[Haneda, Narita, and Naha Airports] Cash Refund in About One Minute: "Self Tax Refund"—A Self-Service Consumption Tax Refund for International Visitors to Japan—Launching November 1, 2026

*AI Translated

The "Self Tax Refund" service, a self-service tax refund system for international visitors jointly developed by Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd. and Glory Ltd., began operation at Haneda, Narita, and Naha Airports on November 1, 2026.

This service is compatible with the new refund-based tax exemption system introduced in November 2026. It allows international visitors to Japan and others (*) to easily and quickly receive a consumption tax refund in cash at airport self-service tax refund terminals before boarding their return flights, with the entire process taking about one minute.

* Those eligible for the tax exemption system (non-residents) are limited to foreign travelers who have been in Japan for less than six months, as well as Japanese nationals temporarily returning to Japan who have lived abroad continuously for more than two years.

Background

The number of international visitors to Japan surpassed 40 million in 2025, and inbound demand is expected to continue growing. However, under the previous tax exemption system, consumption tax was exempted at the time of purchase, which led to issues such as fraudulent resale of goods within Japan without taking them out of the country.
With the introduction of the "refund-based system" in November 2026, international visitors and others will temporarily pay the consumption tax at the time of purchase and receive a refund upon departure from Japan.

In response to this system change, this service has installed self-service tax refund terminals in airports, providing an environment where international visitors and others can smoothly complete the refund process and receive cash refunds.

Service Development Based on Demonstration Experiments and Survey Results

In July of last year, Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd. and Glory Ltd. conducted a demonstration experiment of the tax refund service for foreign residents in Japan at their R&D base "terminal.0 HANEDA" in HANEDA INNOVATION CITY (Ota-ku, Tokyo). In September of the same year, in addition to demonstration experiments for foreign residents in Japan, an online survey was conducted with 500 foreign nationals living overseas who had previously visited Japan. The results showed that "the complexity of the procedure" and "the number of days until the refund" were important factors in choosing a refund method, and that there is a certain demand for cash refunds, which offer immediacy and convenience.

Based on these findings, user feedback from the demonstration experiments was incorporated into the user interface and multilingual support, leading to the launch of the self-service tax refund service in November 2026.

Features of the Self Tax Refund Service

1. Speedy

The refund process can be completed in about one minute with simple self-service operations, such as scanning your passport.

2. Receive Your Refund On the Spot

After eligibility is confirmed, you can receive your tax refund in cash (Japanese yen) directly from the self-service tax refund terminal.

3. Multilingual Support

The self-service tax refund terminals support multiple languages, including Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, French, Spanish, and Thai. In addition, 24/7 multilingual remote avatar staff are available to assist users.

Click here for more details on the Self Tax Refund service (Glory Ltd.)

How to Use (Example: Haneda Airport)

STEP 1 Purchase at Eligible Stores

Purchase products at participating stores and select cash refund.

STEP 2 Tax Exemption Verification at the Airport (Pre-Departure Area)*This step is mandatory

Before checking in your luggage, receive tax exemption verification at the "Tax Exemption Procedure Terminal" installed by customs in the pre-departure area.

STEP 3 Receive Your Refund (Post-Departure Area)

Scan your passport at the "Consumption Tax Self-Refund Terminal" located in the post-departure area and confirm your refund details.

You will receive a refund equivalent to the consumption tax amount in Japanese yen.

*Tax exemption verification is conducted in the pre-departure area, and the refund is received in the post-departure area.
*The locations of the "Tax Exemption Procedure Terminal" and "Consumption Tax Self-Refund Terminal" may vary depending on the airport.
Please check the website of your departing airport in advance for details.

Future Developments

Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd. and GLORY LTD. aim to expand to other domestic airports by the end of fiscal year 2027, while further improving efficiency and working to build a more convenient tax refund platform.

Terminal Locations & Hours of Operation

*Consumption Tax Self-Refund Terminals installed by Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd. and GLORY LTD.

Haneda Airport

- Terminal 2 International Area

*Hours may change depending on flight operations.

- Terminal 3

Narita Airport

- Terminal 1

- Terminal 2

Naha Airport

*Hours may change depending on flight operations.

Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd.

Address: 3-3-2 Haneda Airport, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Terminal 1 Passenger Building
Established: July 20, 1953
Representative: President and CEO Kazuhito Tanaka
Business Activities: Construction, management, and operation of domestic passenger terminal buildings at Haneda Airport, as well as contracted operations at international passenger terminal buildings.
URL: https://tokyo-haneda.com

GLORY LTD.

Address: 1-3-1 Shimoteno, Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture
Founded: March 1918
Established: November 1944
Representative: President and CEO Akihiro Harada
Business Activities: Development, manufacturing, sales, and maintenance of currency handling machines and self-service equipment, electronic payment services, biometric authentication solutions, and more.
URL: https://www.glory.co.jp

Overview of the Refund System

From November 1, 2026, the consumption tax exemption system for foreign visitors to Japan will change to a "refund system (post-purchase refund type)." After temporarily purchasing products at the tax-included price in-store, within 90 days you must present your passport at a customs tax exemption procedure terminal (kiosk) installed at the airport at the time of departure for verification. After confirmation, the consumption tax amount will be refunded by the tax-free store or refund operator. Refund methods include credit card, various cashless options, or cash. Please note that refund methods may vary by tax-free store, so please check with the store in advance.

(Reference)

Source:
Japan Tourism Agency "[For Travelers] Information on the New System (Refund Method) Here "
Japan Tourism Agency "Consumption Tax Exemption System Refund Method Leaflet (For Travelers)"

(Service Details)

Click here for details on the Consumption Tax Self-Refund Service "Self Tax Refund" (Glory Ltd.)

Source: PRTIMES

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