From November 1, 2026, the tax-free shopping system for inbound visitors to Japan will be revised, shifting to a refund-based system.
Under the current system, visitors who make purchases at designated stores are automatically exempted from the 10% consumption task at the point of purchase upon presenting their passport.
With the coming changes, visitors will pay the consumption tax at the time of purchase and then receive a refund after completing the necessary procedures before departure.
In addition to this change, items shipped back to visitors' home countries via international parcels will no longer be eligible for tax exemption, effective April 1, 2025.
For more details, please refer to the PDF below:
