Tax-Free Shopping in Japan | The Refund Method from November 2026 and What to Do When You Leave Japan

Overview

At tax-free shops (Tax-free Shop) in Japan, foreign travelers and certain other people are exempt from consumption tax on purchases that meet the conditions (tax-free). How you receive this exemption changes for purchases made on or after November 1, 2026 (Japan Tourism Agency).

• Purchases made by October 31, 2026: You can buy at the shop at the price excluding consumption tax.
• Purchases made on or after November 1, 2026: At the shop, you pay the price including consumption tax. When you leave Japan, the consumption tax is refunded after you go through a customs check at the airport or port. This is called the "Refund Method."

Whether the new method applies is decided not by the day you leave Japan but by the day you bought the item at the shop (National Tax Agency). For items you bought tax-free by October 31, follow the instructions you received at the shop where you bought them.

You can buy tax-free only at shops that have received the national government's permission to operate as tax-free shops. Some shops display the "Japan. Tax-free Shop" symbol at the storefront.

Comparison

Differences between purchases through October 31 and from November 1

• For purchases made on or after November 1, food and cosmetics will no longer be sealed in special bags. However, you cannot receive a refund for items you have eaten or used in Japan (Japan Tourism Agency).
• The requirement that your total purchases at the same shop on one day be ¥5,000 (tax excluded) or more is the same both through October 31 and from November 1.

Conditions

Who and what are eligible

For purchases made on or after November 1, the Japan Tourism Agency gives the following guidance.

Who is eligible

• People who do not hold Japanese nationality and for whom less than 6 months have passed since they entered Japan. If you entered Japan for a short-term stay, such as for tourism, show your passport at the shop.
• Cruise ship passengers and others who have received a landing permit show both their passport and their landing permit.
• Japanese nationals who have lived outside Japan continuously for 2 years or more and for whom less than 6 months have passed since they temporarily returned to Japan. In addition to a passport, a document showing that they live outside Japan is required.

Eligible items

• Your total purchases at the same shop on one day must be ¥5,000 (tax excluded) or more.
• The items must be taken out of Japan. The quantity is limited to what you can carry out yourself when you leave Japan.
• Gold and platinum bullion, gold and platinum coins, and items that are not subject to consumption tax in the first place are not eligible.

Step by step

When you buy at a shop (from November 1)

1. At a tax-free shop, tell the staff you want to go through the tax-free procedure, and show your passport.
2. Pay the price including consumption tax.
3. Register how you will receive your refund, following the shop's instructions.

• Refund methods differ by shop. Examples include a transfer to a bank account, a refund to a credit card, a transfer to an app, and cash at the airport or port you leave from (Japan Tourism Agency). When you buy, check with the shop which method will be used and when you will be refunded.
• If there is an error in the details you register, such as the account number for the refund, you may not be able to receive the refund (National Tax Agency).
• Do not lose the receipt or any other documents you received when you bought the items until you leave Japan.

When you leave Japan

This section explains the steps for leaving Japan by plane. If you leave by ship, you go through the same procedure at the port before the boarding procedures.

1. When you arrive at the airport, before you check in at the airline counter, scan your passport at a tax-free procedure terminal in the international departure lobby.
2. If the screen shows "Inspection required," go to the customs inspection area and show the items you bought tax-free to have them checked. If it shows "No inspection required," the procedure ends at this point.
3. After the procedure is complete, check in at the airline counter and check your luggage.

• To receive the refund, you must leave Japan within 90 days of the date of purchase and go through this procedure at that time.
• At Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha airports, you can also complete the procedure on your smartphone using Visit Japan Web instead of a terminal. You can use it in the parts of the international departure lobby where you can connect to the Wi-Fi for the procedure (up to the security checkpoint).
• You receive the refund after the customs check is complete, from the shop or a refund company the shop uses.

Good to know

Points that can cost you your refund

• The check is done per receipt. If even one item on a receipt is not with you, you cannot receive a refund for any of the items on that receipt.
• If you have eaten or used food, cosmetics or other items in Japan and no longer have them with you, you cannot receive a refund for the items on the receipt that included them. In that case, do not use the terminal; instead, tell a customs officer.
• The customs check (including the inspection, if one is required) must be finished before you check in at the airline counter. If you stop the inspection partway because you run out of time, it does not count as having been checked. If you miss your flight because of the procedure, neither the airline nor customs will compensate you. Arrive at the airport with plenty of time.
• If you take a domestic flight to another airport and leave Japan from there on an international flight, go through the procedure at the last airport you leave Japan from.
• If you buy a single item priced at ¥1,000,000 (tax excluded) or more, customs may ask you to show an appraisal certificate or a warranty. Having it ready makes the check go faster.
• Items that customs has checked must be taken out of Japan as they are. If you do not take them out, you will have to pay the consumption tax and will also be subject to penalties.
• Sending tax-free items overseas yourself by post or similar means ended on March 31, 2025. Ask the shop whether it can ship items overseas for you.