Tourist VAT Refunds Now Live at 19,300+ Retail Outlets
By Consaya Editorial — 2026-08-08
Tourist VAT Refunds Now Live at 19,300+ Retail Outlets
The FTA rolled out the digital tourist VAT refund system across the UAE in phases. As of August 2026, more than 19,300 retail outlets are now connected to it.
Here's what matters for your business. If you sell physical goods to tourists—or if you operate an e-commerce platform selling to visitors—you're probably already part of this system, even if you haven't thought about it directly. The FTA has expanded the platform to include online retailers, not just shops on the ground.
The system lets visitors reclaim the 5% VAT they pay on eligible purchases when they leave the UAE. For them, it's a convenience. For you, it changes the timing of your cash and how you report those sales. A refund claim reduces the VAT liability on your side, but it doesn't happen automatically. The refund flows through the digital platform, and the FTA tracks it.
If you're a retailer or an e-commerce operator, this isn't optional. You're already plugged in if you're a registered VAT taxpayer selling goods. The system flags which sales are eligible for refund, which means your VAT 201 return needs to account for them correctly each quarter. Mess this up and your quarterly filing gets rejected, or worse, you end up repaying VAT you thought you'd collected.
The expansion to e-commerce is the bit to watch. It means online sales now run through the same refund pipeline as physical retail. If you're selling goods internationally or to tourists through your website, the FTA is tracking it and matching it to your tax return. The scale—19,300+ outlets—tells you the system is working and the FTA is paying attention.
Consaya cannot see the FTA's refund platform, so it will not tell you which claims went through. What it does is carry the sales and the refunds you record into the VAT 201 pack, so the return reflects them instead of being patched at the deadline. Working out which sales qualified is still your job.
If you haven't reviewed your last VAT return to check for tourist refund claims, now's the time.