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Japan's new tax refund system from November 1, 2026
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Bringing purchases home to the Philippines from Japan

Travellers arriving in the Philippines can bring in goods worth up to ₱10,000 without paying duties and taxes, with separate rules for cigarettes, liquor, returning residents and OFWs. Meat, fruit and plants are regulated by the Department of Agriculture and are often seized at the airport. This guide follows the Bureau of Customs, eTravel and Bureau of Animal Industry pages as of 28 October 2026.

By Mikako Yoshida ·Published 28 October 2026

Bringing purchases home to the Philippines from Japan
Haneda Airport Terminal 3 · Photo: MaedaAkihiko (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Duty-free limits for arriving travellers

ItemDuty- and tax-freeNotes
Goods for personal useTotal value of ₱10,000 or belowApplies to all travellers
Cigarettes and tobacco (one of these)2 reams of cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of pipe tobaccoFree of duty, VAT and excise
Liquor2 bottles with a total value of less than ₱10,000FDA personal-use limit: 2 bottles, not exceeding 1.5 liters
Balikbayan boxes or baggage of Filipino citizensPersonal effects and household goods up to ₱150,000 in totalUp to 3 times in a calendar year; not in commercial quantities
Philippine pesosUp to ₱50,000More needs prior written BSP authorization and a declaration
Foreign currencyDeclare amounts over US$10,000 or equivalentDeclare the full amount on the e-CDF
Baggage claim, NAIA Terminal 3, Manila
Baggage claim, NAIA Terminal 3, Manila · Photo: Wide Awake! (CC BY 4.0)

How the limits work

Every arriving traveller can bring goods with a value of ₱10,000 or below without paying duties and taxes. All imported goods are otherwise subject to duties and taxes unless specifically exempted, and all persons and baggage can be searched at any time.

Filipino citizens can also bring personal effects and household goods in balikbayan boxes or in their baggage free of duties and taxes up to 3 times in a calendar year, as long as the total of all uses stays within ₱150,000 and the goods are not in commercial quantities or meant for sale, barter or hire. Goods in commercial quantities found in balikbayan boxes are taxed. The Bureau of Customs says the privilege must be supported by a Tax Exemption Indorsement from the Department of Finance Revenue Office.

The ₱10,000 limit and the Japanese tax refund are unrelated. Japan’s tax-free shopping removes only Japanese consumption tax; Philippine duties and taxes are assessed separately on what you bring in.

Returning residents and OFWs

TravellerDuty- and tax-free allowanceCondition
Returning resident abroad 10 years or moreGoods worth ₱350,000 for personal and household usePrivilege not used within the 10 years before arrival
Returning resident abroad 5 to 10 yearsGoods worth ₱250,000Privilege not used within the 5 years before arrival
Returning resident abroad less than 5 yearsGoods worth ₱150,000Privilege not used within the 6 months before arrival
Overseas Filipino WorkerHome appliances, one of each kind, up to ₱150,000 in totalNot in commercial quantities

FDA-regulated products you can bring for personal use

ProductMaximum without FDA clearance
Processed food10 kg
Vitamins and food supplements500 g in total
Assorted cosmetics1 kg
Lipstick10 pieces
Perfume5 bottles
Shampoo, lotion, bar soap2 kg each
Toys10 pieces
Childcare articles5 kg
Wines and liquor2 bottles, not exceeding 1.5 liters

