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Japan tax-free changes Nov 1, 2026 vs Korea instant tax refund
- Korea
- Tax off at the till at instant-refund stores
- Korea limits
- Under ₩1M per purchase, ₩5M total per trip
- Japan from Nov 1
- Pay full price, refund after airport customs check
- Japan deadline
- Customs check within 90 days of purchase
From Nov 1, 2026, Japan's tax-free shops charge the full price and refund the tax only after an airport customs check. Korea still takes the tax off at the till at instant-refund stores. Limits, steps and the mistakes that cost you the refund.
Haneda Airport departures · Photo: ScribblingGeek (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Korea: instant refund
- HOWShow your passport when you pay
At stores that offer instant refund, the tax is taken off the price at the till.
- LIMIT 1Under ₩1,000,000 per purchase
Each purchase (tax included) has to be under ₩1M for instant refund.
- LIMIT 2Up to ₩5,000,000 in total
The total of your instant-refund purchases since you entered Korea can't go over ₩5M.
Japan from Nov 1, 2026: the refund method
- 1In store: pay the tax-included price
Show your passport. Minimum ¥5,000 (before tax) per store, per day. Register how you want the refund paid.
- 2At the airport: scan your passport before bag drop
Customs terminals are in the departure lobby before check-in. GREEN = go ahead. RED = show the goods at the customs counter. Do it within 90 days of buying.
- 3Refund
Paid by the store or its refund company, by the method you registered. Whether cash is possible depends on the store.
How people lose the Japan refund
- RECEIPTOne item missing = whole receipt out
If any item on a receipt can't be confirmed at customs (given away, lost, used), nothing on that receipt is refunded.
- OPENEDCosmetics, food, medicine opened in Japan
Consumed in Japan = not eligible.
- LATEBoarding before the customs check
Not finishing the check before boarding means no refund. Get to the airport early (our tip).
Say it in Korean (show this screen)
- Can I get the tax refund now?
Ji-geum ba-ro taek-seu ri-peon-deu dwae-yo?
지금 바로 택스리펀드 돼요? - Here is my passport.
Yeo-gwon yeo-gi i-sseo-yo.
여권 여기 있어요. - Is this price tax-free?
I ga-gyeok-eun se-geum ppaen ga-gyeok-i-e-yo?
이 가격은 세금 뺀 가격이에요?
Local tips
- In Korea, ask 'tax refund?' at the till before you pay; not every store offers instant refund (our tip).
- In Japan, keep tax-free items in your carry-on until customs is done, and keep each receipt's items together (our tip).
FAQ
What changes in Japan's tax-free system on Nov 1, 2026?
Purchases from Nov 1, 2026 are charged tax-included; the tax is refunded after a customs check at departure, within 90 days of purchase.
What is Korea's instant tax refund limit?
Under ₩1M per purchase and up to ₩5M in total after entering Korea (rules in force Jan 2, 2026).
Can I open cosmetics I bought tax-free in Japan?
No. Consumables used or opened in Japan are not eligible for the refund.
Sources: Japan Tourism Agency: refund method for travelers · JNTO: tax-free system changes to refund method from Nov 2026 · MATCHA: Japan's new tax-free refund steps · Korea: Enforcement Decree on VAT for foreign tourists, Art. 6 (law.go.kr) · k-calc: Korea tax refund calculator