Digital Tourist Tax Refund Scheme Expands Across UAE To 19,000 Outlets By End-2025

The Federal Tax Authority reports sustained growth in the digital Tourist Tax Refund Scheme across the UAE, as more retailers and tourists use the system. Expanded electronic connections, wider language support, and new refund channels aim to make VAT recovery smoother for visitors while supporting the country’s tourism and retail sectors.

By the end of last year, around 19,000 retail outlets were registered and linked to the digital Tourist Tax Refund Scheme. This represented a 7.6 percent rise compared with 17,600 outlets by the end of 2024. The Authority states that this broader network allowed more tourists to reclaim VAT across different emirates.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director-General of the FTA, said, "Continuous monitoring conducted by the Authority indicates that the digital Tourist Tax Refund system records high satisfaction rates and positive feedback from tourists using the system, due to its ease of use and the speed of tax refund procedures for tourists eligible for refunds."

Al Bustani linked this performance to the UAE government’s digital goals. "The continued expansion of the system’s user base aligns with the government’s digital strategy, which aims to achieve smart transformation across all government services and to focus on proactive services that seek to deliver an innovative model reflecting the leadership and excellence of the government work ecosystem in the UAE, by providing services that meet customer expectations and enable them to complete their transactions with ease, simplicity, and speed."

The Authority highlighted that, in 2025 alone, 1,326 retail outlets were connected to the system. This compared with 1,208 outlets during 2024, giving a 9.8 percent annual increase in new participants. The data shows that more stores are choosing to join the electronic platform each year across the country.

The number of self-service kiosks used for VAT refunds for tourists also rose in 2025. The network grew by 7.3 percent, reaching 103 kiosks by the end of 2025, compared with 96 a year earlier. These kiosks are placed in major shopping malls, hotels, and key tourist departure points throughout the UAE.

Over the past two years, 23 new self-service kiosks were added to the digital Tourist Tax Refund Scheme infrastructure. According to the Authority, 15 kiosks were installed in 2024 and eight during 2025. This staged rollout is intended to give tourists more convenient access to refund services before leaving the country.

Digital Tourist Tax Refund system for e-commerce and service features

Al Bustani explained that the digital Tourist Tax Refund system now also covers tourists’ purchases made through e-commerce platforms. This component, launched recently by the FTA, "represents the first of its kind globally" and has already attracted notable interest from users who shop both online and in-store.

The extended system allows tourists to reclaim VAT on eligible purchases made in traditional shops and on electronic platforms registered with the Authority. Refund steps start at the point of purchase and continue until departure from the UAE. The FTA notes that faster processing supports tourism growth and development in both e-commerce and physical retail.

The Authority confirmed that several service features were introduced to make the digital Tourist Tax Refund Scheme easier to navigate. All refund methods now appear on the interface, with active options shown in colour and unavailable choices displayed in grey. This visual design aims to reduce confusion for tourists using kiosks or other channels.

The FTA stated that tourists may now register on Planet’s mobile application before making a first purchase, and even before travelling to the UAE. Visitors can also check their eligibility for VAT refunds immediately after arriving, through the dashboard page in the app, giving clearer guidance before they start shopping.

Digital Tourist Tax Refund system users, languages, and key markets

The Authority revealed that citizens of five countries were the most frequent users of the Tourist Tax Refund system over the last two years. Tourists from India, Russia, Iran, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia topped the list of beneficiaries, reflecting visitor patterns from key source markets to the UAE.

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Alongside the physical expansion, the FTA continued to upgrade the VAT refund service for tourists by adding language options to self-service kiosks. Seven further languages were introduced: French, Spanish, Turkish, German, Persian, Portuguese, and Hindi. These languages join existing options and are intended to support clearer understanding for a wider group of visitors.

The Authority implemented a large-scale branding campaign at Zayed International Airport to raise awareness of the digital Tourist Tax Refund Scheme. Reminder messages appear on large screens above boarding gates, on bridges, and near escalators in the departure hall, encouraging tourists to visit Planet’s verification offices before checking in baggage.

The campaign also features Prominent QR codes that link directly to Planet’s mobile application. Travellers can scan these codes to download the app quickly, which then supports registration, eligibility checks, and guidance on refund steps. The FTA views this as part of a broader effort to streamline the tourist tax refund journey.

The Federal Tax Authority’s figures show that the digital Tourist Tax Refund Scheme is handling more outlets, more kiosks, and more nationalities, while adding languages and app-based access. These combined measures aim to keep VAT refunds efficient for tourists and aligned with the UAE’s wider digital government objectives.

With inputs from WAM