Key points: For tax-free goods bought on or after November 1, 2026, you can do the departure customs check online through Visit Japan Web only at Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha, and only inside the dedicated Wi-Fi area of the international departure lobby, up to the security checkpoint. You must register on Visit Japan Web before the customs check. Everywhere else, and whenever you are not registered, use the tax-free kiosk. Either way, finish before you check in your luggage.
- Showing the Visit Japan Web QR code at the shop and doing the customs check online at the airport are two different things. Accepting the QR code at the shop is up to each shop.
- Visit Japan Web is an option, not a requirement. The kiosk works at every airport and seaport where you leave Japan.
- The online option lets you see your purchase records and which records became eligible for a refund. The kiosk does not show this.
- The 90-day deadline and the "every item on the receipt" rule are the same for both methods.
When you lose the refund, whichever method you choose
Choosing Visit Japan Web or the kiosk does not change the conditions that cancel a refund. Check these first, because no method can fix them on departure day.
- Your luggage is already checked in. You must have all your tax-free goods with you when you do the procedure, so you cannot do it after checking in your bags, and checked bags cannot be taken back for the tax-free procedure.
- One item from a receipt is missing. Customs checks each purchase record, which is generally one receipt. If even one item on it is not with you, none of the goods on that receipt can be confirmed.
- You ate or used a consumable. Food, drinks, cosmetics and other consumables that were consumed, even partly, cannot be confirmed. Do not use the kiosk or the online option for them; tell a customs officer at the counter.
- More than 90 days have passed. The check must happen when you leave Japan within 90 days, counted from the day after the purchase date. Goods bought on November 1, 2026 must be checked by January 30, 2027.
- You stopped partway. If you stop an inspection because you are late for your flight, it does not count as a customs check. The Japan Tourism Agency states that neither the airline nor customs will compensate you if you cannot depart because you did not leave enough time.
Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (detailed edition), Q32, Q33, Q36 and Q37; National Tax Agency, Q&A (overview edition), Q19; Japan Tourism Agency, tax-free shopping page and FAQ for travelers.
Kiosk or Visit Japan Web: which one should you use?
Both are accepted at seven airports; Visit Japan Web works only inside the designated Wi-Fi area of the departure lobby before security, and you must register before the customs check. In every other case, use the kiosk.
Table 1: Choosing a method on departure day
| Your situation | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving from Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose or Naha, registered on Visit Japan Web, smartphone ready | Visit Japan Web (online) or the kiosk | Both are allowed at these seven airports. Online lets you see your purchase records. |
| Same seven airports, but not registered on Visit Japan Web | Kiosk | Registration is required before the customs check. |
| Leaving from any other airport | Kiosk | The online procedure is limited to the seven airports. |
| Leaving Japan by ship from a seaport | Kiosk (terminal at the port) | The online procedure is described only for the seven airports. |
| Domestic flight connecting to an international flight | At the last airport where you leave Japan | If that airport is one of the seven, the online option is available there; otherwise use the kiosk. |
| Planning to do it after security | Finish before security instead | The online area ends at security, and the kiosk is in the international departure lobby before the baggage drop. |
| You ate or used up part of a consumable | Neither | Tell a customs officer at the counter instead. |
Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A (detailed edition), Q32, Q33 and Q34; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers.
Tax-free QR code at the shop vs. online customs check at the airport
Visit Japan Web appears twice in the tax-free process, and the two uses follow different rules.
Table 2: Two different uses of Visit Japan Web
| At the shop (when you buy) | At the airport (when you leave) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it replaces | Showing your passport: the shop reads the QR code that carries your passport information | Scanning your passport at the kiosk: you do the customs check online |
| Where | Tax-free shops that accept it | Seven airports only, inside the dedicated Wi-Fi area of the international departure lobby, up to security |
| Is it always available? | No. Accepting it is up to each shop | No. Only at the seven airports, and only if you registered before the customs check |
| If you do not use it | Show your passport | Use the kiosk |
The National Tax Agency's Q&A lists the Visit Japan Web QR code as a way to present your passport for travelers staying with Temporary Visitor (short-term stay), diplomatic or official status.
Official materials describe the shop and the airport uses separately. Whether you showed your passport or the QR code at the shop, the departure rules are the same: the kiosk, or the online option at the seven airports.
If you order from TaxFreeOnline.jp, bring your original passport when you collect your order.
Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A (detailed edition), Q14, Q16 and Q33; National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet; TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ.
How the online customs check works at the seven airports
The online option lets you complete the customs check on your smartphone, without scanning your passport at the kiosk.
- Register on Visit Japan Web before the customs check. The National Tax Agency says registration is required before you receive the customs check.
- Go to the international departure lobby of one of the seven airports with all your tax-free goods, before checking in your luggage.
- Stay inside the area where you can connect to the dedicated Wi-Fi for this procedure. The area ends at the security checkpoint.
- Do the customs check on your smartphone through Visit Japan Web. You can also see your purchase records from tax-free shops, and the details of the records that become eligible for a refund after the check. If the shop set its English name, it is shown in these details.
- Then check in your luggage at the airline counter, and go through security.
The Japan Tourism Agency describes the online procedure as an alternative "in place of" the kiosk. For the kiosk, the result is shown as Green (check complete) or Red (show your goods at the customs inspection area). The official materials checked for this guide do not describe the online screens in that detail.
Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A (detailed edition), Q32 and Q33; Japan Tourism Agency, tax-free shopping page and FAQ for travelers.
How the kiosk works, and what Green and Red mean
The kiosk is available at every airport and seaport, and it takes a few seconds from reading your passport to showing the result.
- Find the tax-free kiosk in the international departure lobby, before the baggage drop.
- Scan your passport.
- Green: no inspection needed. The customs check is complete.
- Red: inspection needed. Go to the customs inspection area, also before the baggage drop, and show your tax-free goods. Customs may ask to see your receipts, so keep them if you have them.
- Check in your luggage, then go through security.
A Red result does not mean you lose the refund. If you have every item, the check is completed. If any item from a receipt is missing, the goods on that receipt are not confirmed. Pack your tax-free goods where you can reach them quickly in case you get Red.
Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A (detailed edition), Q32; National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers.
What to prepare before departure day
Prepare these the day before you fly, whichever method you plan to use.
- Your passport, the one you showed when buying. If you lost a passport and shopped with both the old and the new one, scan the new one at the kiosk and tell a customs officer at the counter that you also shopped with the old one.
- All tax-free goods, grouped by receipt, in their original packaging. If you separate an item from its packaging or throw away packaging that shows the model number, customs may not be able to identify it.
- Visit Japan Web registration, if you plan to go online at one of the seven airports. The National Tax Agency says registration is required before the customs check and refers to the Digital Agency's Visit Japan Web site for details. The National Tax Agency and Japan Tourism Agency materials checked for this guide do not list the specific items or steps.
- A charged smartphone that can connect to Wi-Fi, if you plan to go online.
- Time. You must finish the customs check, including any inspection, before you check in for your flight. Follow your airline's guidance on when to arrive, and add time for the tax-free procedure.
Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A (detailed edition), Q32, Q33, Q35 and Q39; Japan Tourism Agency, tax-free shopping page.
FAQ
Can I do the tax-free procedure with Visit Japan Web?
Yes, at seven airports: Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha. You do it online inside the dedicated Wi-Fi area of the international departure lobby, up to security, and you must register on Visit Japan Web before the customs check.
Is Visit Japan Web required for a tax refund?
No. If you do not use it, scan your passport at the kiosk. At the shop, you can also show your passport instead of the QR code.
Can I use Visit Japan Web after security or at the gate?
No. The online procedure works only in the dedicated Wi-Fi area up to the security checkpoint, and it must be finished before you check in your luggage.
Will every shop accept my Visit Japan Web tax-free QR code?
Not necessarily. Accepting the Visit Japan Web QR code is up to each tax-free shop, so keep your passport with you when you shop.
Does using Visit Japan Web change the 90-day deadline?
No. For either method, the customs check must be done when you leave Japan within 90 days, counted from the day after the purchase date.
Read next
- Japan Tax Refund at the Airport: Departure-Day Steps from Nov 2026
- Japan Tax-Free Rules Change Nov 2026: Refund Method Guide
Sources
- National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method, detailed edition (Jul 2026, Japanese): Q14, Q16, Q32–Q37, Q39
- National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method, overview edition (revised Apr 2026, Japanese): Q19
- National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet (Dec 2025, Japanese)
- Japan Tourism Agency, tax-free shopping page (Japanese)
- Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method (Japanese)
- Digital Agency, Visit Japan Web
- TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ
By TaxFreeOnline.jp | Sources last checked: October 22, 2026
