Gold VAT refund in Dubai for tourists

Yes, tourists can get most of the 5% VAT back on gold jewellery bought in Dubai and the rest of the UAE, through the Planet Tax Free scheme when they leave the country. You receive 87% of the VAT paid, minus AED 3.60 per tax-free transaction, and the piece must come from a registered shop.

We checked these rules on 10 November 2026 on the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) and Planet pages. They can change, so check Planet's page or the FTA before relying on an exact figure.

Is there VAT refund in Dubai on gold?

There is, for jewellery that carried VAT. Jewellery is taxed at the 5% standard rate, and the refund scheme covers goods on which VAT was charged, apart from a short exclusion list: goods consumed in the UAE, motor vehicles, boats and aircraft, goods not taken out with you, services, and used goods without their original packaging. Neither the FTA nor Planet names jewellery on the list or says it is excluded, so ask the shop to confirm it can issue a tax-free transaction before you pay.

Investment gold is different. Under Article 36 of the UAE's VAT Executive Regulation, gold of at least 99% purity in a form tradeable on bullion markets is zero-rated, so qualifying bars and coins carry no VAT and there is nothing to refund.

You qualify if you meet the FTA's conditions:

• You entered the UAE on a tourist visa, and you are not a UAE resident
• You are 18 or older and not crew on your flight or ship
• You bought from a retailer registered in the scheme
• The tax invoice shows your name as it appears on your passport or GCC ID
• Your spend is at least AED 250 per refund transaction, before VAT

UAE residents, including those on employment or family visas, do not qualify. Only the passport holder can complete validation, and copies are not accepted.

How much of the VAT do you get back?

The FTA lists the fee as 13% of the VAT requested plus AED 3.60 for each tax-free transaction. Planet shows the same result as 87% of the VAT, minus AED 3.60. The UAE government portal u.ae still showed 85% and AED 4.80 per tag when we opened it, so if you see that figure, it appears to be the older one and the FTA and Planet pages should take priority.

Here is a worked example using round numbers. They are not today's prices.

On this example the refund cuts your effective VAT from 5% to about 0.7%. The making charge is part of the taxable value, so a higher charge also means a bigger refund, but you have paid for it either way. Our guide to making charges per gram shows how to keep that number honest. Run your own numbers in the gold calculator with the current karat rate.

Gold VAT refund at Dubai airport, step by step

1. Ask the shop for a tax-free purchase before you pay, and give your name exactly as on your passport.
2. Keep the invoice and tax-free tag, or the digital invoice sent to your phone.
3. At the airport, go to a Planet validation point before you check in your luggage. Have your passport, the invoice, your ticket and the jewellery itself ready, because staff may inspect it.
4. Validate within 90 days of the invoice date and leave the UAE within 6 hours of validating, or the validation is cancelled and must be repeated.
5. Choose cash, card or a digital wallet. Cash goes up to AED 35,000 and is collected at a currency exchange counter after immigration. Above that, use a card.
6. Card refunds usually take up to 9 calendar days, according to the FTA page. You have up to one year after validation to claim the refund.

In October 2026 the FTA and Planet launched a paperless app at Dubai International, Zayed International and Sharjah airports. You register with a face scan and passport and card images, then scan a QR code at the airport. Gulf News reported the FTA's Director General saying refund time had fallen to one business day as of October 2026, down from about nine days, so check the app itself for what applies to you.

Do not leave the jewellery in your checked suitcase before validation. If you wear it, keep it easy to show, because goods have to be with you when you leave the country.

Gold rate in Dubai today, 22 carat in rupees

The calculated 22K value right now is 446.67 AED per gram, before the making charge and VAT. The Dubai gold rate page converts that figure into Indian rupees per gram at the current exchange rate, and into Pakistani rupees per tola. The 22K page gives the per-gram value and per-tola value in dirhams, and the previous days table shows recent closes.

These are calculated international values and not the board rate in the Gold Souk, so a shop will not match them exactly. If you are thinking about bringing the piece home, the VAT refund is only half the sum. India applies its own limits and duty on arrival, so read how much gold you can carry from Dubai to India before you buy.

Sources

• Federal Tax Authority, VAT refund for tourists (page updated 25 August 2026)
• Planet, tourist FAQs for the UAE
• Planet, tax free shopping in the UAE
• Planet, local rules on excluded goods
• UAE government portal, VAT refund for tourists
• UAE Cabinet Decision No. 52 of 2017, Executive Regulation, Article 36 and tourist scheme
• UAE Ministry of Finance, VAT rate and zero-rated sectors
• Khaleej Times, paperless VAT refund app, October 2026
• Gulf News, refund time cut to one business day, October 2026