JP Tax Refund

Check-in counters, Narita Airport · Photo: N509FZ (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Departure tax: the ¥3,000 International Tourist Tax

Everyone leaving Japan by plane or ship pays the International Tourist Tax, often called the departure tax. Since 1 July 2026 it has been ¥3,000 per departure.

On this page
  1. What it is
  2. Main exemptions
  3. Tickets bought before July 2026
  4. Not part of the tax refund
  5. Questions
  6. For your departure day
  7. Related

What it is

The tax applies to every passenger leaving Japan, foreign visitors and Japanese citizens alike. It was introduced in January 2019 at ¥1,000 and raised to ¥3,000 on 1 July 2026.

Airlines and shipping companies add it to the ticket price and pay it to the government, so there is nothing to pay at the airport. On many tickets it appears among the taxes with the code TK.

Main exemptions

  • Children under 2
  • Transit passengers who leave Japan within 24 hours of arriving
  • Aircraft and ship crew
  • Passengers on a flight between two other countries that makes an emergency landing in Japan, and passengers who return to Japan after departure because of the weather or a similar reason
  • Passengers on government aircraft or ships, and some departures of diplomats

Tickets bought before July 2026

A transitional rule keeps the old ¥1,000 rate for some departures on or after 1 July 2026 under transport contracts made before that date. Airlines apply it themselves. If a ticket issued before July 2026 is changed and reissued later, the new rate may apply.

Not part of the tax refund

The departure tax cannot be refunded at the airport. The customs check and refund only cover the consumption tax on goods you take out of Japan.

Questions

Do I pay it at the airport?
No. It is included in your plane or ship ticket. Only passengers on private jets and similar flights pay it themselves, at customs before boarding.
I am changing planes in Japan. Do I pay?
Not if you leave Japan within 24 hours of arriving.
Do Japanese passport holders pay it too?
Yes. Every departing passenger aged 2 and over pays it, whatever their nationality.

For your departure day

Related

At the airportThe customs check for the tax refund, before you check in.Accommodation taxWhat hotels add per person per night.All taxes and feesEvery charge visitors pay, at a glance.