Tax-free shopping in Japan from November 1, 2026
Japan is changing how tax-free shopping works for visitors. From November 1, 2026, you pay the full price including consumption tax at the shop, and the tax is refunded after customs confirms you are taking the goods out of Japan. This page sums up the official explanations; please read the official pages linked below before you shop, because details can be updated.
The new method in 6 steps
- Shop as usual and pay the full price. Tax-free shops charge the tax-inclusive price.
- Check the minimum. Your purchases must total 5,000 yen or more before tax, per shop, per day.
- Keep everything together. Bring the goods out of Japan within 90 days of purchase (the old limit was 30 days). Do not use or eat consumables in Japan: used items cannot be checked or refunded.
- At the airport or seaport, before you check in your bags, go to a tax-free procedure terminal in the international departure area and show your passport. At major airports (Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha) you can start the procedure online with Visit Japan Web.
- Green or red. A green result means you are done. A red result means you take your purchases to the customs inspection area. Once a bag is checked in with the airline it cannot be brought back for inspection.
- Get the refund. The National Tax Agency lists bank transfer, credit card, app transfer, or cash at the port as possible refund methods; the method depends on the shop's refund service.
Things that trip people up
- Each receipt is checked as a whole: if one item from a receipt is missing, none of that receipt's items can be refunded.
- Leave time at the airport. Neither customs nor the airline compensates you if you miss your flight because of the procedure.
- Purchases must be things you carry out of Japan yourself, in quantities you can take with you.
Official sources
- JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization): Everything you need to know about Japan's new tax-free shopping system · Japan's tax exemption
- National Tax Agency: Notice for travelers, from November 2026 (PDF) · How the refund method works (PDF)
- Japan Tourism Agency: tax-free shopping page
<p class="chk">Summarized from the official pages above on October 12, 2026. This is general information, not tax advice.</p>