Japan Airport Pickup at Haneda, Narita and Kansai: What to Bring and What to Do in Order

Key points: To pick up a TaxFreeOnline.jp order at Haneda, Narita or Kansai International Airport, come in person with your original passport, the QR code from your order confirmation email and a smartphone with an internet connection. For pickups on or after November 1, 2026, the order on departure day is fixed: collect your order first, then scan your passport at the terminal for tax-free procedures, and only then check in your luggage. If you cannot collect your order, you have nothing to show customs, so there is no customs check and no refund for it.

• Bring: original passport (with your entry stamp), order QR code, smartphone with internet. No copies, no proxies.
• Order on departure day: pickup → terminal for tax-free procedures → Green or Red → airline check-in → security check.
• Pickup hours currently shown on the pickup location page (checked October 22, 2026): Narita and Kansai 09:00–19:00; Haneda 00:00–23:59. The times shown after you choose a pickup date are the ones that apply.
• Collection itself takes about 10 minutes with everything ready. Add that to the time you allow for the customs check and check-in.
• Besides the airports, there are 35 pickup points in Tokyo, plus Kyoto (5), Osaka (2), Fukuoka (2), Kagoshima (1) and Okinawa (4): 52 in all, airports included (as of November 10, 2026). If your flight is early or you'd rather collect mid-trip, a hotel near where you're staying works well.

Based on TaxFreeOnline.jp's public pages and official materials from Japan's National Tax Agency, the Japan Tourism Agency and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

When an airport pickup ends with no refund

You lose the refund on an airport pickup when the goods are not in your hands at the customs check, whatever the reason. Check these five situations before you plan anything else.

• You could not collect the order. The National Tax Agency's notice to travelers puts it plainly: "No Customs procedure, No Refund." If you never collected the goods, there is nothing for customs to confirm. TaxFreeOnline.jp does not offer international shipping, including when you leave Japan without collecting your order.
• You checked in your suitcase first. The terminal for tax-free procedures cannot be used after you check in your luggage, and checked luggage cannot be taken back for the procedure.
• You ran out of time. The customs check, including any inspection, must be finished before you check in for your flight. If you stop an inspection partway because you are late, it does not count as a completed customs check. The Japan Tourism Agency states that neither the airline nor customs will compensate you if you could not depart because you did not leave enough time.
• One item from a purchase record is missing. Customs checks each purchase record (generally one transaction) as a unit. If even one item in that record is not with you, none of the items in that record can go through the check.
• You opened and used up a consumable. If you eat or use up any part of a consumable such as food or cosmetics, it cannot go through the customs check. Collecting at the airport on departure day keeps that risk low.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ; National Tax Agency, Notice to Foreign Travelers Who Purchase Tax-Free Goods (English) and Q&A on the Refund Method (detailed edition), Q32 and Q37; Japan Tourism Agency, page for travelers and FAQ for travelers.

Departure day at the airport: the order of steps

Pickup comes first, the terminal for tax-free procedures second, airline check-in third and the security check last. The terminals are set up in the international departure lobby and similar areas before the baggage drop, so every step up to check-in happens in the public area of the airport.

At Narita, Haneda and Kansai, you can also use Visit Japan Web on your smartphone instead of the terminal. This works only in the international departure lobby, within the area covered by the dedicated Wi-Fi for this procedure, up to the security checkpoint, and only if you registered on Visit Japan Web before the customs check. The timing rule is the same: finish before you check in your luggage.

Connecting from a domestic flight to an international one? Do the procedure at the airport where you finally leave Japan. If you collect at Haneda and later fly out of Japan from another airport, the customs check happens at that later airport.

Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (detailed edition), Q32 and Q33; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers.

What to bring to the airport pickup point

You need three things, and you must collect in person.

