Last updated: 8 October 2026. Every fact below is from the Japan Tourism Agency, the National Tax Agency or JNTO, linked inline.
For purchases made on or after 1 November 2026, tax-free shopping in Japan becomes a refund. You pay the full price including consumption tax (10%, or 8% on food and drinks) in the shop, then get the tax back after customs confirms your goods when you leave Japan. Without that customs check, there is no refund.
What changes on 1 November 2026
| Until 31 October 2026 | From 1 November 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| At the till | Tax taken off the price (or refunded at a counter) | You pay the price including consumption tax |
| Minimum purchase | 5,000 yen, excluding tax | 5,000 yen, excluding tax (unchanged) |
| General goods and consumables | Two separate categories | One category |
| Consumables cap | 500,000 yen | Abolished |
| Sealed bags for consumables | Required | Abolished |
| Refund | Not needed | Paid by the shop or its refund provider after customs confirmation at departure |
Sources: the Japan Tourism Agency's traveler page, its English leaflet and the National Tax Agency's Q&A.
The date that counts is the date you buy, not the date you leave, and there is no transition period: from 1 November every tax-free shop uses the refund method.
Who can claim
Foreign visitors staying in Japan as a "Temporary Visitor" (the status most tourists enter on) qualify, and must be able to show they entered Japan less than six months ago. Japanese nationals who have lived abroad for two years or more also qualify with their passport and a supporting document (eligible purchasers, Japan Tourism Agency).
In the shop
- Pay the full price, tax included, and show your passport. A Visit Japan Web QR code that holds your passport details can be shown instead.
- Set up how you will be refunded, for example to a credit card. Each shop or refund provider has its own method, and the official examples are bank transfer, credit card, an app, or cash at the departure port. Ask at the till how that shop pays back.
- Keep the goods as they are. Food, drinks or cosmetics you use or eat in Japan are not refunded, and you may buy only what you can carry out of Japan yourself.
For any single item of 1,000,000 yen or more (excluding tax), customs may ask to see a certificate of authenticity or a warranty. Gold and platinum bullion, and goods already exempt from consumption tax, do not qualify. Since 1 April 2025, goods you post home yourself no longer qualify either.
At the airport: the customs check
You must leave Japan within 90 days of the purchase, and have the goods confirmed by customs on the way out (National Tax Agency and Customs notice).
- Before you check your bags, go to a tax-free procedure terminal in the departure lobby. The check cannot be done after your bags are checked, and a checked bag cannot be taken back.
- Scan your passport. The result takes a few seconds.
- GREEN means your procedure is complete. RED means you show your goods to a customs officer, so allow extra time.
- Customs checks one purchase (one receipt) at a time. If any item on a receipt is missing, nothing on that receipt is refunded.
- If you have used or eaten any of the goods, do not use the terminal: go to a customs officer at the counter.
Connecting from a domestic flight to an international one? Do the check at the last Japanese airport you leave from. Once customs has confirmed your goods, they must leave Japan with you.
Visit Japan Web at seven airports
At Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, New Chitose, Fukuoka and Naha, the Japan Tourism Agency leaflet says you can do the customs check online through Visit Japan Web instead of at a terminal, on a dedicated wireless network in the international departure lobby, before security. The National Tax Agency's Q&A still describes some details as being settled, so check the airport on the day.
The refund itself
The tax-free shop or its refund provider pays you after customs has confirmed your goods. How and how fast depends on the shop: no official page sets a number of days. Keep the receipt and whatever the shop gives you for the refund until the money arrives.
Staying connected for the refund
The new system leans on your phone: a Visit Japan Web QR code at the till, a refund set up to a card or an app, and at seven airports an online customs check. Shop and refund messages can arrive while you are out, and the departure lobby is not the place to discover your data has run out. A Japan eSIM installed before you fly keeps you online from landing to departure: see eSIM vs pocket Wi-Fi in Japan, and our airport guides for Narita, Haneda and Kansai. Compare our Japan eSIM plans before you go.
One more change for 2026: Japan's departure tax (the International Tourist Tax) rose from 1,000 to 3,000 yen per departure on 1 July 2026, usually included in your ticket (National Tax Agency).
FAQ
When does Japan's new tax-free refund system start?
It applies to purchases made on or after 1 November 2026. From then on, you pay consumption tax in the shop and get it back after customs checks your goods when you leave Japan.
Is shopping in Japan still tax-free after November 2026?
Yes, but as a refund. You pay the consumption tax at the till and the shop or its refund provider pays it back once customs has confirmed your goods at departure.
What do I do at the airport to get my refund?
Before you check your bags, scan your passport at a tax-free procedure terminal in the departure lobby. A GREEN result means you are done, and a RED result means you show your goods to a customs officer.
How will I receive the money?
The shop or its refund provider pays you back after customs has confirmed your goods. Methods vary by shop and can include bank transfer, credit card, an app or cash at the departure port, so ask how it works when you buy.
Is there still a minimum spend or a limit?
The minimum stays at 5,000 yen excluding tax, and the 500,000 yen cap and the sealed bags for consumables are abolished. You may buy only what you can carry out yourself, and for an item of 1 million yen or more, customs may ask for a certificate or warranty.
How long do I have to claim the refund?
You must leave Japan within 90 days of the purchase date and complete the customs check on the way out. Without the customs check there is no refund.
Facts checked on 8 October 2026 against the Japan Tourism Agency, the National Tax Agency and JNTO. Details such as the Visit Japan Web departure check may still change before 1 November.