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A VAT certificate UAE companies receive is the Federal Tax Authority's proof that you are registered for VAT. It carries your Tax Registration Number (TRN), which is your VAT number. You do not apply for the certificate on its own. The FTA issues it with the TRN when it approves your VAT registration, and places it in your EmaraTax dashboard. The FTA charges nothing for it.
If you have not registered yet, start with our VAT registration page, which covers the thresholds and documents. This page picks up at the certificate.
When the certificate is issued
| Stage | What the FTA says |
|---|---|
| Filling in the application | About 45 minutes |
| FTA review | 20 business days from a complete application |
| Fee | Free |
| What you receive | A TRN and a VAT registration certificate |
| Where it appears | Your EmaraTax account dashboard |
Source: FTA VAT registration service page, checked .
The 20 day clock runs only from a complete file, so missing papers delay it. Upload each document as a PDF; the FTA caps files at 15 MB each.
How to download your VAT certificate
- Sign in to EmaraTax on the FTA website. The FTA says its services run through UAE Pass.
- Open the taxable person account for your company.
- Find the VAT registration certificate. The FTA says it sits on the account dashboard. Agency guides describe it under the correspondence or certificates section, as menus change.
- Download the PDF and keep a copy with your company records.
If you cannot find it, check the registration status first. An application still under review has no certificate yet. If it shows approved and the file is missing, contact the FTA through its channels.
VAT number UAE: what the TRN is used for
The TRN is the number that matters day to day. Once registered, you:
- show your TRN on the tax invoices you issue
- quote it on VAT returns and in all FTA correspondence
- give it to suppliers and customers who are VAT registered and need it for their own records
- use it when banks, landlords or business partners ask for proof of VAT status, usually with a copy of the certificate
Keep the certificate and TRN in one place with your trade licence and corporate tax registration. The same EmaraTax login covers both taxes.
How to check a supplier's TRN
Before you recover input VAT on a bill, check that the supplier's TRN is real. The FTA website has a public TRN and TIN verification tool:
- Open the search page on tax.gov.ae.
- Choose TRN, enter the number and type the code in the image.
- Read the result.
No login is needed. Agency guides say a valid TRN returns the registered legal name in English and Arabic. If the name does not match the invoice, ask the supplier before you pay or claim.
When your details change
A VAT certificate shows the details the FTA holds, so they must stay current. If your trade name, licence number, address, bank details or legal form changes, file a Tax Records Amendment on EmaraTax.
| Point | FTA rule |
|---|---|
| Deadline to notify | Within 20 working days of the change |
| Fee | Free |
| Time to submit | About 25 minutes |
| FTA processing | 20 business days from a complete application |
Source: FTA Tax Records Amendment service page, checked .
The FTA asks for a valid trade licence, the articles and certificate of incorporation where they apply, and proof of the change and its date. If your free zone issued a new licence number, for example after a licence amendment or a move between zones, you also need a continuity certificate showing the old and new numbers.
Cancelling: the deregistration certificate
When you stop making taxable supplies or close the company, the VAT certificate does not lapse by itself. You apply for deregistration.
- Apply within 30 business days of the date the duty to deregister arose, where it is mandatory.
- The FTA takes 30 business days from a complete application.
- File the final return and pay what is due within 28 days of the deregistration date.
- The deregistration certificate appears in EmaraTax once the final return is approved and all tax and penalties are paid.
Grounds the FTA accepts include stopping taxable supplies, turnover under the AED 187,500 voluntary threshold, or a cancelled licence. If you are winding up the company, plan the deregistration alongside the liquidation so the tax account closes with it.
VAT certificate in Dubai and the free zones
There is one certificate for the whole country. A company in a Dubai free zone, on the Dubai mainland or in Sharjah receives the same FTA document. Your zone's VAT status as a designated zone affects how some goods are taxed, not the certificate.
Slips to avoid
- Not downloading the certificate after approval, then needing it for a bank in a hurry.
- A new licence number after an amendment, with no Tax Records Amendment filed inside 20 working days.
- Invoices issued without the TRN, or with a typo in it.
- A supplier's TRN not checked before claiming input VAT.
Getting help
The FTA services above are free, and most owners can handle them alone. If you would rather hand over the amendment, deregistration or an FTA query, use the form on this page. UAEFreeZoneDirectory.com is an independent free zone directory, not the FTA and not a tax agent. We pass your request to a licensed tax partner who quotes one fee before starting. Agencies publish VAT registration fees of about AED 199 to AED 2,500 (published prices of 3 setup agencies, checked ), which gives a sense of the range. Our bookkeeping page covers the records you need behind each return.
Sources
- FTA VAT registration service: certificate and TRN on approval, timing, fee, file format
- FTA Tax Records Amendment: deadline, timing, documents
- FTA VAT deregistration: deadlines, final return, deregistration certificate
- FTA search and TRN verification: public TRN check, UAE Pass
- FTA VAT registration topic: voluntary threshold
- The VAT Consultant pricing, HFA Consulting and Uniwide: agency fees
- ClearTax VAT certificate guide and BCL TRN verification guide: agency descriptions of the EmaraTax menus and the verification result
