Before and when purchasing
Open QR at the store
Create from Visit Japan Web or submit your passport. Pay the full price including tax.
Effective for products purchased from 1 Nov 2026.
Remember only 3 strokes
The QR code identifies you at participating stores. The refund is processed only after the departure procedure and Customs verification; scanning the shopping QR code does not produce an immediate refund.
General taxes
10%
Certain types of food and beverages 8%
Throughout the trip
Collect all your things.
Do not use, eat, give away, or lose. Make sure you can pick it up for inspection with the receipt.
Return date
Confirm before loading your baggage.
Show your passport at the machine or through VJW and receive your customs inspection results.
Rules forbidding memorizationComplete Tax-Free before checking in the bag with products. Because the bags that have been loaded cannot be returned to customs for inspection.
¥5,000+ Before tax / shop / day90 days Must be taken out of JapanAll pieces complete in each purchase item
01
What system does your trip use?
The deciding factor is Date of purchase It's not the day I fly back. Overlapping trips on November 1, 2026, so both systems may be encountered on the same trip.
02
What changed in the new system
What's better is combining food with food and not having to seal the bags. But travelers must reserve tax money and take additional steps to return.
Tax deducted at the store
- Pay price excluding tax
- Consumables are sold separately and have a ceiling of 500,000 yen.
- Consumer products must be in special packaging.
- You must also be ready to show your belongings and passport to customs when leaving the country.
Pay first, return later
- Pay the full price including tax.
- You can combine general and consumer goods to 5,000 yen.
- Cancel the ceiling and special sealing wrapping.
- Must be verified before loading bags. Then the store will process the refund.
Not sealed doesn't mean it can be used in Japan.Snacks, drinks, cosmetics, and other products purchased as Tax-Free must be complete and ready to be presented to customs. If you have already consumed it, please notify the officials and do not proceed with the tax refund process for that item.
03
Prepare QR from Visit Japan Web.
This QR helps confirm your rights. When buying at the store and can only be used at supported stores Created after entering Japan and reading the entry permit stamp in your passport.
Register your passport
In the Visit Japan Web user information, passports must be read with a camera. So you can use the Tax-Free function.
Read the entry stamp
After entering Japan, read the QR on the Landing Permission badge for those with Short-Term Stay, Diplomatic, or Official status to generate a code.
Actual screen on
Display the Tax-Free Shopping QR Code directly from the web page. Screen captures and printed paper do not work.
Carry a spare passport.
Not every store can read QR and you will still need a real passport on the day of departure.
04
At the shop, do these 4 things.
Tell the employee that you will buy Tax-Free before paying and ask clearly about the store's refund method. Because each shop or service provider determines its own method.
Look for the Tax-Free sign.Stores and products must join the system. Total before tax is at least 5,000 yen per store per day.
Open the QR or present your passport.Do it before paying. QR allows the store to pull up the traveler's information without having to key in the book.
Choose a return methodAsk about the duration, fees, and collect the reference number from the store or refund service provider.
Pay in full and keep the evidence.Pay the price including tax, separate Tax-Free products together, and keep the receipt until you get a full refund.
05
Return flight day: Do this before checking in your bags.
Take your passport and all Tax-Free merchandise to the International Departure Lobby of the airport or port of departure from Japan.
STOP
Haven't loaded the bag yet. until the screen says the process is complete. or the customs officers have completely inspected the goods
International Departure Lobby
Arrive at the airport and find the Tax-Free point.
The processing point is before the baggage drop counter and before the security check. Please allow additional time. Especially when purchasing multiple items.
Choose 1 method
Confirm at the machine or through VJW online.
The most common method is to show your passport at the Tax-Free terminal. Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose, and Naha all support online travel via Visit Japan Web when connected to Wi-Fi only in designated areas.
See results on screen
Green finishes, red goes to inspect the product.
Green Result means the customs procedure has been completed. If it is a Red Result, take the goods to the inspection point specified by the system.
When called for inspection
Show all products
Customs inspects each transaction or purchase. If any piece is missing All such items will not be confirmed.
After verification
Load your bags and wait for your money back.
You can check in your bag when the process is finished. The shop or service provider will refund the money according to the agreed method. Collect evidence until the total amount actually comes in.
