Tax refund at Sapporo New Chitose Airport (CTS)

What happens at the airport

1. Find the tax-free kiosk

   Tax-free kiosks or electronic terminals are in the international departure lobby, before the airline baggage drop. The customs inspection area is next to them.

2. Scan your passport

   Have all the goods you bought tax-free with you. Scanning takes a few seconds and the screen shows whether an inspection is needed.

3. Green: you are done

   No inspection is needed. The customs check is complete and you can check in your bags.

4. Red: show your goods to customs

   Go to the customs inspection area and show the items. Allow extra time for this. If you give up the inspection to catch your flight, the check does not count.

5. Take the goods out of Japan

   After the check, you must take the goods abroad without delay. If you do not, the tax is collected from you and penalties can apply.

Timing tips

• Arrive earlier than you normally would, especially in the first weeks of the new system.
• Do the check before queuing for baggage drop, not after.
• Pack tax-free goods together near the top of your bag or in your hand luggage.
• If you consumed any food, drink or cosmetics from a receipt, do not use the kiosk for that receipt. Tell the customs officer at the counter.

Airport duty-free shops are not the tax refund

• The duty-free shops after passport control sell goods without Japanese consumption tax. You show your boarding pass and pay the lower price at the till. There is nothing to claim later.
• Tax-free shopping in town works differently from 1 November 2026: you pay the tax at the shop, do the customs check at the kiosk before bag drop, and the shop or its refund company pays the tax back.
• The duty-free shops do not handle refunds for things you bought in town. At some airports the refund company’s cash counter is in the duty-free area (Chubu Centrair, for example), but it is a refund counter, not a shop.

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