UAE • Trade
Free Proforma Invoice Maker
Confirm prices, quantities, Incoterms and payment terms before you supply. Choose a template, edit every field live and download an editable Word or PDF proforma invoice.
Step 1 of 3
Choose your proforma invoice language
Issue a UAE proforma invoice in English, Arabic, or a bilingual layout ready for banks, customs and international buyers.
Guide & reference — proforma invoiceCompliance rules, formats, country variants, template notes and FAQs.
Need help with business documentation?
Businesses may require professional support for trade documents, invoice verification, translation or related commercial documentation depending on their transaction requirements.
- Document Review
- Invoice Formatting
- Translation Support
- Trade Documentation Assistance
- Business Documentation Support
- Bank & Customs Compliance
Document Review
Translation
Trade Documents
Bank Support
Why businesses choose DocMak
UAE-Focused Templates
Aligned with UAE VAT invoicing practice and GCC trade documentation.
Professional Invoice Designs
Bank- and customs-ready layouts suitable for enterprise buyers.
Editable Word & PDF
Download in .docx or .pdf and continue editing offline.
English, Arabic & Bilingual
Full RTL Arabic support and bilingual UAE-ready formatting.
Company Branding Support
Upload your logo, TRN and license for a fully branded invoice.
Business Document Assistance
Get a quote for translation, review and trade document support.
Fast Turnaround
Same-day quote for documentation and translation support.
UAE Proforma Invoices — Complete Guide
What is a proforma invoice?
A proforma invoice is a preliminary bill of sale issued by a seller to a buyer before goods or services are delivered. It sets out the quoted prices, quantities, delivery terms and payment conditions so the buyer can approve the transaction, arrange advance payment or open a letter of credit. A proforma invoice is a commercial document — not a tax invoice — and does not by itself create a VAT liability under UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017.
Difference between a proforma invoice and a commercial invoice
A commercial invoice is the final tax invoice issued once the sale is concluded, goods are shipped or services are delivered. It carries the seller's TRN, follows the FTA tax-invoice rules and is used for VAT reporting and customs clearance. A proforma invoice is issued before the transaction and is used for quotations, advance payments, internal PO approval or LC applications.
When do businesses use a proforma invoice?
- Overseas buyers requiring an advance quote to open a Letter of Credit
- UAE buyers seeking internal purchase-order approval before committing
- Advance payment requests and partial deposit invoicing
- Customs pre-clearance and duty-estimation for imports
- Government and enterprise tender submissions
- Export shipments requiring pre-shipment documentation
What information should a proforma invoice include?
- Company header — name, address, phone, email, website, logo
- Trade licence number and TRN (VAT registration number) where applicable
- Proforma invoice number, issue date and validity date
- Seller and buyer details with full contact information
- Line items — description, product code, quantity, unit price, VAT and totals
- Currency, subtotal, discount, VAT, shipping and grand total
- Payment terms, delivery terms and Incoterms
- Bank details, country of origin and additional trade notes
- Authorised signatory, company stamp and terms & conditions
How to create a UAE proforma invoice
Choose a template, pick your language (English, Arabic or bilingual), fill in your company header including TRN, add the buyer details, list the items with quantities and unit prices, choose your currency (AED, SAR, USD, EUR and more), set the payment and delivery terms and download the invoice as Word or PDF. Every field on the DocMak proforma invoice is editable live — including the item table, totals and commercial terms.
Is a proforma invoice legally binding?
A proforma invoice is generally considered a commercial offer or quotation rather than a binding contract on its own. Once the buyer accepts the proforma and pays the advance (or issues a matching purchase order), the terms typically become binding between the parties. For UAE VAT purposes, a proper tax invoice must still be issued when the supply is made or payment is received, whichever is earlier.
This content is educational and not legal or tax advice. For binding advice on your specific situation, consult a UAE-licensed legal or tax advisor.
Frequently asked questions
What is a proforma invoice?
A preliminary bill issued by a seller before delivery to confirm prices, quantities and terms. It is used for advance payments, LC opening, PO approval and customs pre-clearance.
Is a proforma invoice the same as a commercial invoice?
No. A proforma is issued before the transaction as a quote or approval document, while a commercial (tax) invoice is issued after the supply and is used for VAT reporting and customs.
Can I create a UAE proforma invoice online?
Yes. DocMak lets you choose a template, edit every field live and download an editable Word or PDF invoice — with full UAE VAT / TRN and AED support.
What details should a proforma invoice include?
Company header, TRN and trade licence, invoice number and validity date, buyer details, itemised table with unit price and VAT, totals, payment and delivery terms, bank details and authorised signature.
Do UAE invoices require VAT details?
Tax invoices under UAE VAT law require the supplier TRN and 5% VAT breakdown. Proforma invoices are not tax invoices but businesses typically include TRN and VAT on the proforma for transparency.
Can I create Arabic proforma invoices?
Yes — every template is available in Arabic with full RTL formatting, and in a bilingual English/Arabic layout.
Can I customise the invoice design?
Yes. Every element — table columns, colours, company branding, terms, footer and signature — is editable live in the DocMak editor.
Can I download the invoice in Word and PDF?
Yes. You can download professional Word (.docx) and PDF exports from the same editor at any time.
What a proforma invoice does, and when to send one
A proforma invoice is a committed offer set out in invoice form. It looks like a bill but no payment is due yet: it exists so the buyer, their bank or a customs officer can see exactly what will be supplied, at what value, on what Incoterms and against which payment schedule — before the goods move. That is why it is the document requested when an advance payment must be released, a letter of credit opened, an internal purchase order approved, or an import valued for pre-clearance.
It sits between the quotation and the tax invoice. The quote invites a decision; the proforma states the agreed transaction with an expiry date attached; the commercial tax invoice is issued after the supply and is the document used for VAT reporting. Because the proforma is not a tax invoice, it should never be entered as one in your books — though most GCC businesses still print the TRN and VAT breakdown on it so the buyer can see the final landed figure.
Trading and export businesses lean on the fields that logistics people check first: item descriptions with HS-style detail, quantity and unit of measure, unit price and line total, currency, Incoterm and named place, country of origin, gross and net weight where relevant, port of loading and discharge, bank details for the transfer, and the validity date after which the price no longer stands.
- Buyer and seller blocks with tax registration and trade licence numbers
- Itemised table with quantity, unit price, VAT and line totals
- Incoterms, delivery timeline, port details and country of origin
- Advance payment schedule, bank transfer details and validity date
- English, Arabic and bilingual layouts with full right-to-left support
- Editable Word (.docx) and print-ready PDF export from the same editor
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Proforma Invoice Maker for the UAE — full guide
How to issue proforma invoices for advance payments and LC openings, what UAE FTA rules apply, and the fields every proforma invoice needs.
Open the Proforma Invoice Maker guideWant the long-form version? Read the full proforma invoice guide.
Proforma Invoice guide, templates and country rules
Everything that pairs with the proforma invoice generator — the step-by-step guide, the templates businesses use alongside it, and the GCC rules covering local proforma invoice requirements.
Matching guide
Learn how to write a proforma invoice
Related templates
Templates used with a proforma invoice
Country rules