Tax-free shopping in Japan changes on November 1.
Right now you show your passport at the till and pay the price without tax.
From November, you pay the full price including tax, then get the tax back after checking out at the airport.
According to Japan’s National Tax Agency, this was set in the fiscal 2025 tax reform and applies from purchases on November 1.
There is no transition period.
If you are visiting Japan this winter, the bigger change is not in the shops. It is what you do at the airport on the way home.
What changes
| Item | Until October 31 | From November 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Paying in store | Price without tax | Full price with tax |
| Getting the tax back | Not needed (exempt at the till) | After customs confirmation at departure |
| General goods vs consumables | Separate | No longer separate |
| ¥500,000 limit on consumables | Applies | Removed |
| Sealed bags for consumables | Required | Not required |
| Minimum spend | ¥5,000 before tax, same store, same day | Unchanged |
| Deadline to take goods out | — | 90 days from purchase |
What you get back is the consumption tax you paid: 10% on most things, 8% on reduced-rate items like food.
Buy something for ¥30,000 before tax, and you pay ¥3,000 extra up front and get it back later.
Dropping the consumables limit makes snacks and cosmetics easier to buy.
No more sealed plastic bags you are not supposed to open, either.
But you only get the refund if you can show the goods when you leave.
Anything eaten or used up in Japan is effectively not refundable.
Items over ¥1 million before tax have details like a serial number recorded with the purchase.
Keep the receipt and product details together for a watch or bag at that price.
On departure day
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), this is the order at the airport:
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Scan your passport at a tax-free kiosk in the departure lobby |
| 2 | Check the result on screen |
| 3a | Green: done. Go and check in your bags |
| 3b | Red: take all your tax-free items to the customs counter |
| 4 | Once export is confirmed, the store (or its refund agent) sends your refund |
The most important bit:
go to the kiosk before you check in your bags.
If the suitcase with your purchases goes into the hold first, you cannot complete the check and you lose the refund.
It is exactly the step you would skip if you head straight to the check-in counter out of habit.
With a red result, a customs officer looks at the goods.
Checks are done per receipt, and guidance and press reports say that if even one item on a receipt is missing, the whole receipt may be excluded.
Worth remembering if you have already handed out some gifts.
How and when you are refunded
You do not get cash at the airport.
The refund comes from the store you bought from, or the refund agent it uses.
Whether it goes back to your card or another method, and how long it takes, depends on the store.
The easiest thing is to ask at the till how the refund works.
Some may deduct a fee, so on a big purchase check the expected refund amount on the receipt.
That is down to each store rather than the rules themselves.
Before you go
| Prepare | Why |
|---|---|
| Keep tax-free items in your carry-on or easy to reach | If the kiosk shows red, customs needs to see all of them |
| Keep receipts | Checks are done receipt by receipt |
| Get to the airport earlier than usual | The kiosk and any inspection come before check-in |
| Remember which card you paid with | Some stores refund to the payment method |
| Hand out gifts after you get home | One missing item can exclude a whole receipt |
Kiosk locations may vary by airport, so look for the signs on the day.
And this is not the same as JESTA, Japan’s planned electronic travel authorisation.
That is expected from 2028 at the earliest and is not needed for trips this year or next.
Sources: JNTO guide to the new system · Japan Tourism Agency · National Tax Agency refund method (PDF)
Checked September 26, 2026
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