1. Your original passport, the one used for the order. A copy, a photo of it or another ID document is not accepted, because staff must confirm your landing date and status of residence. Your passport needs the stamp showing your date of entry into Japan. If you used an automated gate on arrival and your passport was not stamped, TaxFreeOnline.jp's Tax-Free Eligibility page says to ask an immigration officer for a stamp after the gate. TaxFreeOnline.jp's FAQ also lists using automated gates without a stamp as a case in which tax exemption cannot be applied.
2. The QR code from the order confirmation email sent by TaxFreeOnline.jp. If you are not receiving the emails, check your spam folder before your trip.
3. A smartphone with an internet connection. You complete the procedure on your phone at the pickup point.

No one else can collect for you. Even if a family member has your passport and access to your account, staff must confirm that the person collecting is the person in the passport photo, as Japanese law requires. Only the TaxFreeOnline.jp user who placed the order can collect it.

With these ready, collection takes about 10 minutes, depending on your phone and connection.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ and Tax-Free Eligibility page.

Haneda, Narita and Kansai: pickup points and hours

TaxFreeOnline.jp's pickup location page currently places the Narita and Kansai pickup points in Terminal 1 with hours of 09:00–19:00, and shows 00:00–23:59 for Haneda (checked October 22, 2026). For exact locations, maps and the latest hours, the pickup location page is the reference.

• Check your departure terminal. Narita and Kansai pickup points are currently listed in Terminal 1. If your flight leaves from a different terminal, allow time to move between them.
• Haneda's listed hours. The page currently shows 00:00–23:59 for Haneda. The times shown after you choose a pickup date are the ones that apply.
• Available dates and pickup time. When you choose a pickup date, the site shows only the dates you can select and the time from which you can collect. If you choose the earliest possible date, pickup may only be possible from 18:00, because available times depend on the shop's shipping preparation and the pickup point's working hours. Check this against your flight time before you order.

Locations, hours and available dates can change. Open the pickup location page and check the details for your airport before you order.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, pickup location page and FAQ.

Not just airports: 52 pickup points across Japan

Besides Haneda, Narita and Kansai, TaxFreeOnline.jp has pickup points at hotels and tourist information centers in Tokyo, and in Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Okinawa: 52 in all, airports included (pickup location page, as of November 10, 2026). Hotel pickup points aren't limited to guests. Collecting away from the airport often makes more sense if:

• You're on an early flight from Haneda. Collect the day before near your hotel, or stay near the airport on your last night and collect at Henn na Hotel Tokyo Haneda (12:00–23:59) or hotel MONday Haneda Airport (11:00–18:00). On departure day, go straight to the tax-free kiosk.
• You're flying out of Narita around 9 a.m. Narita pickup runs 09:00–19:00, which leaves very little room, so collecting in Tokyo the day before is the safer bet. Most Tokyo points are around Ueno, Asakusa, Akihabara, Ginza and Hamamatsucho; in Shinjuku, Shibuya and Harajuku they're tourist information centers.
• You're traveling beyond Tokyo. Staying in Kyoto or Osaka? Collect at a hotel there and fly out of Kansai. Fukuoka has pickup points at Grand Hyatt Fukuoka and the Hakata Port international terminal, and Okinawa has four in Naha.

Wherever you collect, keep everything with you until you leave Japan, and do the customs check at your last airport before you check in your bags. At places that close at 18:00, the earliest pickup date (which can mean pickup from 18:00) may not work, so choose a later date or another point.

Locations and hours can change. The dates and times shown when you order are the ones that count; addresses and maps are on the pickup location page.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, pickup location page (as of November 10, 2026) and FAQ.

How much time to allow

Allow time for three separate steps: collecting your order, the customs check and airline check-in. Official materials do not give a recommended arrival time for the tax-free procedure, so use your airline's guidance and add time on top of it.

• Collection: about 10 minutes with your passport, QR code and phone ready (TaxFreeOnline.jp's estimate). The estimate depends on your phone and connection, and the FAQ does not mention waiting time at the counter.
• Customs check: a few seconds at the terminal if you get Green. If you get Red, you show the goods to customs officers, and official materials do not say how long that takes.
• Repacking: if you plan to put collected items in your suitcase, do it before the terminal, then check the suitcase in only after the customs check.

