The system, launched on October 20 in partnership with authorised refund operator Planet, is operating at Dubai International Airport, Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah International Airport. It enables eligible visitors to complete claims through a mobile application without visiting a verification counter when their purchases do not require inspection.
The authority said the platform combines digital identity registration, automated transaction checks and facial recognition to simplify departure procedures. Airport processing can take only minutes, although the one-business-day period refers to receipt of the refund rather than completion of checks at the airport.
Visitors first register through Planet’s mobile application, using a facial scan and images of their passport and bank card. At departure, they scan a dynamic QR code displayed at airport refund service points, allowing the application to retrieve their purchases and begin verification.
Artificial intelligence assesses whether individual transactions qualify for automatic processing or require inspection under tax rules. Tourists whose purchases pass the checks can submit their claims through the application and select their preferred refund method without further physical verification.
Where inspection is necessary, the application directs travellers to dedicated smart gates equipped with facial recognition. The technology identifies the traveller and associated transactions before directing them to an assigned self-service kiosk, reducing repeated identity checks and manual data entry.
The system automatically compares invoice records with travel information and offers language support selected according to a visitor’s nationality. It also examines unusual transaction patterns, which the authority said would help identify potential compliance problems and protect public revenue without imposing additional checks on every claimant.
Abdulaziz Al Mulla, director general of the Federal Tax Authority, said the initiative was designed to improve the experience of tourists completing tax formalities before departure. He linked the changes to the government’s Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme and efforts to integrate digital services across public agencies and private partners.
The authority described the service as a fully paperless refund process. Its announcement did not mean every purchase would automatically qualify for a refund: applicable eligibility rules remain in force, and travellers may still be asked to present goods for inspection before leaving the country.
Tourists must purchase eligible goods from participating retailers and validate transactions within 90 days of the invoice date. The authority’s published service conditions set a minimum eligible transaction value of AED250 before VAT and require claimants to be at least 18 and non-residents of the UAE.
The Federal Tax Authority’s existing service guidance lists a deduction of 13 per cent of the VAT amount requested plus AED3.60 for each tax-free transaction. That guidance also retains older processing estimates for bank-card refunds, making the authority’s October announcement the basis for its updated one-day timetable.
The authority said approximately AED4.2 billion had been refunded to visitors through 25 million transactions between the scheme’s introduction in 2018 and October 2026. The value of refunds grew by 8 per cent in 2025, while the number of transactions increased by 5 per cent compared with the previous year.
It forecasts approximately four million transactions worth AED692 million during the 12 months from November 2026 to October 2027. These figures are projections rather than completed payments, and will depend on tourist spending and use of the refund system.
The refund scheme also covers eligible purchases made through registered online retailers during a tourist’s stay. The authority previously expanded the digital process to accommodate e-commerce transactions, allowing qualifying shopping records to be linked to the traveller’s documents before departure.
Customer satisfaction with the service reached 93 per cent during the first nine months of 2026, compared with 92 per cent over the corresponding period last year, according to the authority’s performance indicators.
Approximately 16,700 retail points of sale are electronically connected to the scheme at participating locations across the country. Another 769 outlets joined during the first nine months of this year, after 1,326 were added throughout 2025.
The refund network also includes 98 self-service kiosks at shopping centres, hotels and departure points. The authority said these kiosks currently handle 22.4 per cent of all transactions processed through the tourist refund scheme.
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