From November 2026, Japan switches tax-free shopping to a refund-at-departure system: what it means for travelers
In-store tax-free sales are ending. Instead, you pay the tax and claim a refund at customs when you leave Japan, so big purchases will need to be fronted.
What is changing
Today, short-term visitors can buy at most shops with the 10% consumption tax already taken off at the register (in-store tax-free shopping). From November 2026 that ends, and you pay the tax-inclusive price in the shop and claim the refund at the airport as you leave. It is the same arrangement used across much of Europe.
What this actually means for travelers
- You front the money. On expensive items such as cameras or kitchen knives, you carry the 10% on your card for the rest of the trip. On a ¥200,000 purchase that is ¥20,000.
- Leave extra time at the airport. There are lineups at the refund counter. If you plan a big purchase on the day you fly home, +45 minutes is not an exaggeration.
- Keep the receipts, and keep the goods easy to reach. This is a customs procedure, so anything buried in checked luggage is awkward to produce.
- The sealed-bag rule disappears. Consumables you were not allowed to use while in Japan become usable.
If you are travelling before November 2026
The current in-store system applies exactly as it does now. We will update this article as the operational details (minimum purchase amounts, which counters handle refunds, and so on) are published.