How to Get a TRN in the UAE (and Verify One)
A TRN — Tax Registration Number — is the number the Federal Tax Authority issues when you register for VAT or corporate tax. You don't apply for it on its own. Here is how you get a TRN, and how to check that a supplier's TRN is genuine.
"How do I get a TRN?" is one of the most common questions new UAE businesses ask — and the answer surprises people: you don't request a TRN directly. It is issued to you automatically when you register for a tax. This guide explains what a TRN is, how it reaches you, and how to verify a supplier's number before you trust an invoice.
What is a TRN?
A Tax Registration Number is the unique 15-digit identifier the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) assigns to a registered taxable person. It appears on your tax invoices, your returns and your correspondence with the FTA, and it is how the authority — and your customers — recognise you as registered. Each tax has its own registration, so a business can hold one TRN for VAT and a separate TRN for corporate tax.
How do you get a TRN?
You get a TRN by registering for the tax on the FTA's EmaraTax portal. There is no separate "TRN application". In outline:
- Create or log in to your EmaraTax account (with UAE Pass or email).
- Start the registration for the tax you need — VAT or corporate tax.
- Complete the application: trade licence, owner/manager IDs, contact and activity details, and (for VAT) your turnover figures.
- Submit and wait for FTA approval.
- On approval, the FTA issues your TRN and registration certificate in the portal.
For VAT, you must register once your taxable turnover over the past 12 months passes AED 375,000 (voluntary registration is available from AED 187,500). For corporate tax, essentially every company registers regardless of turnover. The detailed steps are in our guides to VAT registration and filing and corporate tax registration.
VAT TRN vs corporate tax TRN
They are not the same number. VAT and corporate tax are separate registrations on EmaraTax, each producing its own TRN. Holding a VAT TRN does not mean you are registered for corporate tax, and vice versa — a point that trips up a lot of businesses. If you are unsure which you hold, both are visible under your taxable-person profile in EmaraTax.
How to verify a supplier's TRN
Before you rely on a supplier's tax invoice — especially to recover input VAT — it is worth checking that their TRN is real. The FTA provides a free TRN verification service on its website (tax.gov.ae) and within EmaraTax: you enter the 15-digit number and it confirms whether it is registered and shows the registered name. A mismatch between the name on the invoice and the name the tool returns is a red flag. If a supplier cannot give you a TRN that verifies, treat any "VAT" they charged with caution — you may not be able to reclaim it.
Why the TRN matters on your invoices
A valid TRN is a required field on a tax invoice. Without the supplier's TRN (and, for higher-value supplies, the registered customer's TRN), the document is not a compliant tax invoice, which puts input-VAT recovery at risk for the buyer. The full list of what a compliant invoice must contain is in our guide to the UAE tax invoice format.
How QuickTax helps
We register your business for the right taxes, get your TRNs issued cleanly, and make sure they appear correctly on every invoice — and we check the TRNs on the invoices you receive so your input VAT holds up.
See how our accounting and tax service works →
This material is for reference and is not tax advice. Always verify current requirements on the official resources of the FTA and the UAE Ministry of Finance.
What this means for you
You don’t chase a TRN — you earn it by registering for the right tax. Three things to know:
Register for the tax, get the TRN
The 15-digit TRN is issued automatically on EmaraTax when you register for VAT or corporate tax. There is no separate TRN application.
Two taxes, two numbers
VAT and corporate tax are separate registrations with separate TRNs. A VAT TRN does not mean you are registered for corporate tax, or the reverse — check both in your profile.
Verify before you reclaim
Check a supplier’s TRN on the FTA verification tool before relying on their invoice for input VAT. A number that does not verify, or a name that does not match, is a red flag.
Frequently asked questions
Do I apply for a TRN separately, or is it issued automatically?
There is no standalone TRN application — the FTA issues your TRN automatically when you register for a tax on EmaraTax. Register for VAT or corporate tax, and the TRN and registration certificate appear in the portal once the FTA approves the application.
Is my VAT TRN the same as my corporate tax TRN?
No. VAT and corporate tax are separate registrations, each producing its own TRN. A business commonly holds one TRN for VAT and a different one for corporate tax; both are visible under your taxable-person profile in EmaraTax.
How do I check whether a supplier's TRN is valid?
Use the FTA's free TRN verification service on tax.gov.ae or within EmaraTax: enter the 15-digit number and it confirms whether it is registered and shows the registered name. If the name does not match the invoice, or the number does not verify, be cautious about reclaiming any VAT charged.
How many digits is a UAE TRN?
A UAE TRN is a 15-digit number. It appears on your tax invoices, returns and FTA correspondence, and it is how the authority and your customers identify you as registered.