Japan tax-free shopping from 1 November 2026: the new refund system

By the Japan Travel Costs team. Every figure links to its source with the date we last checked it, and figures we cannot verify are left out. About us.

Last checked 2026-10-21

Japan changed how tax-free shopping works for visitors on 1 November 2026. Shops no longer take the tax off at the till. You pay the full price and get the consumption tax back when you leave.

What changes

• At tax-free shops, you pay the full tax-inclusive price.
• The consumption tax is refunded after customs confirms, at departure, that you are taking the goods out of Japan.
• Purchases must total at least ¥5,000 before tax per store per day.

Sources: Japan Customs: tax-free system for visitors; JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system. Last checked 2026-10-22.

At the airport

• Within 90 days of purchase, scan your passport at a tax-free kiosk in the departure lobby before you check in bags, with all your tax-free goods with you.
• A red result means customs wants to see the items. You cannot get checked bags back to do this, so arrive early.
• Sealed packaging for food, drinks and cosmetics is no longer required, but anything consumed or used in Japan before departure does not qualify.

Sources: Japan Tourism Agency: tax-free page for travellers; JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system.

More money tips: money and payments in Japan.

Who can use it

Tax-free shopping is for visitors to Japan, generally those staying as temporary visitors. You show your passport when you buy. The details of who qualifies are set out on the Japan Tourism Agency and Japan Customs pages (Japan Tourism Agency: tax-free page for travellers; Japan Customs: tax-free system for visitors). If you live in Japan, you are generally not eligible.

Step by step from 1 November 2026

1. At the shop: buy at a store that offers tax-free sales, show your passport, and pay the full price including consumption tax. The total must be at least ¥5,000 before tax per store per day (JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system).
2. Keep the goods: the refund depends on taking the items out of Japan. Special sealed packaging for food, drinks and cosmetics is no longer required, but anything consumed or used in Japan before you leave is not eligible (JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system).
3. At departure: within 90 days of purchase, scan your passport at a tax-free kiosk in the departure area before you check in your bags, with the goods with you (Japan Tourism Agency: tax-free page for travellers).
4. If customs wants to check: a red result means you show the items to customs. You cannot get checked bags back for this, so do the kiosk step first.
5. The refund: once customs confirms the goods are leaving Japan, the amount equivalent to the consumption tax is refunded (JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system).

At major airports, including Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha, you can also start the procedure online through Visit Japan Web in designated areas of the departure lobby, before security (JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system).

The official pages we checked do not say how long the refund takes or how it is paid, so ask the shop when you buy. Last checked 2026-10-22.

Rules that catch people out

• Each receipt is checked separately. If even one item from a receipt is missing, none of the items on that receipt qualify (JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system).
• Use your final departure point. If you fly domestically to connect to an international flight, do the procedure at the airport where you leave Japan (JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system).
• No compensation for missed flights. JNTO notes that neither customs nor airlines compensate you if the procedure makes you miss your departure (JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system).
• Not everything qualifies. Gold and platinum bullion and items already exempt from consumption tax are excluded, and quantities must be what you can carry out as personal baggage (JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system).

What it means for your budget

Under the old system the tax came off at the till. Now you pay the full price first, which means more on your card or in cash during the trip, and the refund arrives later. Budget for the full tax-inclusive price, and treat the refund as a bonus that arrives after you are home.

If you pay in a foreign currency on your card, the amount refunded may not exactly match what you paid in your currency, because exchange rates move between the purchase and the refund. That is a general point about card payments, not a rule of the tax-free system.

At the airport: allow time

• Go to the kiosk before bag drop. Plan extra time on departure day if you bought anything tax-free.
• Keep receipts and goods together in an easy-to-reach bag.
• If you are sending suitcases to the airport by courier, think carefully about which bag the tax-free goods go in. Couriers such as Sagawa deliver to Haneda and Narita from 16:00 on the same day (Sagawa Express: Hands-Free Travel, Tokyo Service Center), and the goods need to be with you at the kiosk.

Common questions

Can I combine purchases from different shops?

The ¥5,000 threshold applies per store per day (JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system). Purchases at different shops are not added together.

What about things I use during the trip?

If you consume or use a tax-free item in Japan, it is no longer eligible, and JNTO says to report it to a customs officer rather than use the kiosk (JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system). If you plan to use something during the trip, buy it without the tax-free process.

Do I need to do anything if I leave by sea?

JNTO says tax-free terminals and customs inspection areas are available at each airport and seaport, and cruise passengers also need their landing permit (JNTO: Japan's new tax-free shopping system).

Departure-day checklist

• Passport.
• Tax-free goods and receipts in your hand luggage or a bag you can open before check-in.
• Extra time at the airport.

Plan the rest of your departure day with our airport transfers guide and luggage forwarding guide, and keep the shopping in your total with the trip budget calculator.

For the full official detail, including the list of changes to eligible goods, see the Japan Tourism Agency page (Japan Tourism Agency: tax-free page for travellers).