Food, plants and goods that are restricted

  • Unprocessed meat, such as frozen wagyu, needs an approved SPS Import Clearance from the Bureau of Animal Industry for any quantity, plus a veterinary health certificate, proof of purchase or another document showing the origin.
  • Processed but uncooked meat (salted, cured, in brine, smoked or marinated) does not need an SPS Import Clearance if it comes from a country free from transboundary animal diseases, but it is limited to 10 kilograms per passenger and needs a veterinary health certificate, proof of purchase or another document showing the origin.
  • Fully heat-treated meat, including canned meat, does not need an SPS Import Clearance if it comes from a country free from transboundary animal diseases such as African swine fever, high pathogenicity avian influenza and foot and mouth disease.
  • Meat and meat products from countries affected by those diseases are confiscated and disposed of at the port of entry.
  • Fresh fruit, vegetables, plants and other agricultural products need a Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) from the Bureau of Animal Industry, Bureau of Plant Industry or BFAR. Without it they are seized at the airport.
  • FDA-regulated products above the personal-use limits are seized and forfeited.
  • Counterfeit goods and adulterated or misbranded food or drugs are prohibited. Telecommunications equipment needs an NTC permit to import, and firearms need a PNP-FEO permit.

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

Arriving in the Philippines

  1. Register in eTravel

    Arriving Filipino passengers must register or update their record in eTravel, free of charge, within 72 hours before arrival at etravel.gov.ph or in the eGovPH app.

  2. Fill in the customs forms in eTravel

    The electronic Customs Baggage Declaration Form (e-CBDF) must be filled out by all arriving passengers. If you carry pesos or foreign currency above the limits, also complete the electronic Currencies Declaration Form (e-CDF).

  3. Show your QR code

    eTravel gives one QR code per passenger. Show your passport to immigration, then present the QR code to customs.

  4. Declare dutiable goods

    If your goods are above the duty-free limits, declare them. Tagged baggage is subject to 100% physical examination, and duties and taxes are paid to the Customs Cashier, who issues an official Bureau of Customs receipt.

Undeclared goods cost 30% more

If you do not declare dutiable goods, you pay the duties and taxes plus a 30% surcharge based on the total landed cost of the goods. Declaring a camera or a designer bag that pushes you over ₱10,000 costs less than having it found at inspection.

Fruit at Omicho Market, Kanazawa
Fruit at Omicho Market, Kanazawa · Photo: dconvertini (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Questions about Philippine customs after Japan

Does the Japanese tax refund count toward the ₱10,000 limit?
The two are separate. Japan’s tax-free shopping only removes Japanese consumption tax. The Bureau of Customs applies its own ₱10,000 limit to the goods you bring into the Philippines.
Can I bring wagyu home from Japan?
Frozen or fresh wagyu is unprocessed meat, so the Bureau of Animal Industry requires an approved SPS Import Clearance for any quantity, plus a veterinary health certificate, proof of purchase or another document showing the origin. Without the clearance it is confiscated at the port of entry.
How many cigarettes can I bring duty-free?
Each traveller can bring 2 reams of cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of pipe tobacco, free of duties, VAT and excise.
How much cash can I carry?
Up to ₱50,000 in Philippine pesos. Bringing more needs prior written authorization from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and a declaration on the e-CDF. Foreign currency over US$10,000 or its equivalent must be declared in full on the e-CDF. Undeclared or falsely declared amounts can be confiscated.
Can I bring fruit or plants from Japan as pasalubong?
Fresh fruit, vegetables and plants need an SPS Import Clearance from the Department of Agriculture bureaus. The Bureau of Customs seizes agricultural products brought in without one.
I work in Japan as an OFW. What can I bring home?
OFWs can bring home appliances, one of each kind, with a total value of up to ₱150,000. Returning residents who lived abroad for several years have higher allowances, from ₱150,000 to ₱350,000 depending on how long they stayed abroad.

Before you leave Japan

Tax refund kiosks at Japanese airportsWhere to have your tax-free purchases checked before your flight to Manila or Cebu.How the Japanese tax refund is paidCard, cash and other refund options under the new system.Common tax-free mistakesErrors that cost travellers their Japanese refund.

Read this next

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.What you can and cannot buy tax-free in JapanWhat qualifies for Japan’s tax refund from 1 November 2026: gold bullion and coins no, jewellery and iPhones yes, meals and hotels no, business use now allowed.Airport duty-free in Japan and how it differs from tax-free shoppingNarita, Haneda and Kansai duty-free shops are not part of the new refund system. What each removes, who can buy, pre-orders, arrival shops and allowances.

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