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Japan Tax-Free Shopping Changes From November 1, 2026: What to Do From the Register to the Airport

If you shop in Japan on or after November 1, 2026, the tax-free process works differently. You pay the tax-inclusive price at the store. The refund usually comes after customs checks your items when you leave the country. Some stores may refund earlier. Purchases made up to October 31 follow the old system. Official information was checked on October 14 and 15, 2026. Dates for specific amounts and rules are shown where they appear. Points we could not confirm are marked as such.

What changes on November 1, 2026

The new method applies to purchases made on or after November 1, 2026. Under the old system, you could have the tax removed at the register. Under the new one, you pay the full price first. The tax is then refunded to you. This is usually after customs confirms, when you leave Japan, that you are taking the items out. Some stores refund before that confirmation. The Japan Tourism Agency lists the old system for purchases until October 2026 and the new system for purchases from November 1, 2026.

Two rows compare how the tax is handled. Old system: at the shop, the tax is removed at the register. When you leave, you show your passport to customs. If you do not have the goods, the tax is collected. New system: at the shop, you pay the price with tax. When you leave, customs confirms your items. The shop or its refund company pays the refund, usually after the customs check. Some shops refund earlier. Customs is part of both systems. Where the tax is handled under each system. Customs is involved in both. Based on official pages, as of Oct 2026.

Old system vs. new system at a glance

Source for the old-system customs row: National Tax Agency, https://www.nta.go.jp/taxes/shiraberu/taxanswer/shohi/6559.htm (checked Oct 2026)

Old system (to Oct 31)New system (from Nov 1)
Payment at the registerPrice without taxPrice with tax
How the tax is handledRemoved at the storePaid at the store, then refunded (usually after the customs check; some stores pay earlier)
Customs when you leave JapanYes: you show your passport, and the tax is collected if you lack the goods.Yes: customs confirms your items. The refund usually follows; some stores pay earlier.
Sealed bags for consumablesRequiredNo longer required
500,000 yen limit for consumablesAppliesRemoved; the 5,000 yen minimum remains
DeadlineNot covered hereCustoms check within 90 days of purchase

Amounts in this table are as of October 14, 2026. The 5,000 yen minimum is from the Japan Tourism Agency FAQ for shops. The removal of the 500,000 yen limit is from the Japan Tourism Agency comparison table of procedure changes (https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/content/001977883.pdf) and the National Tax Agency Q&A. The 90-day deadline is from the Japan Tourism Agency traveler pages and the National Tax Agency FAQ.

Check: The minimum purchase is 5,000 yen before tax at one store on one day (as of October 14, 2026). There is one exception that still applies under the new method. You can add up pre-tax prices from several stores if all of these are true:

Source: Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for shops, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00024.html (checked Oct 2026)

Step by step: from the register to the airport

Flow chart of the new tax-free process in four steps. First, pay the price with tax at the shop. Second, keep the receipt and all tax-free items from that purchase. Third, use the tax-free terminal before you check your bag. Fourth, receive the refund from the shop or its refund company, usually after the customs check. Some shops pay earlier. The new process, from the shop to departure. Based on official pages, as of Oct 2026.

This order follows the Japan Tourism Agency and National Tax Agency pages checked on October 14, 2026.

Step 1. At the register

  1. Tell the cashier you want to use tax-free shopping.
  2. Have your passport with you. The store confirms your status at the time of sale.
    • Non-Japanese visitors with a short-stay, diplomatic, or official status: the store checks your original passport and the landing permit stamp (sticker) in it.
      • If your passport has no landing permit stamp, the agency flow shows a Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) card check as one route.
      • On that TTP route, if the store cannot confirm a TTP card, that route ends with no tax-free sale.
    • The flow also shows the tax-free QR code in Visit Japan Web, which the store reads.
      • The agency draws it as a separate path from the passport check. It sets no stamp condition.
      • The agency says this code is shown only to people who qualify.
    • Japanese citizens who lived abroad for two years or more and returned less than six months ago: passport plus one of the documents below.
      • A copy of the family register supplement (koseki no fuhyo)
      • A certificate of residence abroad
      • For these two, the National Tax Agency says the document must be issued no earlier than six months before your last entry date.
      • Under the new system, a My Number Card. The agency says it counts only if it records that you moved abroad.
      • The Japan Tourism Agency FAQ says the smartphone version of the My Number Card is included.
      • The physical card must be the original. A copy is not accepted.
      • Show the smartphone version through a verification app. Only showing the screen is not enough.
      • We could not confirm any issue-date limit for either the card or the smartphone version.
      • The National Tax Agency asks you to watch the expiry dates of the My Number Card and the electronic certificate.
    • We could not confirm what else the store may ask for Japanese citizens living abroad.
    • People who come ashore on a landing permit depend on the permit type.
      • Port-of-call or transit permit: the agency flow checks your original passport and the permit stamp (sticker) in it.
      • Cruise, crew, emergency, or shipwreck permit: the agency lists your passport plus the permit.
      • For a cruise (ship tourist landing) permit only, the agency says a copy of your passport counts as showing your passport.
      • The agency says the store still checks the validity period of these permit documents.
    • Entry under the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement: the agency lists your passport. The flow also shows a SOFA stamp for US forces personnel.
  3. Pay the tax-inclusive price.

