Japan’s New Tax-Free Shopping System From 1 November 2026: What You Need to Know

Table of Contents

• The Recent Shopping Boom in Japan
• What’s Actually Changing?
• How the New Process Works: Step by Step
• Who Issues Your Tax Refund & How?
• The Smartest Shortcut: Visit Japan Web
• What Doesn’t Change
• Bottom Line for Your Tax-Free Shopping in Japan
• Frequently Asked Questions

Key Takeaways

Japan’s tax-free shopping is evolving to match international standards, but the tax exemption itself is here to stay. As one of the world’s top shopping destinations, especially following record-breaking tourism in 2024, Japan is modernising its system while maintaining its appeal. Here’s what every shopper needs to know:

• You now pay tax upfront. Starting 1 November 2026, you’ll pay the full price at the register. The tax is refunded after customs confirms your departure.
• Refund methods vary by store. There is no nationwide standard for how refunds are issued, so always ask the store upfront how your refund will be processed before you pay.
• You must have all purchases with you at the airport, so do not check tax-free items in your luggage before completing the refund procedure at the departure terminal.
• Seven major airports offer the refund procedure through Visit Japan Web app: Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, New Chitose, Fukuoka, or Naha.
• The 90-day deadline and 5,000 JPY minimum stay the same. Purchases must total 5,000 JPY or more, and you must depart within 90 days of purchase.
• Consumable rules are simpler. Food, cosmetics, and beverages no longer need special sealed packaging, but you cannot consume or use them in Japan if you want the full refund.
• The tax exemption benefit is unchanged. You still save 10% on eligible purchases. The change is only in when you receive that saving: at departure instead of at store checkout.

The Recent Shopping Boom in Japan

Japan’s tourism boom shows no signs of slowing down. In 2025 alone, the country welcomed a record-breaking 42.68 million visitors – a 34% increase in comparison to pre-Covid record year 2019 – with international travellers spending a staggering 9.7 trillion JPY (54.53 billion EUR). Shopping, it turns out, is a major part of this economic windfall: according to JNTO, in 2025, European visitors spent approximately 15% of their total spending on shopping in Japan – and the percentage has been growing each year.

The surge in tax-free shopping has been equally growing. Japan’s Tax-Free spending recovery reached 57.5% in 2025, with popular tax-free items ranging from clothes and confectioneries to cosmetics and leather goods. Meanwhile, second-hand shopping is also gaining traction.

This success, however, is prompting a significant restructuring, as the new Refund Method for tax-free shopping takes over on 1 November 2026. You can find the official announcement on Japan Tourism Agency’s website.

What’s Actually Changing?

For decades, tax-free shopping in Japan was delightfully simple: show your passport at a participating store, and the 10% consumption tax was deducted instantly at checkout. You walked out paying less, right then and there, with goods stored away in sealed packaging.

From 1 November 2026, however, the system is changing: tax-free shops in Japan will charge the full price, tax included, and refund the 10% consumption tax only after customs checks at departure from Japan verify that you are taking the goods out of the country.

The new system is officially called the Refund Method, and it’s designed to align Japan with international VAT refund practices used in countries like Australia, the EU, and elsewhere. The reform aims to address issues of tax misuse, as a 2022 investigation by Japan’s National Tax Agency revealed that a group of 56 individuals misused the system, and approximately 1.85 billion JPY in unpaid taxes stemmed from the group’s unverified tax-free purchases.

The core principle remains unchanged: eligible international visitors will still benefit from tax exemption. Only the timing shifts from instant tax deduction, to post-departure tax refund.

Before vs. After: What’s Changing

Payment at store: until 31 October 2026, you pay the tax-excluded price at checkout, receiving an instant discount. From 1 November 2026, you’ll pay the full price including the 10% consumption tax.

Refund timing: until 31 October 2026, the refund is completed in-store at the time of purchase. From 1 November 2026, refunds will be issued only after customs confirmation at departure.

Registration process: until 31 October, you simply show your passport. From 1 November, you’ll need to show your passport and register your preferred refund method at the store.

Who pays you: until 31 October, you pay the tax-excluded amount directly at the shop register. From 1 November, either the store or its contracted refund provider will pay you through your chosen method.

Deadline for refund claim: until 31 October, the refund is applied as a discount when you purchase. From 1 November, you must claim your refund within 90 days of purchase at departure.

Minimum spend requirement: the minimum amount of 5,000 JPY (excluding tax) remains unchanged in both systems.

