Japan Abolishes Separate Duty-Free Shipping in April 2025: Purchase Limits and Refund Procedures Korean Travelers Should Check

Starting April 1, 2025, the 'bessou' method of shipping duty-free purchases in Japan separately through international courier is no longer eligible for duty-free treatment. For items purchased on or after that date, the traveler must carry the goods personally out of the country and have them checked by customs for the duty-free status to hold. On November 1, 2026, point-of-purchase duty-free exemption will be abolished entirely, and the whole system will switch to a refund method where tax is returned after departure is confirmed. What Korean travelers need to check right now is the boundary between these two effective dates and the purchase limits that apply at each stage.

April 1, 2025: Separate Shipping Duty-Free Is Gone

Previously, travelers could ship duty-free purchases separately to their home address by post or courier, and duty-free status would still be recognized as long as they showed the shipping receipt to customs upon departure. Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Tourism Agency abolished this separate shipping treatment effective April 1, 2025.

For duty-free items purchased on or after April 1, 2025, the traveler must personally hold the goods upon departure and pass customs inspection for the duty-free status to remain valid. Presenting a shipping receipt no longer qualifies for duty-free treatment.

That said, items purchased on or before March 31, 2025 can still receive duty-free treatment under the old method even if they are shipped separately afterward. The key condition is whether the purchase date falls on or before March 31.

MLIT Tourism Agency notice on the abolition of separate shipping treatment

The 500,000 Yen Limit on Consumables Stays Until November 2026

The distinction between general goods and consumables, the special packaging requirement for consumables, and the daily 500,000 yen purchase limit for consumables all remain unchanged until November 1, 2026. If items classified as consumables such as cosmetics, food, or medicine are purchased in excess of 500,000 yen in a single day, the amount over that limit does not qualify for duty-free treatment.

Consumables are sealed in dedicated bags, and opening or using them while still in Japan makes them subject to duty-free cancellation at departure. Official guidance from the National Tax Agency states that this distinction and the packaging rule will disappear once the refund method takes effect on November 1, 2026.

National Tax Agency guidance on the shift to the refund method for tax-free shops

From November 1, 2026, Refunds Are Issued After Departure Confirmation

For purchases made on or after November 1, 2026, travelers will pay the tax-inclusive price at the duty-free shop first, then receive the consumption tax equivalent back after customs confirms the goods are being taken out of the country at departure. If departure confirmation is not obtained within 90 days of the purchase date, the item becomes ineligible for a refund.

Confirmation takes place at unmanned terminals at Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose, and Naha airports, where the traveler scans their passport. Since checking luggage as hold baggage beforehand makes the confirmation process impossible, duty-free goods must be kept in carry-on luggage, passed through the terminal, and only then checked in.

If even one duty-free item listed on a single receipt is missing at the time of confirmation, the rest of the items on that same receipt also become ineligible for a refund. For high-value items with a pre-tax unit price over 1,000,000 yen, identifying information such as a serial number is recorded separately in the purchase record.

Travel Times report summarizing Japan's refund method procedures

Japan's Duty-Free System and Korea's Customs Exemption Limit Are Separate

The procedure for reclaiming consumption tax in Japan and the duty-free allowance applied to travelers' personal belongings when entering Korea are two entirely separate systems. According to guidance from the Korea Customs Service, if the total taxable value of items purchased abroad exceeds 800 dollars per person, the traveler must declare them to customs.

Even items on which the traveler received a consumption tax refund in Japan are still included as is in the 800 dollar calculation upon entry into Korea. The amount subject to declaration is the actual price paid, not the discounted amount after Japan's duty-free reduction.

Korea Customs Service guidance on travelers' personal belongings clearance

Purchase Limits by Date: Summary

Sources: MLIT Tourism Agency, on the abolition of separate shipping treatment

Sources: MLIT Tourism Agency, leaflet on the abolition of separate shipping treatment (PDF)

Sources: MLIT Consumption Tax-Free Shop site, guidance on transition to the refund method

Sources: National Tax Agency, transition to the refund method for tax-free shops

Sources: Korea Customs Service, clearance of travelers' personal belongings

Sources: Travel Times, article on Japan's post departure confirmation refunds starting in November