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Japan's new tax refund system from November 1, 2026
Your one-stop guide to tourist tax refunds

JAPAN TAX REFUND GUIDE

How to get your tax refund in Japan (new system from 1 November 2026)

Japan’s new tax-free system is now in effect. For purchases from 1 November 2026, you pay the full price including consumption tax in the shop. The tax is refunded only after Japan Customs confirms, when you leave the country, that you are taking the goods with you.

The refund process in 4 steps
  • Pink and white plum blossoms in full bloom across a valley

    春Feb–Apr

    Plum and cherry blossoms

    Blossom-season limited snacks and cosmetics abound. Spend ¥5,000 or more before tax at one store on the same day to qualify for a refund.

  • Colourful glass wind chimes hanging above a shrine approach

    夏Jul–Aug

    Wind chimes and summer festivals

    Sunscreen, antiperspirants and other summer drugstore items are popular tax-free buys, but once opened and used they no longer qualify.

  • Red maple leaves and a stone path in a Kyoto garden

    秋Nov

    Autumn leaves

    The new tax refund system starts on November 1, right in autumn-leaf season: pay the tax-inclusive price, then get the tax back when you leave.

  • Snow-covered gassho-style farmhouses of Shirakawa-go lit up at night

    冬Jan–Feb

    Snowy Shirakawa-go

    Once you've stocked up on winter clothes and skincare, remember to complete customs confirmation at the airport before checking your bags.

Spring, summer, autumn or winter, any season is a good time to shop tax-free in Japan

Refund method from
1 November 2026
Customs check within
90 days of purchase
Minimum spend
¥5,000 before tax, per shop per day
New Chitose AirportNarita AirportHaneda AirportChubu AirportKansai AirportFukuoka AirportNaha Airport

The process in 4 steps

  1. Shop: pay the tax-included price

    At a tax-free shop, show your passport and spend at least ¥5,000 before tax at that shop on the same day. You pay the normal price including tax. The shop sends your purchase record to the tax authority electronically.

    A Don Quijote (MEGA ドン・キホーテ) store
    A Don Quijote (MEGA ドン・キホーテ) store

  2. Register how you want to be refunded

    The shop or its refund partner explains how the refund is paid (for example to a credit card, a bank account, an app, or in cash at the airport). Methods and fees differ by shop, so ask before you pay.

    Making a tax-free purchase at the tax-free counter
    Making a tax-free purchase at the tax-free counter

  3. Airport: customs check before you check in bags

    Within 90 days of purchase, when you leave Japan, scan your passport at a tax-free kiosk in the departure lobby before handing your luggage to the airline. Green means done. Red means you show the goods to customs.

    Self-service tax refund kiosk at the airport
    Self-service tax refund kiosk at the airport

  4. Receive the refund

    Once customs has confirmed the export, the shop or its refund company pays you the tax amount, minus any handling fee, by the method you chose.

    A store's Tax-free Shop sign
    A store's Tax-free Shop sign

Choose your departure airport

Other airports with international flights

Official map

Useful before you fly

eSIM for Japan, installed before you leave home

Airalo Saily Yesim

JR Pass and Shinkansen tickets

Klook KKday

Airport transfer when you have a lot of shopping bags

Klook Trip.com Welcome Pickups

Luggage storage in Tokyo for the hours before an evening flight

Radical Storage

Hotels in Japan

Klook Trip.com

Coupons

The rule that costs people the most money

Do the kiosk check before checking in your suitcase. Airlines will not return a bag that has already been checked in, and you cannot get the refund after the bag is gone.

90-day deadline

The rule is “within 90 days from the date of purchase”. We show a date one day early so you are covered however the days are counted.

How much tax is in the price?

This is the most you can get back. Refund companies may deduct a handling fee, so the amount you actually receive is usually lower.

Refund calculator →

Before you go to the airport

  • Keep every item you bought tax-free, unopened and unused if it is food, drink or cosmetics.
  • Keep the items from one receipt together. If one item is missing, the whole receipt is refused.
  • Pack tax-free goods where you can reach them, in case you get a red result.
  • Arrive at the airport earlier than usual. Missing your flight because of the refund check is not compensated.
  • If you fly domestic first and then international, do the check at the last airport in Japan.

Read next

At the airportWhere the kiosks are, green vs red, Visit Japan Web, transfers and cruises.Mistakes to avoidThe common ways people lose their refund.Who can claimVisitors, Japanese citizens living abroad, minimum spend, what items count.Getting your moneyRefund methods, fees and timing.Japan trip checklistEvery entry step and fee in the order you meet them, from booking to leaving Japan.

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