Money and Payments
Tax-Free Shopping Procedures
Choose the tax-free procedure that applies to your purchase date: tax-free at the store or a refund after departure checks.
Tax-free checklist by purchase date
Choose by the date of each purchase, not simply your departure date.
Example: goods bought on 2026-10-31 and taken out on 2026-11-02 follow the old method. Purchases on or after 2026-11-01 follow the new method. Keep receipts for the two methods separate.
| What to check | Bought through 2026-10-31 | Bought from 2026-11-01 |
|---|---|---|
| When you pay | Complete tax-free shopping at the store. Some shops take tax-inclusive payment first and refund it at their counter. | Pay the tax-inclusive price first. The shop or its provider refunds after departure Customs confirmation. |
| Before departure | Have your passport and tax-free goods ready for Customs checks. | Within 90 days of purchase, have all goods with you and finish Customs procedures before checking in your bags. |
| Missing or consumed goods | Consumption in Japan may make goods ineligible; ask the shop or Customs. | If even one item on a receipt is missing, that entire transaction is ineligible for the Customs check needed for a refund. Report consumed goods at the Customs counter. |
| Confirming a refund | Check the shop’s instructions and receipt. | Ask the shop or refund provider about method and timing; retain receipts and procedure records. Immediate payment or a uniform full refund is not guaranteed. |
Official sources checked:
Japan Tourism Agency Tax-Free Refund Method from November 2026The tax-free process depends on your purchase date. Choose the date that applies to you.
Tax-free price at the store
Check that you and your purchases qualify
For most tourists, eligibility means being a non-resident with Temporary Visitor status, less than six months after entering Japan. Residents on student or work status do not qualify for tourist tax-free shopping. Ask the store about other permitted statuses, such as Diplomat or Official. Purchases for business or resale are excluded.
At the same store on the same day, general goods must total at least ¥5,000 before tax; consumables must total ¥5,000–¥500,000 before tax. Combining the two categories brings the purchase under the consumables rules, including designated packaging. Keep that packaging sealed and do not consume the goods in Japan.
Show your passport at an eligible store and complete the tax-free procedure at purchase. Some stores charge the normal price and refund you at an in-store counter.
- Take your original passport shopping
- Tell the store you want to use tax-free shopping when you purchase
- Consumables may need to stay unopened until departure
Official sources checked:
Refund after departure checks
Check that you and your purchases qualify
For most tourists, eligibility means being a non-resident with Temporary Visitor status, less than six months after entering Japan. Residents on student or work status do not qualify for tourist tax-free shopping. Ask the store about other permitted statuses, such as Diplomat or Official. Purchases for business or resale are excluded.
Spend at least ¥5,000 before tax at the same store on the same day. The ¥500,000 consumables cap and special packaging requirement end, but goods consumed in Japan are not eligible for a refund. Buy only a quantity you can personally carry out of Japan.
From 1 November 2026, pay the tax-included price at purchase. The amount equivalent to consumption tax is refunded after Customs confirms that the goods are leaving Japan.
- Show your passport and complete the tax-free procedure at the eligible store when you buy the goods.
- Within 90 days from the date of purchase, present your passport at a tax-free procedure terminal at your departure airport or seaport.
- Complete Customs checks before checking in your luggage. A green result completes the procedure; with a red result, take all goods to the designated inspection area.
- Keep every tax-free item with you. If an item in a purchase transaction is missing or has been used, ask Customs for guidance.
- The refund method and timing depend on the shop or its refund provider. Check the instructions you receive when you buy the goods.
Official sources checked:
Useful Japanese phrases
Before checkout
免税の手続きはどこでできますか。
Menzei no tetsuzuki wa doko de dekimasu ka.
Where can I complete the tax-free procedure?
Refund method
税金はいつ、どの方法で返金されますか。
Zeikin wa itsu, dono hoho de henkin saremasu ka.
When and how will the tax be refunded?
Official sources
Article updated:
Review status: Provisional translation
Editing and verification
Editorial responsibility: JAPAN LIFE GUIDE editorial team
We turn official information into practical next steps for travellers. Source-check dates are shown beside references and are separate from article updates.
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