Digital invoicing in Dubai: how to get started

What to do, step by step

1. 1

   Understand what counts as an electronic invoice

   An Electronic Invoice is an invoice issued, transmitted, and received in a structured electronic format that enables automatic and electronic processing, in accordance with the relevant Decision. A scanned image or a plain email is not the same thing — the format has to be structured so it can be processed automatically.

   Documents:Electronic invoice definition
2. 2

   Check your obligations as a digital trader

   Federal Decree - Law No. 14 of 2023 Concerning the Modern Technology-based Trade obligates digital traders to provide customers with detailed digital invoices for purchases made through technological means. If you sell through technological means, confirm on the authority's website that this applies to you.

   Documents:Federal Decree - Law No. 14 of 2023
3. 3

   Confirm how VAT treats your invoices

   Federal Decree Law No. 8 of 2017 on VAT (PDF, 1 MB) recognises tax invoice in both forms: written and/or electronic. So an electronic tax invoice is accepted — check the current VAT rules on the authority's website before you set your process.

   Documents:Federal Decree Law No. 8 of 2017 on VAT (PDF, 1 MB)
4. 4

   Set up a structured invoicing system

   Choose a system that can issue, transmit and receive invoices in a structured electronic format, and that keeps the detail each customer purchase requires. The objectives of eInvoicing centre on automatic, electronic processing, so make sure your tools support that rather than sending flat documents.

5. 5

   Verify the current details before you commit

   Any fees, filing timelines or specific technical requirements should be confirmed on the official pages of Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism (dubaidet.gov.ae) and the UAE portal (u.ae). Where a figure is not stated here, treat the current amount as something to check on the authority's website.

Fees and timelines may change — verify with the official source.

Real companies from Google Maps — live ratings and reviews.