Japan's tax-free system changes in November 2026
Japan is scheduled to change how tax-free shopping works for visitors on 1 November 20261, and the change is procedural rather than cosmetic: you will pay the consumption tax in the shop and reclaim it at the airport once customs has confirmed the goods are leaving the country2.
The practical effect is on your departure day. Under the current system, tax-free shopping costs you nothing but a passport scan at the till. Under the refund system, you need time at the airport, your purchases available for inspection, and the paperwork in order. Travellers who arrive at the airport on their usual schedule will miss the refund.
Details can still shift before the scheme takes effect. Confirm the current rules with Japan's National Tax Agency or Japan Customs before you travel, and treat this page as orientation rather than as the regulation.
Through October 2026
Show your passport in store and pay the tax-excluded price. General goods from ¥5,000; consumables from ¥5,000 to ¥500,000, supplied in sealed packaging that must not be opened before you leave Japan.
What the refund system newly requires
- The goods must leave Japan within 90 days of purchase. Under the refund system the export has to happen inside that window, which matters if you buy early in a long stay or ship later3.
- Customs confirmation is judged per purchase record, not per item. If a single item in one transaction cannot be confirmed at the desk, that entire transaction loses its exemption — not just the missing item2. Keep everything from one receipt together and accessible.
- Separate shipment (別送) is no longer available. The option to buy tax-free and have goods sent directly to an overseas address was discontinued on 31 March 20252. The goods have to travel with you.
What does not change
- You still need your passport, and it still has to be the physical passport of a qualifying non-resident visitor.
- The ¥5,000 minimum purchase threshold per store per day remains the entry point.
- Goods must leave Japan with you. Consuming or gifting them here voids the exemption.
- Used goods and many secondhand purchases sit outside the scheme entirely — do not assume a 10% saving on a pre-owned watch or camera.
- Your home country's import allowance is a separate limit and is unaffected by anything Japan does.
Getting it home: six checks before you pay
- Your home allowance. Returning to Japan, the personal allowance is ¥200,000 total at overseas market value, plus separate allowances for three 760ml bottles of alcohol, tobacco and 2oz of perfume. Above that you pay on arrival.
- Voltage and standards. 100V in Japan, 120V in the US, 230V across Europe. Never put a heating appliance on a step-up transformer.
- Warranty scope. International or domestic-only — and used goods usually carry none at all.
- Cabin restrictions. Blades go in checked baggage, liquids cap at 100ml in the cabin, and tax-free seals stay unbroken until you land.
- Food and biosecurity. Meat, dairy, seeds and fresh produce are restricted in many countries, and undeclared items draw fines that dwarf the value of the goods.
- Card currency (DCC). If the terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, always decline and choose local currency. Dynamic currency conversion applies the merchant's rate on top of your card's.
Common questions
What is changing about tax-free shopping in Japan in 2026?
From 1 November 2026, Japan moves from deducting consumption tax at the point of sale to refunding it at the airport on departure, once customs confirms the goods are leaving the country. At the same time the general-goods / consumables split, the ¥500,000 consumables cap and the sealed-packaging requirement are all abolished. The goods must leave Japan within 90 days of purchase. Verify the current position with the National Tax Agency before you travel.
Do I need to arrive at the airport earlier because of this?
Yes. Under a refund system you have to complete the claim before departure, with your purchases available and the paperwork in order, and that queue does not exist today. If you have shopped significantly, treat the refund desk as an extra step in the same tier as check-in and security.
What is the minimum purchase for tax-free shopping in Japan?
¥5,000 including tax, per store, per day. Purchases across different stores cannot be combined to reach the threshold, though some shopping centres operate a single tax-free counter that aggregates purchases made within the same complex.
Can I get a tax refund on secondhand goods in Japan?
Usually not. Many secondhand transactions fall outside the tax-free scheme, so a pre-owned camera, watch or luxury bag typically carries the full consumption tax with no refund available. Factor that in when comparing a used Japanese price against a new price abroad.
Sources
Rules change. Each source below records the date it was last checked; verify against the authority itself before you rely on it.