Japan Tax-Free 2026: What Happens at the Customs Terminal?

From November 1, 2026 the refund is settled at departure, not at the register. You read your passport at a terminal and get one of two outcomes. Here is what each one means and how to be ready for both.

From November 1, 2026 a qualifying purchase of ¥5,000 before tax is refunded after a check at departure rather than at the register — Japan Tourism Agency (checked August 19, 2026).

That check is one step: your passport is read at a terminal, and the result is either a pass or a request to show the goods — Japan Customs (checked August 19, 2026).

What actually happens at the terminal?

Your passport is read. The purchases registered to it are what the check looks at.
A green result means you pass. Nothing further is asked of you.
A red result means the goods are inspected. You are asked to present what you bought.

Those are the two outcomes. There is no third path to prepare for, which makes getting ready simpler than most travellers expect.

What do you show if the result is red?

The goods themselves — the items registered to your passport at the shops. Not a photo, not a bank statement, the actual purchases.

This is the single reason every other piece of advice on this site points the same way: keep registered purchases where you can reach them, and keep the packaging of anything you have opened.

Why does this step exist at all?

Because the money now moves after you leave. Under the old system the refund happened at the register and the shop held the risk; from November 1, 2026 the confirmation at departure is what releases it.

Nothing about the check is a penalty. It is the point at which the system confirms the goods actually left Japan.

What changed on November 1, 2026?

The refund follows the confirmation rather than arriving at the register.
The general goods and consumables split is abolished, so one shop on one day is one total.
The sealed bag is gone, so purchases can be used during the trip — which is exactly why an opened item may need to be shown.
The former daily ceiling on consumables is abolished.

How do you get ready for both outcomes?

Keep registered purchases in the bag that stays with you. A red result cannot be answered from a checked suitcase.
Keep boxes and packaging for anything you opened during the trip.
Have the passport you bought with, since that is what the terminal reads.
Arrive with time in hand, because a red result takes longer than a green one.
Do the check before you check your bags if the registered goods are large.

What has not changed?

The minimum is ¥5,000 before tax, per buyer, per shop, per day — ¥5,500 on a tax-included tag.
Receipts from different shops never combine.
The 90 days run from the purchase date.
The refund is one eleventh of the tax-included price.
A purchase of ¥1,000,000 or more requires registration of a serial number or similar identifying information.
Separate shipment was abolished at the end of March 2025, so the goods are with you at this step.

When does this come up?

You are packing on your last morning

Put the registered purchases in the bag you will still be holding at the terminal, and pack around them.

You bought a large item

Do the confirmation before the item disappears into checked baggage, because a red result asks for the item itself.

You opened something during the trip

Keep what remains along with the packaging. An opened item you still have can be shown.

You are travelling with someone else

The terminal reads a passport, and each passport carries its own purchases. Going through together does not merge them.

Your flight is early in the morning

A green result is quick, but you cannot know which result you will get, so budget for the slower one.

You bought in several cities

Everything registered along the route is checked at the place you leave Japan. It all has to be with you there.

You are worried about the language

The step is reading a passport and, if asked, showing goods. It is not an interview.

You changed passports during the trip

The purchases are registered to the passport used at the register, which is the one the terminal needs.

You are carrying gifts still in their wrapping

Wrapping is fine, but be prepared to open it if the goods are asked for.

You have a connecting flight inside Japan

The confirmation happens where you leave Japan, so keep the goods with you until that airport.

You want to know your result in advance

You cannot. Preparing as if it will be red costs nothing and removes the risk entirely.

What is unannounced as of August 19, 2026?

Where the terminals are placed, how many there are and what the screens show are unannounced as of August 19, 2026. Nothing on the Japan Customs (checked August 19, 2026) site sets this out, so plan for time rather than for a specific location.

What follows when registered goods cannot be produced is also unannounced as of August 19, 2026, as are the handling fee, the number of days the refund takes, whether cash remains available and the treatment of the reduced rate. Answers would appear via the Japan Tax-free Shop Association (checked August 19, 2026) or the Japan Tourism Agency (checked August 19, 2026).

Questions people ask

What are the two results?

Green means you pass. Red means the goods are inspected.

What decides which one I get?

The criteria are not published. Prepare for either.

What do I need at the terminal?

The passport the purchases were registered to, and the goods themselves.

Can I put the goods in checked baggage?

A red result asks for the goods, so anything registered should be reachable when you do this step.

What if I opened the box?

Keep the item and its packaging. Opening is allowed from November 1, 2026.

What if I cannot produce the goods?

The handling of that is unannounced as of August 19, 2026.

How long does it take?

A green result is a single step. A red result adds an inspection, so leave time.

Where are the terminals?

The locations are unannounced as of August 19, 2026.

Does my travel companion go through with me?

Each passport is read on its own, and each carries its own purchases.

When does the money arrive?

After the confirmation. The number of days is unannounced as of August 19, 2026.

How much comes back?

One eleventh of the tax-included price, before any deduction that may exist.

Is there a deadline for doing this?

Yes. You have to leave Japan within 90 days of the purchase date.