The short answer
The National Tax Agency is explicit: the refund method applies to tax-free sales made on or after 1 November 2026. It does not depend on the day you leave Japan, and there is no period in which shops can use both systems.
So your receipts decide the rules, not your flight. A sale up to 31 October 2026 follows the old system: the tax was taken off at the till. A sale from 00:00 on 1 November 2026 follows the refund method: you pay the full price and get the tax back after the customs check when you leave.
Common situations
| Your situation | Rules that apply | What to do when you leave |
|---|---|---|
| Bought on 30 October, flying home on 5 November | Old system (tax already taken off) | Nothing to claim. Take the goods out with you, keep sealed bags sealed, and show your passport to customs. |
| Bought on 30 October and on 2 November, flying home on 5 November | Both: the old system for the October receipt, the refund method for the November receipt | Do the kiosk check (or Visit Japan Web) for the November receipt before you check in bags. Keep the October goods with you as well. |
| Bought on 3 November, flying home on 6 November | Refund method | Kiosk check before you check in any bag, then wait for the refund. |
| Ordered in October, collected from the shop in November | Refund method: a sale happens when the goods are handed over | Treat it like any other November purchase. |
| Bought just after midnight on the night of 31 October | Usually the refund method. A shop that books late-night sales to the previous business day may still have used the old system | Look at the receipt: if no tax was charged, it was an old-system sale. |
If you bought tax-free before 1 November
- Those goods were tax-free when you paid, so there is nothing to refund. The kiosk does not pay you anything for them.
- They must leave Japan with you. If you do not have them when you depart, customs collects the tax that was exempted.
- Food, drinks, cosmetics and other consumables sold in a sealed bag or box must stay unopened until you leave. Sealed bags end only for sales from 1 November.
- Show your passport to customs when you leave Japan.
- Posting the goods home yourself is no longer an option. That procedure ended on 31 March 2025.
No separate airport procedure published yet
As of 18 October 2026, Japan Customs has not published separate airport instructions for travellers who leave after 1 November with goods bought under the old system. If that is you, ask a customs officer before you check in your bags.
If you buy tax-free from 1 November
- Pay the full price including tax and show your passport. You need to spend at least ¥5,000 before tax at the same shop on the same day.
- Complete the customs check within 90 days, counted from the day after purchase. Something bought on 1 November 2026 must be checked by 30 January 2027.
- The check is at a kiosk in the international departure lobby before you check in bags, or on Visit Japan Web at seven major airports.
- Goods are checked per receipt. If one item from a receipt is missing or used, nothing on that receipt is refunded.
Two easy mistakes
Expecting a refund for October purchases (you already had the tax taken off), and opening an October sealed bag because sealed bags have been abolished. Keep each receipt with its goods and you will always know which rules apply.