How the New Process Works: Step by Step

Below we explain step by step how to use the new tax refund system.

Step 1: Shop at a Tax-Free Store

Find a store displaying the official “Tax Free” sign, or verify at the store whether the goods sold are eligible for tax refund. When you’re ready to pay, present your passport to the staff. You’ll also need to register your preferred refund method (credit card, bank account, etc.) at this point.

Remember, the tax refund method only applies to purchases over 5,000 JPY before tax, a tax-inclusive total of 5,000 JPY doesn’t meet this requirement. If you are unsure about whether the tax-inclusive total reaches the minimum amount eligible for tax refund, consult the store staff.

Important: Ask the store staff upfront how the refund will be processed. There is no single nationwide method for how refunds are issued, how refund details are registered, or when refunds are processed. These procedures vary depending on the tax-free shop or refund service provider.

You’ll pay the full tax-inclusive price at checkout, and receive a receipt that records your purchase. At the same time, the purchase record, along with the passport information is sent to the National Tax Agency, which is later used for customs confirmation.

Step 2: Keep Your Purchases Until Departure

This is critical: you must have your tax-free purchases available for inspection when you leave Japan.

Therefore, keep the following points in mind:

• Keep all receipts and purchase documentation.
• Do not ship or check in luggage with tax-free items packed inside before completing the refund procedure.
• Do not consume some items while keeping the others – one item missing voids the refund.
• Keep certificates of authenticity or warranties for items exceeding 1 million JPY excluding tax.

Step 3: Complete the Refund Procedure Before Baggage Drop

Arrive to your departure airport or seaport with extra time for the refund procedure (we recommend at least an extra hour). Head to the international departure lobby, and scan your passport at a tax-free kiosk or electronic terminal, positioned before baggage check-in.

The customs system will verify that your purchase date is within the 90-day window, and that you’re departing on a valid visa/entry permission.

Then, the system will display one of two results:

• Green (no inspection needed): you’re done – you can proceed to check-in.
• Red (inspection required): bring all your tax-free items to the customs inspection counter.

If you get a red result, and customs requires a physical inspection, you’ll need to present the items. In that case, you must show customs every single item listed on each eligible receipt. If even one item from a receipt is missing, the refund for all items on that receipt is void.

Once customs confirms that you possess all items on the receipt, and the tax-free goods are being taken out of Japan, the process is finalised and you become eligible for the tax refund.

Step 4: Receive Your Refund

Once customs confirms the export, you will receive a refund equivalent to the consumption tax from the tax-free shop or its contracted refund service provider.

Refund methods include bank transfer, credit card, app payment, or cash at the airport. The timing and mechanism depend entirely on which store you shopped at, and its refund partner – this is why asking upfront at the store matters.

Who Issues Your Tax Refund & How?

This is the most important detail that many travellers overlook: the refund does not come from customs. The shop or its refund provider pays it, after customs confirms the export. Here’s what you should know:

Refund Methods Vary by Store

There is no standardised nationwide approach. Possible methods include bank transfer, credit card refund, app-based payment through a digital payment app, or even cash at the airport from a refund counter.

Ask Before You Pay

When you complete your purchase, ask the store staff directly:

• “How will I receive my tax refund?”
• “What payment method do you use for the refund?”
• “How long can the refund take after I leave Japan?”

The answers are critical. Different stores may use different refund processors, so clarification upfront can prevent confusion at the airport.

Timeline After Departure

The refunds only begin to be processed after customs confirms the eligibility at your point of departure. The final refund could take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the store’s refund partner.

If you shopped at different stores, the refund arrives separately depending on the store’s refund partner.

The Smartest Shortcut: Visit Japan Web

If you’re departing from one of Japan’s major airports, there’s a faster option: Visit Japan Web (VJW), Japan’s official digital immigration and customs service. VJW does not only speed up the entry process upon arrival to the country, it also has a Tax-free QR Code that comes handy when shopping at tax-free stores.

Here’s how to use Visit Japan Web for tax-free shopping:

• Before travelling, register your information within VJW, and optionally use the QR code to speed up the entry process at the border.
• Once you have entered Japan, tap the “Procedure during stay in Japan”, and choose “Create a Tax-free QR Code”.
• Scan your landing permit in your passport, and once it’s processed, the blue button of “Display QR Code” will become available.
• Upon tax-free shopping, tap on the blue button and display the Tax-free QR Code (time-limited, screenshots don’t work), so that the store can register the tax-free shopping quicker.
• In the end of your trip, use VJW at the selected airports to complete your tax refund registration digitally.

