UAE Import Duty & Landed Cost Calculator
Enter your goods value, freight, and insurance — get customs duty, import VAT, and attestation fees in one estimate. Free, no sign-up.
UAE customs duty is normally 5% of CIF value (goods + freight + insurance), and import VAT is 5% of CIF plus duty. Invoices over AED 10,000 also carry a AED 150 MOFAIC attestation fee. This calculator applies those rules exactly, as of August 2026.
Estimate only — excludes port handling, transport, storage, and clearing-agent fees, and assumes your HS code carries the selected duty rate. Figures reflect UAE rules as of August 2026. Request a quote for a complete, shipment-specific breakdown.
Working out your CIF value
If you bought on FOB terms, your CIF is the invoice value plus what you pay for freight and insurance. If you bought CIF or CFR, most of it is already inside your supplier's price — enter freight/insurance as 0 where already included. Not sure which services you still need to buy? Our customs clearance page walks through the full import process, and the CBM calculator helps you size the freight itself.
Duty & VAT questions, answered
How is customs duty calculated in the UAE?
Duty is normally 5% of the CIF value — the cost of the goods plus international freight plus insurance. Example: goods worth AED 100,000 with AED 8,000 freight and AED 500 insurance have a CIF of AED 108,500, so duty is AED 5,425. Some categories differ: GCC-origin goods with a valid certificate of origin can enter duty-exempt, alcohol carries 50%, and tobacco 100%.
Do I pay VAT on imports into the UAE?
Yes — import VAT is 5%, charged on the CIF value plus the customs duty. In the example above, VAT is 5% of AED 113,925, which is AED 5,696.25. VAT-registered businesses can generally recover import VAT through their tax return.
What is the MOFAIC attestation fee?
Commercial import invoices over AED 10,000 must be attested through the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFAIC) electronic system at a fee of AED 150 per invoice. Invoices of AED 10,000 or below are not subject to the fee.
What costs does this calculator not include?
It estimates government charges only: duty, import VAT, and the MOFAIC fee. Your full landed cost also includes ocean or air freight (if not already in your CIF figure), port terminal handling, clearing-agent fees, transport to your door, and any storage. A freight forwarder's itemised quotation covers all of these lines.
Are any imports exempt from UAE customs duty?
Common exemptions include goods of GCC origin moving with a valid certificate of origin, goods imported into free zones such as JAFZA (duty is deferred until they enter the mainland), re-exports handled under the correct declaration type, and specific exempt categories in the customs tariff. The right HS code determines the rate that applies to your product.
Want the complete landed cost, not an estimate?
Send your invoice and packing list — we'll quote freight, clearance, duty, VAT, and delivery as one itemised price.