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Japan’s Duty-Free System For Tourists Will Change to Refunds in November 2026
Japan’s planning to change how tourists shop: the country’s new duty-free laws will now require requesting a refund at the airport.
Frequent travelers to Japan, get ready for a significant change to the way you shop in 2026. Japan’s government has firmed up a new — and somewhat involved — system designed to stop unscrupulous resellers from avoiding the country’s consumption tax.
The government has finished laying out the broad principles of its new tax reform bill. As part of the bill, Japan will cease supporting duty-free shopping at point of sale. Instead, customers will need to keep their receipts and request a refund at the airport.
Under the new system, inbound visitors will pay Japan’s consumption tax — currently at 10% for most goods — when they buy a product. The store will record the purchase in a centralized database shared with Japan’s Customs agency.
Purchasers will then have 90 days (i.e., the length of a visa-free entry to Japan) to present their purchases to Customs at the airport for a refund. Customs systems and agents will verify the tax refund. The store will then verify and record the sales tax deduction on its side.
