Japan's tax refund for visitors
Since November 1, 2026, visitors no longer get Japan's 10% consumption tax taken off at the till. They pay the full price and get the tax back after customs confirms the goods are leaving Japan.
How the refund works
- At a tax-free shop, show your passport (with the entry stamp or sticker) and pay the price including tax.
- Leave Japan within 90 days of the purchase. At the airport or port, before check-in, scan your passport at the tax-free kiosk so customs can confirm the goods are being taken out.
- After that confirmation, the shop refunds the tax, usually to the card you paid with. How and when you are paid, and whether a handling fee is deducted, depends on the shop or refund service.
Who qualifies
- Foreign visitors staying in Japan as short-term visitors.
- Japanese citizens who have lived abroad for two years or more and are back for a short stay. They also need one proof of living abroad, such as a certificate of residence issued by an embassy or consulate.
Conditions
- At least ¥5,000 before tax at the same shop on the same day. The old split between general goods and consumables is gone, so everything bought at one shop counts toward the minimum.
- Goods used or eaten in Japan do not qualify for the refund.
- You can buy only as much as you can take out of the country yourself.
What "tax-free" means on this site
The tax-free figures compare the Japan price without the 10% consumption tax against the US list price. If a shop deducts a handling fee, the real saving is smaller by that amount.