7 airports with VJW Online Procedure
NRT · NaritaHND · HanedaKIX · KansaiNGO · ChubuFUK · FukuokaCTS · New ChitoseOKA · Naha
Must be in the area International Departure Lobby with Wi-Fi connection available for this procedure. and must be done before Security Check06
Where does the refund come in?
Customs is responsible for confirming the export of goods, but The refund will be made by the store or its service provider. Therefore, there is no fixed channel or time period that is the same everywhere.
credit card
Return it to the designated card. You may have to wait according to the processing time of the store and bank.
bank account
Check the currency and international transfer fees before choosing.
App or Wallet
It must be a service supported by the store and may require you to verify your identity in advance.
cash in airport
Available only if the store or service provider has provided this channel. Not every airport or every store
Don't count the refund as your budget during the trip.Prepare to pay the full price including tax. The service provider may deduct a fee from the refund amount. The Japanese government does not collect this fee.
07
7 things that prevent you from returning
Check once before leaving the hotel. It will greatly reduce the need to remove bags or lose privileges at the airport.
- Load your bags before confirming.If the inspection is called and the product is on the conveyor belt cannot be brought back for display
- Items on the purchase list are sold out even in one piece.That whole item will not pass. It's not just the missing pieces.
- Eating, using, giving away, or selling in JapanThe product must be with the buyer and ready to be taken out of the country.
- More than 90 days from date of purchaseMust pass customs confirmation within the deadline.
- Send it back by parcel.Self-delivery is not effective from 1 April 2025 unless the store delivers according to specified conditions.
- Arrive at the airport on time.If you abandon the process because you were unable to board the flight in time It is considered not yet confirmed.
- Think of Tax-Free as Duty-Free.Tax-Free is for things bought in the city. As for Duty-Free after Immigration, you don't have to go through this step.
Frequently asked questions
When does Japan's new tax refund system start?
Purchases made on or after 1 November 2026 use the Refund Method. You pay the tax-inclusive price at the store, and the store or its refund provider issues the refund after Customs confirms that the goods are leaving Japan. The purchase date, not the departure date, determines which system applies.
When are QR codes used? Are they used at airports?
QR for Tax-Free from Visit Japan Web can be displayed at supported stores to confirm rights when purchasing. On the day of your return, show your passport at the Tax-Free machine or do it online through Visit Japan Web in the designated areas of 7 major airports. The QR when purchasing should not be confused with the product confirmation process when leaving the country.
Can I use a QR code screenshot?
No, the QR from Visit Japan Web must be opened on the physical screen. Stores that do not support QR will still require a physical passport. Therefore, you should always carry your passport with you to shop.
Do I have to take the product to the airport?
All items purchased as Tax-Free must be brought along and ready to be presented to customs. If even one item is missing from the same purchase list The item will not be verified and will not be eligible for a tax refund. Do not load bags with merchandise before completing the procedure.
Are refunds available immediately at the airport?
It depends on the store or the refund service provider. Possible methods include credit card, bank account, app or cash at the airport. But the law does not require the same method and period for refunds everywhere. Therefore, you must check the conditions from the store when purchasing.
How long after purchase?
Customs clearance must be cleared upon departure from Japan within 90 days from the date of purchase. and confirmed goods must be removed from Japan without delay.
What is the minimum amount? And can food be combined with food?
From 1 November 2026, qualifying purchases must total at least ¥5,000 before tax at the same store on the same day. General goods and consumables may be combined; the ¥500,000 consumables cap and special sealed packaging are abolished, but consumables must not be used in Japan.
Planning next steps
Japan pre-travel checklistPrepare according to the time Don't miss important things.
5 day Japan tripTokyo or Osaka–Kyoto
Where to Stay in TokyoCompare Ueno, Shinjuku, Asakusa.
Tokyo Airport TransfersChoose from Narita and Haneda.
Suica · PASMO · ICOCAChoose the card and top up correctly.
Luggage Delivery and StorageYamato lockers and Shinkansen
Following in the footsteps of Japanese anime6 real places with how to go and etiquette
Easy station exitElevators, lockers, restrooms, and airports
Official resources
Last checked 27 Sept. 2026 from Japan Tourism Agency – Refund Method for Travelers · National Tax Agency – Refund Method · Digital Agency – Visit Japan Web Guide · Japan Customs – Passenger Clearance