Japan's airport tax refund from Nov 1, 2026: step by step

Japan's refund-at-departure system in practice: who qualifies, what to do at the shop, what to carry, terminal or customs counter, and how the money comes back.

Reviewed 2026-09-29 · Last updated 2026-09-29

From 2026-11-01, you pay the tax-included price in the shop and get the tax back only after customs confirms at departure that the goods are leaving with you. For what changes by purchase date, see our overview of the November 1 change.

Who qualifies

Non-resident foreign national on Temporary Visitor status (diplomatic or official status and cruise, transit or crew landing permits also count)
Less than 6 months since entry (diplomats, officials and US forces under SOFA excepted)
Non-resident status is required; the official eligibility list explains the conditions for each status
Japanese nationals: continuously 2+ years abroad and less than six months since re-entry, proven with passport plus a move-out My Number Card, or a residence certificate or koseki attachment copy issued within 6 months before last entry
Every status still needs customs confirmation at departure within 90 days of purchase

At the shop

Show your passport, or the Visit Japan Web tax-free QR code where accepted. Customs works only from the electronic purchase record the shop sends, so make sure the tax-free procedure actually happens at checkout. The minimum is ¥5,000 pre-tax per store per day.

The shop, or the refund operator it names, explains at purchase how to register where the refund goes (card, account, app). Register promptly and check the details: wrong or missing details mean no refund, and a shop may set a cut-off after which an unclaimed refund lapses.

What to carry

Your passport; if reissued mid-trip, scan the new one and tell the customs officer about purchases on the old one
Every tax-free item with you, nothing checked in yet
Receipts, in case customs asks; the record itself is electronic
Certificates or warranties for any item priced ¥1,000,000 or more pre-tax; without them that item may get no refund
Keep packaging showing the model number to help customs match goods to the purchase record

Before bag drop

Find the tax-free procedure terminal in the international departure lobby and scan your passport; the result takes seconds. Green: done. Red: take all your goods to the customs inspection area; the criteria are not published.

Do it before bag drop: checked bags cannot be pulled back. Finish it, inspection included, before boarding procedures; abandoning an inspection to catch your flight counts as not confirmed, and neither the airline nor customs compensates you. Once confirmed, the goods must leave Japan without delay; otherwise the exempted tax is collected and penalties can apply.

At Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha you can instead confirm on your phone through Visit Japan Web, only in the lobby's dedicated Wi-Fi area before security and only if you registered in advance.

Each receipt stands on its own: a missing item voids only that receipt. Clothes, bags and electronics may be used in Japan if they leave with you; food, drink, cosmetics and medicine must not be consumed, or that receipt gets nothing.

Getting the money

The shop, or a refund operator it appointed, pays the refund, in principle after customs confirmation. Possible methods named by the National Tax Agency are bank transfer, card refund, app transfer, or cash inside the departure port; method and timing are up to the shop, and no official timeline exists. The government charges no fee; a shop or operator may. Check the terms shown by your shop at purchase.

Quick answers

Situation	Answer
Bought October 31, flying in November	Old-system departure: show your passport to customs; goods may be inspected. Keep old and new receipts separate and follow customs directions for each.
Different departure airport or domestic connection	Do it where you actually leave Japan; keep the goods with you until then.
Ate or used part of a consumable	Skip the terminal; report it at the customs counter.

At the shop How will I receive the refund? Do I need to register a card or account?

返金はどのように受け取れますか？カードや口座の登録は必要ですか？

At the airport Where is the tax-free procedure terminal?

免税手続用の端末はどこですか？

Summarized as of 2026-09-29 from Japan Tourism Agency, National Tax Agency and Japan Customs materials; check your departure airport's latest directions and hours, and arrive early.

More guides

Sources