# How do tax refunds work at Narita, Haneda and Kansai airports from November 2026? Where are the customs kiosks, and can I get cash?

> For tax-free goods bought from November 1, 2026, you must get customs confirmation at your departure airport before checking your bags: scan your passport at a tax-free procedure kiosk in the international departure lobby (at Narita, Haneda, Kansai and four other airports you can also use Visit Japan Web on the dedicated Wi-Fi). Green means done; red means showing the goods at the customs inspection point. The store or its refund provider then pays you by the method you registered at purchase. Haneda, Narita and Naha have 'Self Tax Refund' cash machines, and Cash Japan provides cash refunds at Kansai, Kobe, Narita, Chubu, Fukuoka and New Chitose, but whether you can collect cash at the airport depends on the refund method chosen by the store where you shopped. Airport duty-free shops after immigration are a separate system.

- Page: https://bestjapanbuy.com/en/q/japan-airport-tax-refund/
- Updated: 2026-10-24

## Getting your refund at the airport: 4 steps

1. **Don't check in yet; take all tax-free goods to the kiosk**: Scan your passport at a tax-free procedure kiosk in the international departure lobby, before the airline counters. At Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha you can also connect to the dedicated Wi-Fi in the departure lobby (before security) and complete it online with Visit Japan Web.
2. **Check the result**: Green means you're done; red means showing your goods at the customs inspection point nearby. Bring every item on each receipt; if one is missing, nothing on that receipt is refunded.
3. **Then check your bags**: The government says you can't do the procedure after checking in, and checked bags can't be retrieved. A red result means queuing for an inspection, so arrive early.
4. **Get your refund the way you registered**: Refunds to a credit card, e-payment or bank are processed by the store or refund provider; if the store offers airport cash refunds, collect yen cash at the matching refund machine or counter.

## The short version

- **Bought from November 1**: you need customs confirmation at the airport to get the tax back; purchases up to October 31 follow the old rules (tax already removed at checkout).
- **Order**: tax-free kiosk (or Visit Japan Web) → check your bags → security and immigration → refund by your registered method.
- **Cash**: only if the store chose airport cash refunds and works with the airport's refund service.

## Facilities by airport (as announced by October 24, 2026)

| Airport | Customs tax-free kiosks | Cash refunds |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Haneda | International departure lobby, before check-in; the airport FAQ says exact locations will be "released shortly" | Self Tax Refund: Terminal 2 international area 3F after immigration (6:45–1:30 next day), Terminal 3 3F after immigration (24 hours) |
| Narita | International departure lobby, before check-in | Self Tax Refund: Terminal 1 Central Building 4F and Terminal 2 Main Building 3F, both before security (6:00–24:00); Cash Japan also operates at Narita |
| Kansai | Terminal 1 4F (12 kiosks) and Terminal 2 (4 kiosks), each next to a customs inspection point | Cash Japan (location per the airport's announcements) |
| Kobe, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose | Before check-in | Cash Japan, starting in stages from November 1 |
| Naha | Before check-in | Self Tax Refund: 2F departure concourse after immigration (6:00–21:00) |

- The Haneda flow (Japan Airport Terminal): tax-free verification happens before security, and cash is collected after immigration; kiosk locations differ by airport, so check your airport's website before you go.
- Self Tax Refund: scan your passport and get yen cash in about a minute; available in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, French, Spanish and Thai.
- Cash Japan: one machine can handle transactions from several partner shops at once, with yen cash at self-service machines or service counters, in about 1 minute 10 seconds in most cases, in 12 languages.
- Osaka Customs recommends doing it online with Visit Japan Web at Kansai because kiosks can get busy; online processing requires the dedicated Wi-Fi in the departure lobby.

## The store decides how you're refunded

The store explains how to register your refund method when you buy. Stores in our database that have announced theirs:

| Store | Refund method | Fees |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Don Quijote](/en/tax-free/don-quijote/) | Announcement mentions airport cash | Free in store; airport cash carries the refund provider's fee |
| [Hankyu Hanshin](/en/tax-free/hankyu-hanshin/) | Credit card, WeChat Pay / Alipay, cash at dedicated counters in some airports | Global Blue system fee; extra fee for cash at airports or seaports |
| [Isetan](/en/tax-free/isetan/), [Mitsukoshi](/en/tax-free/mitsukoshi/) | Your own credit card, Alipay / WeChat Pay (no cash listed) | Deducted from the refund (rate not published) |
| [Yamada Denki](/en/tax-free/yamada/) | "Ocean Tax Refund", applied for via web, WeChat or LINE | Not stated |

Other stores are on the [tax-free shop list](/en/tax-free/) and [Airport duty-free & refund counters](/en/tax-free/airport-duty-free/).

## Prepare in advance

- **Allow time**: a red result means queuing for an inspection. The Japan Tourism Agency says neither airlines nor customs compensate you if the tax-free procedure makes you miss your flight.
- **Keep tax-free goods easy to reach**: bring every item on each receipt, and if you get a red result, show them to customs before checking in.
- **Domestic flight to an international connection**: do it at the last airport you depart Japan from.
- **How much you get**: the consumption tax amount (usually 10%, 8% for food), minus any fee from the store or refund provider. Estimate with the [tax refund calculator](/en/tools/tax-refund/); the full rules are in [Japan's new tax-free rules](/en/q/tax-free-2026/).
- **After you land**: declare under your destination's personal allowance; see [Duty-free allowances by country](/en/q/duty-free-allowance-by-country/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I get cash at the airport for anything I bought tax-free in town?

Not necessarily. The Japan Tourism Agency says refund methods (bank transfer, credit card, app, or cash at the departure port) are decided by each shop. Self Tax Refund and Cash Japan only handle transactions from the tax-free shops they work with. Ask at purchase whether the store supports airport cash and whether there's a fee.

### Are the cash refund machines before or after security?

It depends on the airport. Self Tax Refund machines are after immigration in Haneda Terminals 2 and 3, and before security in Narita Terminals 1 and 2. Customs kiosks are always before baggage check-in. For Kansai and Kobe, follow the airport's announcements for the cash refund location.

### Is there a fee for cash at the airport?

It depends on the store and refund provider. For example, Don Quijote's operator PPIH says refund applications are free from November 1 except cash collected at the airport, which carries the refund provider's fee; Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores says cash refunds at airports or seaports carry an extra fee.

### Do airport duty-free shops after immigration work the same way?

No. Duty-free shops in the departure area and tax-free shops in town are different systems (National Tax Agency), and the November refund system applies to tax-free shops in town. For airport duty-free prices and rules, follow each shop.


## Sources

- [Japan Tourism Agency: page on the new refund system for travelers](https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00021.html)
- [Japan Tourism Agency: FAQ for travelers (Refund Method, English)](https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00027.html)
- [Japan Airport Terminal & GLORY: Self Tax Refund launches November 1, 2026 (English, 2026-10-21)](https://tokyo-haneda.com/site_resource/whats_new/pdf/000017827.pdf)
- [Consumption tax self-refund service "Self Tax Refund" starts November 1, 2026 (2026-10-21)](https://tokyo-haneda.com/site_resource/whats_new/pdf/000017830.pdf)
- [Frequently Asked Questions (Facilities)｜Haneda Airport](https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/faq/facilities.html)
- [Osaka Customs: Tax-free procedures at Kansai International Airport (PDF, Japanese)](https://www.customs.go.jp/osaka/about/images/kix_tax%20refund_jp.pdf)
- [Cash Japan: Consumption tax refund service at six airports (PR TIMES, 2026-10-19, Japanese)](https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000001.000192941.html)
- [Tax Refund Service to Launch at KIX and KOBE｜Kansai Airports](https://www.kansai-airports.co.jp/en/news/j-261019-pressrelease-cashjapan/)
- [Notice to Foreign Travelers Who Purchase Tax-Free Goods (National Tax Agency)](https://www.nta.go.jp/publication/pamph/shohi/menzei/201805/pdf/explanation_eng.pdf)

> Data from BestJapanBuy (bestjapanbuy.com). Please credit and link to the page when using it. Prices are for reference only; check in store.
> Translated with AI; the Chinese version is authoritative.