What changes on 1 November 2026
Until 31 October 2026, tax-free works the way you know it: you show your passport at the till and pay the price without tax. For every sale from 1 November 2026 this is reversed. You pay the gross price, the shop reports the purchase electronically to the tax authority, and the tax is returned after customs has confirmed on departure that you took the goods out. The purchase date decides, not your departure date. According to the tax authority there is no period in which both systems run side by side.
- Minimum spend: 5,000 yen before tax per shop per day. Gross, that is 5,500 yen at 10% tax (about €32) or 5,400 yen for food at 8%.
- Consumables: The special sealed packaging is gone. The split between general goods and consumables, and the 500,000 yen cap on consumables, are dropped as well.
- Deadline: The customs confirmation must happen within 90 days of purchase.
- Used up goods: Anything you eat, drink or use in Japan can no longer be confirmed by customs when you leave. There is no refund for it.
How it works: from purchase to refund
- In the shop: Show your passport, pay the full price including tax and keep the receipt. The shop records the purchase and usually asks where the refund should go later, for example your credit card. Which options exist depends on the shop and its refund service.
- Until you leave: Keep the goods unused and do not give any of them away or lose them.
- At your departure airport or port, before baggage drop: Scan your passport at the tax-free terminal in the departure lobby. The terminal shows green or red.
- Green: No inspection needed, the procedure is complete.
- Red: Take the goods to the designated customs inspection area. That is why your purchases should not be buried in your suitcase before check-in.
- Afterwards: The shop or its refund service pays back the tax once the customs confirmation has reached it.
At Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha airports you can do the first step through Visit Japan Web instead, in the designated areas of the departure lobby with their own Wi-Fi. Registering with Visit Japan Web before or after arrival also makes the shopping side smoother. Still leave plenty of time: customs and airlines do not compensate you if the procedure makes you miss your flight.
Deadlines and pitfalls
- All or nothing per receipt: Customs checks per purchase receipt. If a single item from that receipt is missing, you get nothing back for the whole receipt. So do not give away anything that sits on a receipt you want refunded.
- Only what you carry out yourself: The quantity must be something you can carry out personally. Goods you post home yourself have not been eligible since April 2025. Direct shipping arranged through the shop remains as a special procedure, so ask the shop for its terms.
- Your last departure point counts: Complete the procedure where you finally leave Japan, including connections from domestic flights and fly-and-cruise trips.
- Goods must leave the country: If you do not take the goods out after the check, you must repay the refunded tax and may face penalties.
- Fees: Whether a refund service deducts a fee, and how much, is not regulated uniformly. Some retailers advertise fee-free refunds, other services keep a share. Ask before you buy, the official materials leave this open.
What happens to purchases before 1 November
Up to and including 31 October 2026 you buy under the existing rules: price without tax at the till, the goods must leave the country, and consumables stay in their sealed packaging. The official cut-off rule goes no further than this: the purchase date decides, and the new procedure applies to sales from 1 November. For the edge case where you buy tax-free on 31 October and only leave in November, I found no official statement of its own. Ask in the shop before you pay.
In practice, for trips from November you have to advance the tax (10% or 8%) yourself and only get it back after you leave. For bigger purchases it is worth building that into your travel budget. You can work out your total budget with the Japan cost calculator.
Refund calculator
The calculator estimates, for one shop on one day, whether you reach the threshold and how much comes back. It rounds the tax down per goods group, so the shop's own calculation may differ by a few yen.
| Purchase incl. 10% tax | before tax | Refund |
|---|---|---|
| 5,300 Yen | 4,818 Yen | none, below 5,000 yen |
| 5,500 Yen | 5,000 Yen | 500 yen (about €3) |
| 30,000 Yen | 27,272 Yen | 2,728 yen (about €16) |
| 100,000 Yen | 90,909 Yen | 9,091 yen (about €52) |
Euro amounts are rounded up and based on the ECB reference rate of 13 October 2026 (176.91 yen per euro).
Departure tax: 3,000 yen per departure
Separately from tax-free, you pay the International Tourist Tax when you leave Japan. Since 1 July 2026 it is 3,000 yen (about €17) per departure, up from 1,000 yen. It applies to air and sea departures and is almost always collected through your ticket: the amount is included in the fare, and you pay nothing extra at the airport. Children under two are exempt, and the tax authority lists further exceptions, for example for transit passengers. For transport contracts concluded before 1 July 2026 the old rate of 1,000 yen can still apply. A look at the tax lines of your ticket breakdown shows which amount applies to you. The tax is not refundable and has nothing to do with the tax-free procedure.
Checklist before you travel
- Keep your passport handy for the till and the terminal, and collect receipts.
- Do not use up or give away purchases you want refunded.
- Plan extra time at the airport, especially in peak season.
- Do not pack the goods into checked luggage before the terminal shows green.
- Register with Visit Japan Web if your airport supports it.
- More preparation tips are in the pre-trip checklist, the packing list and the planning section. For getting around the country, see the JR Pass guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay the tax in the shop from 1 November?
Yes. For purchases from 1 November 2026 you pay the price including tax. The tax comes back after customs confirms on departure that you are taking the goods with you.
What is the minimum purchase for a refund?
5,000 yen before tax per shop per day. That equals 5,500 yen gross at 10% tax, or 5,400 yen for food at 8%.
How long do I have for the customs confirmation?
90 days from the purchase date. You get the confirmation at the terminal at your departure point before you drop your luggage.
What if I use something up in Japan?
Used or consumed goods can no longer be confirmed by customs, so there is no refund. The claim for the whole receipt also lapses if any item on that receipt is missing.
How much is the departure tax?
3,000 yen per departure since 1 July 2026. It is almost always included in the ticket price.
Sources
- Japan Tourism Agency and National Tax Agency: leaflet on the new procedure for sales from 1 November 2026 (Japanese, PDF), retrieved 14 October 2026: mlit.go.jp
- Japan Tourism Agency: explanation of the refund procedure (Japanese), retrieved 14 October 2026: mlit.go.jp
- JNTO: Everything You Need to Know: Japan's New Tax-Free Shopping System, 20 July 2026, retrieved 14 October 2026: japan.travel
- JNTO: Japan's International Tourist Tax is Increasing, 11 May 2026, retrieved 14 October 2026: japan.travel
- National Tax Agency: International Tourist Tax (Japanese, with English Q&A), retrieved 14 October 2026: nta.go.jp
- European Central Bank: euro foreign exchange reference rates, rate of 13 October 2026 (176.91 yen per euro): ecb.europa.eu