Source: Japan Tourism Agency, comparison table of procedure changes, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/content/001977883.pdf; Japan Tourism Agency, refund method eligibility flow for foreign nationals, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/content/001977886.pdf; Japan Tourism Agency, list of eligible people for the refund method, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/content/001981481.pdf; National Tax Agency, https://www.nta.go.jp/taxes/shiraberu/taxanswer/shohi/6559.htm; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the refund method (overview), Q3, https://www.nta.go.jp/publication/pamph/shohi/menzei/201805/pdf/0025012-025_02.pdf; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers (refund method), https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00027.html; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for shops, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00024.html (checked Oct 2026)

Step 2. What the store gives you

  1. Keep your receipt. Customs checks each purchase, not each item. You need every tax-free item from that purchase with you.
  2. Keep any leaflet or screen the store shows you.
  3. Customs may ask for a certificate of authenticity or a warranty for an item priced at 1 million yen or more before tax. This is as of October 15, 2026.

Source: Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers (refund method), https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00027.html (certificate or warranty, and the per-purchase check); Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for shops, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00024.html (receipts and the per-purchase check only; not the certificate or warranty) (checked Oct 2026)

We could not confirm the name used for the system on the traveler side.

Step 3. At the airport before you check your bag

  1. Look for the tax-free terminal in the international departure lobby. A customs inspection area is set up there, before the baggage drop.
  2. Show your passport to the terminal. It gives a result in a few seconds. A green result means you do not need to take your items to the customs inspection area.
  3. Do this before you check your bag. After you check a bag, you cannot use the terminal, and the bag cannot be pulled back for this purpose.

At Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose, and Naha airports, you can use Visit Japan Web online instead of the terminal. You must be connected to the dedicated wireless LAN in the departure lobby, before the security check.

You must complete the customs check within 90 days of the purchase date, when you leave Japan. Allow time before check-in closes.

You can also arrange your rail ticket to the airport in advance, for example through Klook. This is a convenience for your travel day, not part of the tax-free procedure. Klook’s help page says a Japan rail ticket can’t be cancelled once issued; only some can be changed, and not within an hour of departure.

Source: Japan Tourism Agency, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00021.html and https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00023.html (checked Oct 2026)

Step 4. If the terminal shows a red result

Decision diagram. Show your passport to the terminal. A green result means you do not need to take your items to the customs inspection area. A red result means you take all the tax-free items from that purchase (the same receipt) to the customs inspection area. Ordinary taxed items on the receipt are not covered. If even one tax-free item from that purchase is missing, none of the tax-free items from that purchase qualify for a refund. What the terminal result means. Based on official pages, as of Oct 2026.

A red result means customs needs to check the items. You take the items to the customs inspection area. You must have every tax-free item from the same purchase (the same receipt) with you. If even one is missing, none of the tax-free items from that purchase qualify for a refund. If you ate, drank, or used up an item or part of it, so you no longer have it, do not use the terminal. Tell the customs staff at the counter. Items that customs has confirmed must be taken out of Japan. If they are not, the exempted tax is collected and penalties can apply. Allow extra time at the airport.

Source: Japan Tourism Agency, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00021.html, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00023.html, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00024.html and https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00027.html (checked Oct 2026)

Step 5. Getting your money back

The shop, or a refund company working for the shop, pays the refund. The method depends on the shop. Possible methods are bank transfer, credit card remittance, app remittance, and cash at the departure airport. The shop explains how to register your refund method when you buy. The refund is usually paid after customs confirms the items at departure. The agency page gives no exact timing, so ask the shop. A shop may also refund you before the customs confirmation. The National Tax Agency says the shop does this at its own responsibility. If you then do not get the customs confirmation at departure, the shop cannot apply the tax exemption. If the shop offers you an early refund, ask the staff whether you would have to pay the refund back if you miss the customs check when you leave. You can also tell the customs officer at the airport that you already got your refund, and ask what to do there. You still need the customs check, even if the shop refunds early. The government charges no refund fee, but a shop or its refund company may charge one. PPIH, the operator of Don Quijote, announced on October 5, 2026 that it will not charge refund application fees. This applies at PPIH Group stores nationwide from November 1. The release says a refund company’s fee applies only if you take your refund in cash at an airport. PPIH says the free-fee terms may change or end without notice. Ask the store which refund method and fee apply before you pay.

