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Shop, keep papers, refundDeparture tax refund: get up to 11% back on your shopping
Foreign visitors can reclaim VAT on goods they take out of China. The rules were relaxed in 2025 — this page walks you from the shop counter to the airport refund desk.
What the refund is
A VAT refund for goods you buy in China and carry out of the country — same idea as tax-free shopping in Europe or Japan.
Foreign visitors
Holders of foreign passports, plus residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, who have stayed in the mainland for no more than 183 days in a row. A standard tourist visa or visa-free entry both qualify.
11% and 8%
Goods taxed at the standard 13% VAT rate refund 11%; goods at the reduced 9% rate refund 8%. Most souvenirs, electronics, clothing and handicrafts fall in the 11% bracket.
¥200 per store, per day
You must spend at least ¥200 at the same store on the same day to qualify — lowered from ¥500 in April 2025. Two stores, two separate thresholds; refunds are paid in RMB.
What counts: physical goods you take abroad — clothing, tea, ceramics, electronics, cosmetics, antiques with export clearance. What does not: services consumed in China (hotels, restaurants, transport), and goods you cannot legally export.
Two refund routes
Pick at the cash register: wait for the airport, or walk out with the money.
| Route | How it works |
|---|---|
| Refund at departure (the standard way) | The store gives you a refund application form and invoices. At the departure port, customs checks you and the goods, then a refund counter pays you in cash or back to your card. The default route, available at every refund port. |
| Refund on purchase (即买即退) | Participating stores hand you the refund on the spot, against a credit-card pre-authorisation that guarantees you will complete the customs check. Skip the airport queue for money — but you must still show the goods at the port, or the card is charged back. |
Refund-on-purchase became nationwide in April 2025. Stores that offer it carry the 即买即退 sign. It is the fastest option if your card supports pre-authorisation — otherwise use the standard route.
Step by step
Four moments matter: the shop, the paperwork, the customs check, the counter.
- Shop at a licensed store. Look for the blue Tax Free sign (退税商店). Bring your passport — the purchase must be registered to your passport number.
- Ask for the refund form and keep every invoice. The store prints a refund application form (退税申请单) with your details. No form, no refund — ask at the register, not at the airport.
- Keep the goods unused and in your possession. They must leave China with you, in hand or checked baggage, within 90 days of purchase. Wear the shoes? Then they are no longer refundable.
- Do the customs check before security. At the departure port, go to the customs desk with passport, boarding pass, forms, invoices and the goods themselves. If the goods are checked in, declare before dropping the bags.
- Collect at the refund counter. After passport control, the port's refund counter pays in RMB: cash up to ¥20,000, anything above by bank or card transfer. Bring the stamped forms from customs.
Refunds are only paid at designated departure ports. All major international airports (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an and more) have counters, but smaller ports may not. Check before you book a refund plan around an obscure exit.
What voids a refund: six easy mistakes
Each of these quietly kills the claim — no negotiation at the counter.
- Goods opened or consumed. Anything used, worn or eaten is out. Keep packaging until you are through customs.
- Purchased more than 90 days ago. The clock runs from the invoice date to your departure.
- Goods not carried by you. Shipping them home, or a companion carrying yours, voids the refund — the buyer must carry the goods out personally.
- Below ¥200 in one store, one day. ¥180 at three different stores does not add up; ¥199 at one store does not round up.
- No customs verification. Skipping the customs desk and walking straight to the refund counter — or out of the country — voids everything, including refund-on-purchase pre-authorisations.
- Missing or altered paperwork. No refund form, or invoices that do not match your passport details, cannot be fixed at the airport.
Quick answers
Can I get the refund at any shop in China?
No — only at licensed Tax Free stores (退税商店), which display the sign. They cluster in tourist cities, department stores and malls; big brands in those stores usually qualify. Ask at the counter before paying, not after.
Do I get cash on the spot?
With refund-on-purchase (即买即退), yes — the store pays you on the spot against a card pre-authorisation, and you confirm the goods at customs later. The standard route pays at the departure port: cash up to ¥20,000, above that by transfer. All refunds are in RMB.
Is the full 11% paid out?
The refund rate is 11% on 13%-rate goods and 8% on 9%-rate goods, calculated on the invoice amount. The refunded cash can be rounded, and bank or card transfers may lose a small fee — the counter tells you the exact figure before paying.
Does my visa type matter?
No. Any foreign passport holder works, whatever the entry stamp — tourist, business, transit or visa-free — as long as your consecutive stay in the mainland is 183 days or less. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents qualify too.
Can my friend carry the goods out for me?
No. The buyer must personally carry the goods out of China and present them at customs. Shipping goods home also voids the refund. If you travel as a family, each person's purchases should be registered on and carried by that person.
What if I bought something 100 days before flying out?
Then it is not refundable — the limit is 90 days between purchase and departure. There is no exception at the counter, so plan big purchases close to your departure date.
Official sources
This page is an aggregator, not an authority. When it and an official source disagree, the official source wins.
- State Taxation Administration — the departure refund policy notices, including the 2025 threshold cut and nationwide refund-on-purchase: chinatax.gov.cn
- Tax service hotline — 12366 (Mandarin; staffed nationwide, can confirm whether a specific store or port offers refunds)
- Refund operators at ports — each departure airport publishes its own counter locations and hours on its website
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