u/Pinepingo0316

Hi everyone,

I am a local FBA seller in the UAE (not international seller)

Has anyone here imported goods from South Korea into the UAE as a new business?

My company is still new and we haven’t reached the VAT registration threshold yet, so we’re not VAT registered.

The issue is that several freight forwarders / IOR providers in Korea are asking for a UAE VAT TRN before they can provide the service, which I obviously can’t provide at this stage.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? If so, how did you handle it?

Fyi, I’ve imported stuff from china multiple times with no problem.

I’d also really appreciate any recommendations for freight forwarders or IOR providers that can handle South Korea → UAE shipments for a non-VAT-registered company.

Thanks a lot!

Hi everyone,

I am a local FBA seller in the UAE (not international seller)

Has anyone here imported goods from South Korea into the UAE as a new business?

My company is still new and we haven’t reached the VAT registration threshold yet, so we’re not VAT registered.

The issue is that several freight forwarders / IOR providers in Korea are asking for a UAE VAT TRN before they can provide the service, which I obviously can’t provide at this stage.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? If so, how did you handle it?

Fyi, I’ve imported stuff from china multiple times with no problem.

I’d also really appreciate any recommendations for freight forwarders or IOR providers that can handle South Korea → UAE shipments for a non-VAT-registered company.

Thanks a lot!

Hi everyone,

Has anyone here imported goods from South Korea into the UAE as a new business?

My company is still new and we haven’t reached the VAT registration threshold yet, so we’re not VAT registered.

The issue is that several freight forwarders / IOR providers in Korea are asking for a UAE VAT TRN before they can provide the service, which I obviously can’t provide at this stage.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? If so, how did you handle it?

I’d also really appreciate any recommendations for freight forwarders or IOR providers that can handle South Korea → UAE shipments for a non-VAT-registered company.

Thanks a lot!

Hi all,

Is it common for expats in the UAE to self-sponsor their residency visa by opening a free zone company, mainly so they can legally stay in the country while looking for a new job?

Also, if I later get a job with a company that normally sponsors employees, would employers generally find it unusual that I already have my own free zone company/visa?

Do employers typically just ask you to cancel your existing visa and transfer to their sponsorship, or would they also expect you to close the free zone company itself?

Would appreciate hearing how this usually works in practice from anyone who has gone through it.

I bought GTINs directly from GS1 US and changed them to “In Use” on Sep 1. Brand name and product titles match exactly between GS1 and Amazon.

I’m now getting Error 8566 and 8572 when creating the listings. It’s been almost 72 hours since changing them to In Use.

Has anyone had this happen with new GS1 GTINs? Did it resolve automatically after the full 72 hours, or did you need to contact Seller Support?

I was a junior management consultant at a prestigious firm for around two years, but I was recently laid off. I’m now looking to move into industry and am planning to reach out to senior people at companies I’m interested in through LinkedIn.

For the first message, what approach do you think works better?

Option 1: Be direct — say I was recently laid off, I’m looking for opportunities, briefly mention the types of roles I’m interested in, and attach my CV.

Option 2: Keep it more relationship-focused — introduce myself, say I’m exploring a move into the industry, and ask if they would be open to a quick coffee chat or call. Then discuss potential opportunities later if the conversation goes well.

If you’re a senior person who receives these kinds of LinkedIn messages, which approach would you prefer?

I don’t want to waste anyone’s time or pretend I’m only reaching out for a casual chat when I’m ultimately job hunting, but I also don’t want the first message to feel too transactional.

Hi everyone — I’m looking for advice from Amazon UAE sellers on how you handle GTINs/barcodes.

I’m launching products under my own brand and Amazon is currently not approving my GTIN exemption, so I’m considering getting official GS1 GTINs instead.

I’ve looked into GS1 UAE and also noticed that GS1 US has different pricing/options, but I’m not sure what differences actually matter when selling on Amazon UAE.

For those who have gone through this:

- Where did you get your GTINs from?
- What did you pay, and are there recurring fees?
- Is there anything important I should know before choosing a GS1 provider/package?
- Does it matter which country's GS1 organization issues the GTIN if I plan to sell internationally?
- If one company owns multiple brands, can the GTIN allocation be used across those brands?
- GS1 US seems to offer a single GTIN for around $30, while GS1 UAE appears to use annual fees/packages. Is there a reason a UAE-based company should specifically use GS1 UAE?

Would really appreciate hearing what other UAE sellers are doing and whether there are any pitfalls I should be aware of. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for a reliable **freight forwarder / Importer of Record (IOR)** that can handle an **end-to-end shipment from South Korea to an Amazon FBA warehouse in the UAE**.

The process I’m looking for is:

* My supplier in South Korea sends the products to the freight forwarder’s warehouse in Korea
* Freight forwarder / IOR handles international shipping and UAE customs clearance
* IOR acts as the importer where required
* Final delivery directly to the assigned **Amazon UAE FBA fulfillment center**
* Ideally, they already have experience with **Amazon FBA shipments and delivery requirements**

I’ve previously imported products from China using freight forwarders/IORs, and the process was relatively straightforward. However, several Korean logistics providers I’ve contacted are requesting quite a lot of documentation, such as company presentations, product presentations, VAT registration, etc.

I’m currently running a small UAE business and **have not reached the VAT registration threshold yet**, so I’m specifically looking for a provider that is comfortable working with smaller businesses and can provide the IOR service if needed.

If anyone here has personally used or can recommend a company that can handle **Korea → UAE customs clearance → Amazon FBA delivery end-to-end**, I’d really appreciate a recommendation.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I run a small Amazon FBA business in the UAE through a Free Zone company, and I’m currently looking for an accountant/accounting firm to handle the financial and tax side of the business.

The business is still relatively small, with roughly 5–20 transactions per month (sales, expenses, etc.), so the bookkeeping volume is quite low.

Ideally, I’m looking for someone who can handle:
- General bookkeeping
- UAE Corporate Tax / CT filing
- VAT registration
- VAT returns/filing
- FTA-related compliance and submissions
- General accounting/tax support when needed

For anyone running a similarly small e-commerce or Amazon FBA business in the UAE, how much are you paying per month for this?
Also, if you have an accountant or firm you’ve had a good experience with, I’d really appreciate any recommendations.
Thanks!

I recently found out that my girl friend is pro-abortion, we’ve had a lengthy conversation about why abortion is murder, but she is not convinced at all.

I was quite surprised because she’ve been claiming that she’s a christian.

I really love her and we’ve been together for 4 years, we agree on most things and have long term plans together.

I want to help her to get closer to god so that she can understand that abortion is wrong.

Any advice?

Thank you in advance

I’m in consulting and almost 2 years in. I really dislike my job, the constant anxiety, and stress that I get.

I’m now getting heart palpitations, and really trying my best to see the positivity in my job.

The situation that I’m in right now is that I need to endure at least another 8 months. As I need to save up so that I can leave my job and start my own business, which I have been running on the side alongside my job for about a year.

I made this exit plan about a year ago and my anxiety started and getting worse since August 2025.

Any practical advice on how I can go through this? And any mindset tip would be helpful as well.

Thank you