with the goods and invoices.
Selected mall and hotel kiosks can initiate the process when you have a valid boarding pass for a flight departing within 24 hours. Follow the kiosk’s next steps: any requested goods inspection still takes place at the exit point. Starting in the city does not extend the six-hour limit after completed validation.
Card, cash and tracking your payment
Card refunds avoid a separate cash-collection stop. Planet’s processing window is within nine calendar days after you leave the UAE. Supported cards include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB and UnionPay.
Cash refunds are capped at AED 35,000; card refunds have no equivalent scheme cap. WeChat Pay and Alipay are also supported options. Currency conversion can change the amount received in your home currency: your card issuer sets the card conversion rate, while cash partners set their own exchange rates.
Use the Shopper Portal to track your refund. If you selected cash but missed collection, you can enter card details there to request payment instead. The operator’s refund and tracking guidance covers this change.
The claim window runs for 12 months from export validation. It allows time to obtain payment after a valid departure claim; it does not replace airport validation. If a card refund has not arrived after nine calendar days, follow up with the issuing bank and retain your Planet transaction details.
What to do if the claim gets stuck
The next action depends on which stage failed:
-
Missing transaction or incorrect invoice: contact the retailer while you are still in the UAE. Airport staff need the store-issued tax-free record to process the purchase.
-
Goods unavailable for inspection: speak to Planet before bag drop. Purchases already handed over as checked baggage may be beyond reach when requested.
-
Validation unfinished: resolve the kiosk or counter instructions before leaving. Uploading a receipt from abroad cannot substitute for presenting the purchase for export validation.
-
Validation complete, payment missing: track the existing claim through the portal and follow up on the selected payment method.
Keep the transaction details until the refund arrives. They connect the store purchase to its validation and payment record if you need help.