Japan’s tax-free rules change on 1 November 2026. Purchases on or before 31 October use the current system; purchases from 1 November are paid tax-included and refunded after a customs check when you leave. See what changes →
New system in effect: since 1 November 2026 you pay the tax-included price in store and get your refund after the customs kiosk check at departure — before you drop your bags. How it works →
From 1 November 2026 the customs check for your tax-free shopping happens at the airport, before you check in your bags. Narita Airport has published where the kiosks are. Here they are, terminal by terminal.
Simplified diagram redrawn from the official Japan Customs map. Not to scale.
In the central hall where the two check-in wings meet: the Customs Inspection Area and the Tax Refund Kiosk stand side by side, just above the central restrooms and near the central escalators and information desk.
Simplified diagram redrawn from the official Japan Customs map. Not to scale.
At one end of the check-in hall, past the last check-in island: two Tax Refund Kiosks on either side of a small entrance, with the Customs Inspection Area right beside them along the end wall.
Simplified diagram redrawn from the official Japan Customs map. Not to scale.
In the check-in hall in front of the row of shops, opposite the large central block: the Tax Refund Kiosk with the Customs Inspection Area right next to it.
The refund company Cash Japan lists a counter at Narita Airport: Terminal 1 (South and North Wings), 3rd floor, 06:00–23:00; Terminal 2, 3rd floor, 06:00–23:00; Terminal 3, 3rd floor, 06:00–22:00. From 1 November 2026 (starting airport by airport) it pays cash refunds for purchases whose refund company is Global Blue, J&J Tax Free, Smart Detax or IntaSect; for other refund companies, follow the shop’s instructions. Customs itself does not pay refunds.
Japan Airport Terminal and Glory run “Self Tax Refund” machines at Narita Airport from 1 November 2026: Terminal 1, Central Building, 4th floor, before security and passport control, 06:00–24:00; Terminal 2, Main Building, 3rd floor, before security and passport control, 06:00–24:00. After the customs check at the kiosk before bag drop, you scan your passport and get the refund in Japanese yen cash. It only pays purchases whose refund company works with the service (official page lists: J&J Tax Free, Smart Technologies & Resources, Global Tax Free-Planet, AddSmart, LINKTIVITY, IntaSect Communications) and that you registered with that company; fees are deducted.
We email you 2 days before your flight: kiosk first, then bag drop, with the 90-day limit for your purchases. One email, no spam.
What happens at the airport
Find the tax-free kiosk
Tax-free kiosks or electronic terminals are in the international departure lobby, before the airline baggage drop. The customs inspection area is next to them.
Scan your passport
Have all the goods you bought tax-free with you. Scanning takes a few seconds and the screen shows whether an inspection is needed.
Green: you are done
No inspection is needed. The customs check is complete and you can check in your bags.
Red: show your goods to customs
Go to the customs inspection area and show the items. Allow extra time for this. If you give up the inspection to catch your flight, the check does not count.
Take the goods out of Japan
After the check, you must take the goods abroad without delay. If you do not, the tax is collected from you and penalties can apply.
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Online check with Visit Japan Web (7 airports)
At Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu (Centrair), Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha you can also do the check online with Visit Japan Web instead of a kiosk. It works only inside the area covered by the dedicated Wi-Fi in the international departure lobby, up to the security check.
Timing tips
Arrive earlier than you normally would, especially in the first weeks of the new system.
Do the check before queuing for baggage drop, not after.
Pack tax-free goods together near the top of your bag or in your hand luggage.
If you consumed any food, drink or cosmetics from a receipt, do not use the kiosk for that receipt. Tell the customs officer at the counter.
Airport duty-free shops are not the tax refund
The duty-free shops after passport control sell goods without Japanese consumption tax. You show your boarding pass and pay the lower price at the till. There is nothing to claim later.
Tax-free shopping in town works differently from 1 November 2026: you pay the tax at the shop, do the customs check at the kiosk before bag drop, and the shop or its refund company pays the tax back.
The duty-free shops do not handle refunds for things you bought in town. At some airports the refund company’s cash counter is in the duty-free area (Chubu Centrair, for example), but it is a refund counter, not a shop.
Questions about Narita Airport
Where is the tax refund kiosk at Narita Airport?
Terminal 1, 4th floor: In the central hall where the two check-in wings meet: the Customs Inspection Area and the Tax Refund Kiosk stand side by side, just above the central restrooms and near the central escalators and information desk. Terminal 2, 3rd floor: At one end of the check-in hall, past the last check-in island: two Tax Refund Kiosks on either side of a small entrance, with the Customs Inspection Area right beside them along the end wall. Terminal 3, 2nd floor: In the check-in hall in front of the row of shops, opposite the large central block: the Tax Refund Kiosk with the Customs Inspection Area right next to it.
Can I get my refund in cash at Narita Airport?
The refund company Cash Japan lists a counter at Narita Airport: Terminal 1 (South and North Wings), 3rd floor, 06:00–23:00; Terminal 2, 3rd floor, 06:00–23:00; Terminal 3, 3rd floor, 06:00–22:00. From 1 November 2026 (starting airport by airport) it pays cash refunds for purchases whose refund company is Global Blue, J&J Tax Free, Smart Detax or IntaSect; for other refund companies, follow the shop’s instructions. Customs itself does not pay refunds. Japan Airport Terminal and Glory run “Self Tax Refund” machines at Narita Airport from 1 November 2026: Terminal 1, Central Building, 4th floor, before security and passport control, 06:00–24:00; Terminal 2, Main Building, 3rd floor, before security and passport control, 06:00–24:00. After the customs check at the kiosk before bag drop, you scan your passport and get the refund in Japanese yen cash. It only pays purchases whose refund company works with the service (official page lists: J&J Tax Free, Smart Technologies & Resources, Global Tax Free-Planet, AddSmart, LINKTIVITY, IntaSect Communications) and that you registered with that company; fees are deducted.
Can I use Visit Japan Web instead of the kiosk at Narita Airport?
Yes. Narita Airport is one of the 7 airports where the check can be done online with Visit Japan Web, inside the dedicated Wi-Fi area of the international departure lobby, up to security.
