Any invoices for international imports with a value of AED 10,000 or more must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (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.
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.”
Importers will have a grace period of 14 days after the declaration of goods to comply with the attestation. Failure to do so will result in a penalty of Dh500 per invoice levied by the MoFAIC on the non-complying businesses.
Exemptions will be applicable for certain categories including the below:
- Invoices for a value of less than AED10,000
- Personal imports
- GCC imports
- Freezone imports
- Police and military imports
- Charity imports
Contact us for your international shipments to the UAE
