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Japan's new tax refund system from November 1, 2026
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Bought in October, leaving in November: which tax-free rules apply?

Japan switches to the refund method on 1 November 2026, with no transition period. If your trip spans that date, one question settles it: when did the shop hand you the goods?

By Mikako Yoshida ·Published 18 October 2026

Bought in October, leaving in November: which tax-free rules apply?
Shibuya, Tokyo · Photo: Syced (CC0)

The short answer

The National Tax Agency is explicit: the refund method applies to tax-free sales made on or after 1 November 2026. It does not depend on the day you leave Japan, and there is no period in which shops can use both systems.

So your receipts decide the rules, not your flight. A sale up to 31 October 2026 follows the old system: the tax was taken off at the till. A sale from 00:00 on 1 November 2026 follows the refund method: you pay the full price and get the tax back after the customs check when you leave.

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Tax-free sign at a drugstore in Namba, Osaka
Tax-free sign at a drugstore in Namba, Osaka · Photo: Mr.ちゅらさん (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Common situations

Your situationRules that applyWhat to do when you leave
Bought on 30 October, flying home on 5 NovemberOld system (tax already taken off)Nothing to claim. Take the goods out with you, keep sealed bags sealed, and show your passport to customs.
Bought on 30 October and on 2 November, flying home on 5 NovemberBoth: the old system for the October receipt, the refund method for the November receiptDo the kiosk check (or Visit Japan Web) for the November receipt before you check in bags. Keep the October goods with you as well.
Bought on 3 November, flying home on 6 NovemberRefund methodKiosk check before you check in any bag, then wait for the refund.
Ordered in October, collected from the shop in NovemberRefund method: a sale happens when the goods are handed overTreat it like any other November purchase.
Bought just after midnight on the night of 31 OctoberUsually the refund method. A shop that books late-night sales to the previous business day may still have used the old systemLook at the receipt: if no tax was charged, it was an old-system sale.

If you bought tax-free before 1 November

  • Those goods were tax-free when you paid, so there is nothing to refund. The kiosk does not pay you anything for them.
  • They must leave Japan with you. If you do not have them when you depart, customs collects the tax that was exempted.
  • Food, drinks, cosmetics and other consumables sold in a sealed bag or box must stay unopened until you leave. Sealed bags end only for sales from 1 November.
  • Show your passport to customs when you leave Japan.
  • Posting the goods home yourself is no longer an option. That procedure ended on 31 March 2025.

No separate airport procedure published yet

As of 18 October 2026, Japan Customs has not published separate airport instructions for travellers who leave after 1 November with goods bought under the old system. If that is you, ask a customs officer before you check in your bags.

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

If you buy tax-free from 1 November

  • Pay the full price including tax and show your passport. You need to spend at least ¥5,000 before tax at the same shop on the same day.
  • Complete the customs check within 90 days, counted from the day after purchase. Something bought on 1 November 2026 must be checked by 30 January 2027.
  • The check is at a kiosk in the international departure lobby before you check in bags, or on Visit Japan Web at seven major airports.
  • Goods are checked per receipt. If one item from a receipt is missing or used, nothing on that receipt is refunded.

Two easy mistakes

Expecting a refund for October purchases (you already had the tax taken off), and opening an October sealed bag because sealed bags have been abolished. Keep each receipt with its goods and you will always know which rules apply.

For your departure day

Related guides

Old vs newEverything that changed on 1 November 2026.At the airportWhere the kiosks are and what green and red mean.Mistakes to avoidHow travellers lose their refund.

Read this next

What changed on 1 November 2026What changed in Japan’s tax-free shopping on 1 November 2026: tax-included payment, airport customs check, no sealed bags, no consumables limit, new documents.Can you open, use or check in tax-free items?Yes, you can open them. Clothes, bags and electronics may be used in Japan; food and cosmetics must not be used up. Do the customs check before checking bags.Claiming your tax refund at the airportWhere to find the tax-free kiosk at Japanese airports, what green and red results mean, using Visit Japan Web, and what to do on connecting flights and cruises.

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