Foreign visitors to Japan, including travellers from Vietnam, now pay consumption tax at the shop and claim it back when they leave the country. Japan changed its tax-free shopping rules on 1 November, VnExpress International reports, replacing the old system in which tax was waived at the till.
Shoppers show their passport at the store counter and link a refund method to it, such as a credit card. When leaving within 90 days, they can scan the passport at a kiosk at the airport, or use a QR code from the Visit Japan Web app, to receive the refund. VnExpress lists Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha airports, where Tokyo Customs has set up special terminals and baggage-check areas.
Paper receipts are not mandatory, but Japan Customs says they can speed things up if officers inspect goods.
The Japan National Tourism Organization says the refund is filed at customs on departure, before checking in for the return flight, and that the period for taking purchases out of Japan is extended from 30 to 90 days. Consumables no longer need sealed packaging but are ineligible for a refund if consumed in Japan.
Neither source says how purchases made before 1 November are treated. Check the Japan Tourism Agency's guidance before relying on a refund.
Sources
- Japan changes tax-free shopping rules for foreign tourists
- Changes are Coming to Japan's Tax-Free Shopping!
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