Departure tax in Dubai on tourists, UAE - full information

As a traveler, you have to be aware of the taxes you are subject to in Dubai as a tourist. There is a hotel tax which is paid for every night of your stay in Dubai hotels. Its rate depends on the hotel class and the duration of your stay. There is also tourist dirham or the so-called city tax.

Dubai airport is rated as one of the busiest and most fast-growing in the world, and its capacity is expected to increase in the coming years. Thus, it is no wonder that airports have become the government’s next concern. This article is going to give the comprehensive overview on departure tax in Dubai.

Dubai Departure tax a spart of the tourist tax – facts

Dubai departure tax also known as exit tax was introduced in the UAE in 2016. What does it mean practically? Any passenger passing through the Dubai Airport, including transit ones in most cases, is expected to pay 35 Dirhams (9.45$) of the departure tax. The only two categories exempt from the tax are children below the age of two and members of the cabin crew. However, if you are a transit passenger flying on the same plane with the same flight number you are also exempt from this tourist tax.

The departure tax in Dubai is included into the price of your ticket and is collected when you purchase tickets. The fee is fixed at 35 Dirhams per person. Note, that it doesn’t matter whether you buy tickets in the UAE or outside the country – the tax will be levied anyway. Money collected will be transferred to the city budget to improve the overall airport infrastructure and raise funds for the expansion of the airport.

According to the experts, the tourist departure tax will raise about 740$ million annually taking into account current passenger traffic in Dubai airport. The main aim of the government is to increase the capacity of the airport as more and more people are expected to come to the country, and it is essential to accommodate them all and improve the service of the airport. The money will also be spent on the renovation of the already existing terminals. Some publications note that this is one of the ways to cope with the low oil prices period.

Other Emirates of the UAE are also considering the possibility of following the Dubai’s example and introducing the same tourist tax. So far, the departure tax is collected in the airports of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The departure tax is already levied in many other countries of the world such as the UK, Australia and Germany.

Let’s sum things up. Here is what you have to remember about Dubai departure tax:

• It has to be paid every time you pass through Dubai airport, even if you are a transit passenger as long as you change the plane and the number of the flight.
• The only two categories exempt from the Dubai departure tax are kids under the age of two and members of the cabin crew.
• Dubai departure tourist tax is already included in the price of your ticket, no matter if you buy it in the UAE or outside the Emirates.
• Dubai departure tax will raise funds to improve the infrastructure of the airports, secure its expansion and sustainable development of the Emirate in the period of prolonged oil prices decrease.