The process with screenshots is available on Visit Japan Web’s online guidance page.

The seven major airports where Visit Japan Web can be used to complete the refund registration are Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, New Chitose, Fukuoka, and Naha. Go to the designated area in the international departure lobby, and connect to the dedicated Wi-Fi to complete the procedure.

Our tip: complete the Visit Japan Web registration before you travel, create an arrival QR code for easy immigration, and use the VJW system on your trip for tax refunded shopping, as well as faster tax refund processing at departure.

What Doesn’t Change

Despite the major shift in process, several key elements remain the same:

• 5,000 JPY minimum spend: purchases must total at least 5,000 JPY excluding tax per shop, per day.
• 90-day deadline: you must complete the customs procedure and claim your refund within 90 days of purchase.
• Eligible items: the same product categories remain eligible (electronics, cosmetics, clothing, souvenirs, etc.).
• Eligible visitors: foreign visitors with short-term visitor status remain the only people who can use the programme.
• Consumable rules simplified: sealed packaging is no longer required for consumables like food, beverages, and cosmetics – but you cannot consume or use them in Japan if you want to receive the refund.

Bottom Line for Your Tax-Free Shopping in Japan

Japan’s tax-free shopping is not disappearing – it’s getting modernised. The 5,000 JPY minimum, 90-day deadline, and 10% tax exemption all remain in place. What changes is administrative process: instead of one step at the register, it becomes two steps: pay in full at stores, then claim your refund at departure.

For travellers, the final outcome remains the same: you save the consumer tax on eligible purchases. For Japan’s government, however, the new system provides better oversight and reduces the risk of tax fraud that plagued the previous system.

As Japanspecialist, we recommend planning your shopping strategy based on your itinerary. If you’re unsure whether the hassle of the refund procedure is worth the 10% savings on specific items, our team can help you decide. Some purchases (particularly high-value items) make the procedure worthwhile; others might not.

Have questions about tax-free shopping, refund procedures, or the best places to shop tax-free in Japan? Connect to our team through an Online Consultation for personalised guidance. We work with travellers across Europe and beyond to maximise their Japan travel experience, while navigating its evolving landscape.

Happy shopping – and safe travels to Japan!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to receive my tax refund after I leave Japan?

The refund timeline varies depending on the store you shopped at, and their refund provider. Once customs confirms your export at the airport, refunds can arrive anywhere from a few days to several weeks. This is why it’s crucial to consult the store staff about the refund provider when shopping. If you shop at multiple stores, refunds arrive separately from each store’s refund partner. Keep your purchase receipts until the refund appears in your bank account or credit card.

What happens if I lose my receipt or can’t complete the refund procedure at the airport?

You will not be able to complete the customs procedure without your receipt, so always keep receipts until the refund is confirmed. Your receipt is the documented proof of your tax-free purchase, and customs requires it to verify your eligibility and process the refund. If you lose your receipt before departure, contact the store directly to see if they can assist you, though the process will likely be more complicated. To avoid this situation entirely, store all receipts in a safe, easily accessible place throughout your trip.

Do I really have to bring all my tax-free purchases to the airport before checking luggage?

Yes, absolutely. You must have all tax-free items available for inspection before you check your luggage. Do not check in your luggage before completing the tax refund method, because customs may require a physical inspection to verify that every item on your receipt is being taken out of Japan. If even one item from a receipt is missing, the refund for all items on that receipt is void. Plan extra time (at least one hour) for the refund procedure at the airport before baggage check-in.

Can I combine purchases from different days or stores to reach the 5,000 JPY minimum?

No. The 5,000 JPY minimum applies per shop, per purchase instance. This means each individual store visit must have a total purchase of at least 5,000 JPY (excluding tax). You cannot combine purchases from different shops or different days to meet the minimum requirement.

Is the 10% tax refund actually worth the hassle of the new system?

It depends on your shopping habits and budget. For high-value items like electronics, watches, or designer goods, the 10% savings is substantial and worth going through the refund procedure. For smaller purchases or consumables, the effort may not justify the refund amount. As a practical rule: if you’re spending 50,000 JPY or more on eligible items, the refund (5,000+ JPY) is worth pursuing. For smaller purchases, under 30,000 JPY, consider whether the time and effort align with your savings.