Japan Just Changed Tax-Free Shopping. Here’s What Visitors Need to Know Now

For years, one of the small joys of a trip to Japan went like this: you’d pick up skincare, snacks or a new camera, hand over your passport at the counter, and pay without the 10% consumption tax. Instant savings, right there at the register.

That era just ended. Since November 1, 2026, Japan’s tax-free shopping for foreign visitors works differently. You can still get the tax back — but not at the register.

What changed: pay first, get it back later

Japan has switched to what officials call a リファンド方式 (rifando hōshiki), a “refund system.” Here’s the new flow, based on the Japan Tourism Agency’s explanation:

1. At the shop: You pay the full price, including the 10% consumption tax (消費税, shōhizei).
2. When you leave Japan: At the airport or seaport, customs (税関, zeikan) confirms that you are actually taking the goods out of the country.
3. After that: The amount equal to the consumption tax is refunded (返金, henkin) to you.

The rules apply to purchases made on or after November 1. Some explainers note that you need to leave Japan and get the export check within 90 days of purchase, so this mostly matters for short-term visitors, not residents.

Why Japan made the switch

The main goal is to stop tax-free goods being illegally resold inside Japan. Under the old system, some people bought large amounts tax-free and sold them on domestically instead of taking them abroad. Because the tax was already removed at the register, it was hard to stop.

With the new system, the refund only happens after customs confirms the goods really left the country. No export, no refund.

The old system trusted you at the register. The new one checks at the gate.

The good news for shoppers

The reform also removes some old headaches:

• No more special sealed packaging for consumables like cosmetics and snacks. (You may remember those clear plastic bags you weren’t supposed to open until you left Japan.)
• The split between “general goods” and “consumables” is gone.
• The old ¥500,000 cap on consumable purchases has been removed.

The catch: fees and timing

Because shops now need to process refunds, some retailers may charge a fee for handling the refund, and each store decides how to handle that. Some large chains have announced they will process refunds without a fee — for example, the PPIH group, which runs Don Quijote stores, said it would not charge a refund fee. Before you buy something expensive, it’s worth asking how the refund works at that shop.

You should also expect a little more time at the airport. Leave room in your schedule for the customs check, especially during busy travel seasons.

Words to know at the counter

Even under the new rules, the conversation at the counter sounds familiar:

• 免税できますか？ (Menzei dekimasu ka?) — “Can I get this tax-free?”
• パスポートをお願いします (Pasupōto o onegai shimasu) — “Your passport, please.”
• 税込 (zeikomi) — tax included (you’ll see this on price tags)
• 税抜 (zeinuki) — before tax

Learn to spot 税込 and 税抜 on price tags and you’ll never be surprised at the register again. For more shopping Japanese, see our konbini guide, and for a very different side of Tokyo life, read about Shibuya’s Halloween rules.