Japan's new tax-free refund system (from 1 November 2026)

Tax-free shopping in Japan used to take the tax off at the register. For purchases on or after 1 November 2026 it is a refund: you pay the full price, and the tax comes back after customs confirms the goods are leaving Japan.

What qualifies

• Purchases at registered tax-free shops.
• ¥5,000 or more, tax excluded, at the same store on the same day.
• Goods you take out of Japan. Gold and platinum bullion are excluded.
• Consumables (cosmetics, snacks, alcohol) used up in Japan are not eligible.
• You must complete the procedure when leaving Japan within 90 days of the purchase date.

In the shop

1. Show your passport. The purchase is recorded electronically.
2. Pay the full price including tax.
3. Ask how the shop pays the refund (the shop or a refund service provider handles it) and whether any fee applies.

At the airport or seaport

1. Go to the tax-free procedure terminal in the international departure lobby before you check in your bags. The procedure cannot be done after bag drop.
2. Scan your passport. Have the goods with you; they are checked per receipt.
3. Green result: no inspection, go and check in. Red result: take the goods to the designated customs inspection area.
4. The refund is then paid by the shop or its refund provider, using the method they gave you.

Some departure points also let you do this through Visit Japan Web. Check your airport's guidance before you fly.

Practical tips

• Do big shopping near the end of the trip: you carry less and stay inside the 90 days.
• Keep every item from each receipt together, in your carry-on or ready to show.
• Allow extra time at the airport while the new procedure is new.
• Refund amounts are what the shop or provider calculates; any calculator is an estimate.

Based on the Japan Tourism Agency's page on the refund method, checked 29 October 2026: mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free. Rules can change; this is general information, not tax advice.