Source: Japan Tourism Agency, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00023.html and https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00024.html; National Tax Agency, https://www.nta.go.jp/publication/pamph/shohi/menzei/201805/format/002.htm; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the refund method (overview), Q29, https://www.nta.go.jp/publication/pamph/shohi/menzei/201805/pdf/0025012-025_02.pdf; PPIH news release of October 5, 2026, https://ppih.co.jp/news/pdf/news_261005_refund.pdf (checked Oct 2026)

Cosmetics, snacks, and other consumables

Under the old system, consumables such as cosmetics and food needed a sealed bag. This requirement is removed for the new method. The 500,000 yen limit for consumables is also removed (as of October 14, 2026). The 5,000 yen minimum before tax still applies. You must still take consumables out of Japan. If you eat or use up consumables in Japan before you leave, they do not qualify for a refund. The Japan Tourism Agency list covers non-residents of Japan in two groups. Non-Japanese visitors are eligible with a short-stay, diplomatic, or official status. A landing permit, or entry under the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement, also counts. They must have entered Japan less than six months ago. Diplomatic, official, and US forces entrants are excluded from this limit. Japanese citizens are eligible if they have lived abroad continuously for two years or more, shown by documents. They must also have returned to Japan less than six months ago. Gold and platinum bullion, gold and platinum coins, items that carry no consumption tax, and quantities you cannot carry out yourself are not eligible.

For cosmetics, we only repeat what the package says. We do not recommend medicines in this article.

Source: Japan Tourism Agency, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00021.html; National Tax Agency, https://www.nta.go.jp/taxes/shiraberu/taxanswer/shohi/6559.htm; Ministry of Finance, https://www.mof.go.jp/tax_policy/publication/brochure/zeisei2025/03.html; National Tax Agency Q&A on the refund method, https://www.nta.go.jp/publication/pamph/shohi/menzei/201805/pdf/0025003-110_02.pdf; Japan Tourism Agency, list of eligible people, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/content/001981481.pdf; Japan Tourism Agency, comparison table of procedure changes, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/content/001977883.pdf (checked Oct 2026)

Before you go: Visit Japan Web and your phone

Visit Japan Web is the government’s online service for travelers. At seven airports it can replace the terminal for the departure check. The terminal route needs only your passport, so registration is not required for that route. We could not confirm whether your phone needs a mobile connection for the refund steps. The Visit Japan Web route at the airport uses a dedicated wireless LAN.

Edge cases: transit, ships, regional airports, and changed plans

If you transfer from a domestic flight to an international flight, complete the procedure at the last airport you leave Japan from. The agency covers one cruise case: the ship leaves from a port outside Japan and returns to a port outside Japan. In that case, use the electronic terminal at the last port in Japan, before you check your baggage. The agency covers one fly-and-cruise case: the cruise leaves from Japan, calls at overseas ports, and returns to Japan. In that case, complete the procedure for your whole stay at the Japanese airport you leave from. You do not need to repeat it when you leave Japan briefly during the cruise. We could not confirm the procedure for other cruise itineraries on the official pages. The Visit Japan Web route is listed for seven airports only. If you leave from a smaller regional airport, ask at the airport information desk how to complete the customs check. If the customs check is not completed within 90 days of the purchase date, the purchase does not qualify for a refund. This limit counts from the purchase, not from the start of your stay. If you may not leave Japan within 90 days of buying, how your purchase is handled depends on your case, so ask the store or customs before the 90 days end. Check the official pages or ask the store before you travel.

Source: Japan Tourism Agency, https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00021.html https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00023.html and https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00027.html (cruise and fly-and-cruise); National Tax Agency, FAQ on the refund method (90-day limit, Q2 and Q6), https://www.nta.go.jp/publication/pamph/shohi/menzei/201805/format/002/faq.htm (checked Oct 2026)

A checklist for your trip

Before you shop

  1. Note the date: purchases from November 1 follow the new method.
  2. Prepare your passport. Step 1 lists any extra documents for your status.
  3. Decide whether to register for Visit Japan Web. The terminal needs only your passport.

At the store

  1. Ask how the refund will be paid, and whether a fee applies.
  2. Keep the receipt and any leaflet.
  3. Check the 5,000 yen minimum before tax at that store on that day (as of October 14, 2026). For the exception for several stores, see the Check note above.
  4. For an item of 1 million yen or more before tax, keep the certificate of authenticity or warranty in case customs asks. This is as of October 15, 2026.

Before you leave Japan

  1. Complete the procedure before checking your bag.
  2. Complete it within 90 days of the purchase date.
  3. Allow extra time in case of a red result.

After you leave Japan

If you want to buy Japanese cosmetics later, YesStyle lists Japanese beauty brands and ships to many countries. Shipping rules and restrictions on some beauty items vary by country, so check the YesStyle shipping page for your address before you order. There is no need to rush.

Sources and what we could not confirm

Official pages checked on October 14 and 15, 2026:

We could not confirm: