Get the tax back
Most countries charge VAT or GST on what you buy, and many refund it to visitors who take the goods home. Check whether you qualify, what you'd get back, and exactly what to do. 24 countries with a refund scheme, plus the big ones without.
Pick where you're shopping. Add where you live and how much you're spending for a refund estimate.
Refund rules by country
Net refund is the typical share of the price you get back after operator fees. Minimums are in local currency and usually apply per store, per day.
| Country | Tax | Minimum | Net refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 10% | A$300 | 9.09–9.09% |
| Austria | 20% | €75.01 | 10.5–15% |
| Canada | 5% | No scheme | — |
| China | 13% | CN¥200 | 6–9% |
| Croatia | 25% | €100.01 | 13.1–17.9% |
| Czech Republic | 21% | CZK 2,000.01 | 11.3–17% |
| France | 20% | €100.01 | 10–12% |
| Germany | 19% | €50.01 | 10–13% |
| Hong Kong | None | No scheme | — |
| Indonesia | 12% | IDR 5,045,455 | 9.9–9.9% |
| Ireland | 23% | €75.01 | 7.7–16% |
| Italy | 22% | €70.01 | 10–15% |
| Japan | 10% | ¥5,500 | 6.9–9.09% |
| Mexico | 16% | MX$1,200 | 8.9–8.9% |
| Morocco | 20% | MAD 2,000 | — |
| Netherlands | 21% | €50 | 11–16% |
| Portugal | 23% | €61.50 | 14–16% |
| Singapore | 9% | SGD 100 | — |
| South Korea | 10% | ₩15,000 | 4–8% |
| Spain | 21% | None | 12–15.7% |
| Switzerland | 8.1% | CHF 300 | 3.8–6% |
| Taiwan | 5% | NT$2,000 | 3.8–4.1% |
| Thailand | 7% | THB 2,000 | 3.8–6.1% |
| Turkey | 20% | TRY 1,200.01 | — |
| United Arab Emirates | 5% | AED 250 | 2.7–4.1% |
| United Kingdom | 20% | No scheme | — |
| United States | None | No scheme | — |
| Vietnam | 10% | ₫2,000,000 | 6.3–7.7% |
Frequently asked
Who can get a tourist tax refund?
Visitors who live outside the country (or outside the EU, for EU countries) and take the goods home unused. Residence decides it, not nationality: a French citizen living in Canada can claim in France, a Canadian living in Germany can't.
How much of the VAT do I actually get back?
Less than the headline rate. A 20% VAT is 16.7% of a tax-inclusive price, and refund operators keep part of that as a fee, so most travelers get back roughly 10 to 15% of what they paid in Europe. Countries with official, fee-free schemes (Australia, for example) return the full tax share.
I'm visiting several EU countries. Where do I validate?
At your last exit from the EU, not in the country where you shopped. Carry the forms and the goods until then and have them stamped or scanned at customs before you check in your bag.
Can I claim on hotels, restaurants or car hire?
No. Tourist refunds cover goods you take out of the country. Services consumed during the trip are excluded everywhere in this list.
How often is this data checked?
Every country page shows the date its rules were last checked and the sources behind them. Entries older than 90 days are flagged for re-verification. Rules change: Japan moves to a pay-first, refund-later system on 1 November 2026, and the UK has had no tourist refund since 2021.
Flying somewhere you haven't checked the entry rules for? The visa checker covers every passport-destination pair, and when to visit rates each month for 199 countries.