Companies in UAE will soon be subject to a new import tax compliance requirement, according to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC).
Beginning February 1, any invoices for international imports with a value of AED 10,000 or more must be attested by MoFAIC.
“Pursuant to UAE Cabinet Decision No.(38) of 2022 on the attestation fees of commercial invoices and certificates of origin for importers into the United Arab Emirates, all imports into the country must be accompanied by an invoice attested by MoFAIC,” the entity said on social media.
The rules were announced in 2022, as part of Cabinet Decision 38 and come into law on February 1.
MoFAIC will collect a fee of AED150 for every commercial invoice of imported goods valued at AED10,000 or more.
Attestation can be done digitally at the MoFAIC website by uploading documents. The Electronic Document Attestation Service (eDAS) website says: ”Attestation is a procedure to confirm validity of the seal and signature on documents issued in the UAE or abroad. Commercial Invoices attestation service is an automated online service to provide digital attestation for commercial invoices only issued in the UAE or abroad within 12 minutes.”
UAE import fees attestation rule exemptions:
- Invoices for a value of less than AED10,000
- Personal imports
- GCC imports
- Freezone imports
- Police and military imports
- Charity imports
Importers have 14 days to pay the attestation fees after the customs declaration for imported goods has been set.