If your flight is early in the morning or the timing is tight, consider picking up on an earlier day or at a pickup point you pass during your trip, so that departure day only has the customs check. Keep every item with you until then.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ; Japan Tourism Agency, page for travelers and FAQ for travelers; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (detailed edition), Q32.

Carry-on or checked bag after pickup

Either is fine, as long as the customs check happens before you check in the bag. TaxFreeOnline.jp's Tax-Free Eligibility page says the same: if you put tax-free goods in checked baggage, complete the customs inspection before you hand the bag to your airline.

• Liquids: on international flights, liquids in cabin baggage must be in containers of 100 ml or less, in a resealable transparent plastic bag of 1 liter or less. Larger bottles of drinks or cosmetics you collect at the airport therefore go in your suitcase, after the customs check.
• Packaging: keep items in their boxes and bags. If you separate an item from its packaging or throw away packaging that shows a model number, customs may not be able to confirm it.
• Red result: pack your tax-free goods where you can reach them quickly, in case you need to show them.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ and Tax-Free Eligibility page; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Q&A on liquids in cabin baggage on international flights; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (detailed edition), Q39.

If you miss the pickup or the order is not there

Contact TaxFreeOnline.jp support before the pickup date if you may not make it. Here is what the public pages say.

• You know you will be late or cannot come: contact customer support by email in advance. Until the selected pickup date, you can cancel without a cancellation fee.
• You do not come and do not contact support: the order is canceled the following day, and a cancellation fee of ¥3,000 per shop applies.
• The order has not arrived at the pickup point: TaxFreeOnline.jp checks what happened and cancels the order without a cancellation fee. If you can come on another day, tell support a day that suits you.
• Changing the pickup point: not possible after the order is complete. To change it, cancel and order again.

On the refund side, the rule is simple: goods you did not collect cannot go through the customs check at departure. No customs check means no refund for those goods.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ and Cancellation Policy; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (detailed edition), Q32.

FAQ

Can someone else pick up my order at the airport?

No. Only the person who placed the order can collect it, with their original passport. Staff must confirm that the person collecting is the person in the passport photo.

Can I collect at the airport and then check in my suitcase straight away?

No. Scan your passport at the terminal for tax-free procedures (or use Visit Japan Web) first, and check in your suitcase only after the customs check is complete. Checked luggage cannot be taken back for the procedure.

Is my pickup day the purchase date?

The National Tax Agency says the tax-free procedure takes place when the shop hands the goods over to you, and the new rules apply to goods sold on or after November 1, 2026. With TaxFreeOnline.jp the handover is at the pickup point, so a pickup on or after November 1, 2026 falls under the Refund Method.

I could not collect my order before my flight. Can you send it to me?

No. TaxFreeOnline.jp does not offer international shipping. You can only receive your order at the pickup point you selected.

Does the airport pickup point also do the customs check?

No. Collection and the customs check are separate steps. After collecting, go to the terminal for tax-free procedures in the international departure lobby, or use Visit Japan Web where available.

Read next

• Shop in Japan Without Carrying It Around: Order Online, Pick Up on Your Trip
• Japan Tax Refund at the Airport: Departure-Day Steps from Nov 2026

Sources

1. TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ
2. TaxFreeOnline.jp, pickup locations
3. TaxFreeOnline.jp, Tax-Free Eligibility
4. TaxFreeOnline.jp, Cancellation Policy
5. National Tax Agency, Notice to Foreign Travelers Who Purchase Tax-Free Goods (English)
6. National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method, detailed edition (Jul 2026, Japanese): Q19, Q32, Q33, Q37, Q39
7. National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet (Dec 2025, Japanese)
8. Japan Tourism Agency, page for travelers (Japanese)
9. Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method (Japanese)
10. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Civil Aviation Bureau), Q&A on liquids in cabin baggage on international flights (Japanese)

By TaxFreeOnline.jp | Sources last checked: October 22, 2026