What you can bring home from Japan: UK and EU customs allowances
Checked against 16 official sources. 10 minute read.
What to know first
Japan's tax-free shopping doesn't change what you owe at home. UK and EU allowances apply to everything you bring back, including goods bought duty-free or tax-free. The limits that catch people out: in Great Britain, £390 of goods, and once you go over, tax is due on the whole value, not just the excess; alcohol allowances are 4 litres of spirits or 9 litres of drinks up to 22% (such as sake), plus 18 litres of wine and 42 litres of beer. In the EU, €430 of goods for air travellers, and a single item can't be split; alcohol allowances are much smaller, 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of drinks up to 22%, so one 1.8-litre bottle of sake uses 90% of that. Meat (including wagyu) and dairy from Japan are banned in both. Kitchen knives are fine to bring; shuriken, flick knives and curved swords of 50 cm or more are banned in the UK.
Next step: Add up your Japanese receipts in pounds or euros before you fly home, using the exchange rates below. If you're over, declare online up to 5 days before you land in the UK, or go through the red channel in the EU. Leave meat and dairy behind.
- Great Britain goods allowance
- £390Tax on the full value if exceeded
- EU goods allowance
- €430 by air or seaItems can’t be split
- Meat and dairy from Japan
- Banned in Great Britain and the EU
On this page
What to do with each thing you're bringing
Wagyu, ham, jerky, cup noodles with meat pieces: banned in Great Britain and banned in the EU. Do this: eat it in Japan.
Cheese, milk, butter, yoghurt: banned in Great Britain (except infant milk and medical food, up to 2 kg) and banned in the EU (same exceptions, up to 2 kg). Do this: leave it.
Dried bonito, dried fish, fish snacks: up to 20 kg per person in Great Britain; up to 20 kg, or one fish, in the EU. Do this: fine, keep it packaged.
Chocolate, KitKats, biscuits, sweets: allowed in Great Britain (not if made with a lot of unprocessed dairy). For the EU, Your Europe doesn't spell out how milk chocolate in luggage is treated. Do this: keep sweets in their original packaging, and check with your EU arrival country before packing milk chocolate.
Packaged noodles, soup, stock, seasonings, tea: allowed in Great Britain (noodles not filled or mixed with meat); allowed in the EU if there's no meat or milk, with a 2 kg limit for "other" products. Do this: check the label for 肉 (meat) and 乳 (milk).
Fresh fruit: in Great Britain, citrus, persimmon, kiwi, mango and a few others are allowed, and most others need a certificate; in the EU, only pineapple, coconut, durian, banana and dates are allowed without a certificate. Do this: eat Japanese strawberries and melons in Japan.
Whisky: 4 litres of spirits in Great Britain; 1 litre of spirits in the EU. Do this: see the worked examples.
Sake, umeshu, shochu under 22%: 9 litres in Great Britain (shared with spirits); 2 litres in the EU (shared with spirits). Do this: see the worked examples.
Kitchen knife: allowed in Great Britain, where only adults can buy one; no EU-wide ban, and national rules apply. Do this: pack it in checked baggage.
Katana-style sword, shuriken, butterfly knife: banned in Great Britain (with some exemptions); Germany bans shuriken and butterfly knives. Do this: don't buy without checking.
Prescription medicines dispensed in Japan: controlled drugs follow Home Office rules in the UK; national rules apply in the EU. Do this: see the medicines section.
Sources for this section: GOV.UK: Bringing goods into the UK for personal use · GOV.UK: Bringing food into Great Britain · Your Europe: taking animal products, food or plants with you (last checked 23 December 2025) · European Commission (DG SANTE): plant health rules for passengers' luggage from non-EU countries · GOV.UK: Selling, buying and carrying knives and weapons · Germany: Waffengesetz, Annex 2 (prohibited weapons)
Your allowances side by side
As of 11 October 2026. Northern Ireland uses EU-style alcohol limits for arrivals from Japan.
Goods other than alcohol and tobacco: Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) £390 (£270 by private plane or boat); Northern Ireland, from outside the EU, £390; EU arriving by air €430 (some countries: €150 for under-15s).
Beer: Great Britain 42 litres; Northern Ireland 16 litres; EU 16 litres.
Wine: Great Britain 18 litres (still or sparkling); Northern Ireland 4 litres of still wine; EU 4 litres of still wine.
Spirits over 22%: Great Britain 4 litres; Northern Ireland 1 litre; EU 1 litre. This is an either-or allowance with the next line.
Drinks up to 22% (sake, fortified wine, and sparkling wine in the EU and Northern Ireland): Great Britain 9 litres; Northern Ireland 2 litres; EU 2 litres.
Cigarettes: Great Britain 200 (or 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars, 250 g of tobacco or 200 heated-tobacco sticks); Northern Ireland the same; EU 200 (or 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco), and some countries apply lower limits.
Vaping liquid: Great Britain 50 ml; in Northern Ireland it counts in the £390.
Under 17: no alcohol or tobacco allowance in Great Britain, Northern Ireland or the EU.
The spirits and up-to-22% lines are a single allowance that you can split. In Great Britain, 2 litres of whisky (half) plus 4.5 litres of sake (half) uses all of it. In the EU, 0.5 litre of spirits plus 1 litre of sake does the same.
Going over: in Great Britain, "you will have to pay tax and duty on all the goods in that category". The EU Directive says "the value of an individual item may not be split up", so a single item worth more than €430 is taxed on its full value. You can't pool allowances with your travel companions.
Sources for this section: GOV.UK: arriving in Great Britain · GOV.UK: Bringing goods into the UK for personal use · Your Europe: alcohol, tobacco and excise duties (last checked 21 September 2026) · Council Directive 2007/74/EC (VAT and excise exemption for travellers), Articles 7–10
Worked examples with real numbers
Exchange rates used: HMRC's customs rate for October 2026 is ¥208.5932 = £1. The ECB reference rate on 8 October 2026 was ¥177.05 = €1 (EU customs offices use their own monthly rate, which will be close).
Example 1, UK: a Japanese chef's knife plus clothes, landing at Heathrow. Knife ¥45,000 + clothing and tenugui cloths ¥40,000 = ¥85,000. ¥85,000 ÷ 208.5932 = £407.49. That's over £390, so you declare everything, not just £17.49.
The total is under £630, so HMRC's online service uses its 2.5% flat rate for kitchenware and clothing: £407.49 × 2.5% = £10.19 duty. Import VAT at 20% on goods plus duty: (£407.49 + £10.19) × 20% = £83.54. Total due: £93.73. If the knife was your only purchase (¥45,000 = £215.73), you'd owe nothing.
Example 2, Germany: an expensive knife set, landing in Frankfurt. Knife set ¥90,000 ÷ 177.05 = €508.33. That's one item over €430, and it can't be split.
Germany's customs ordinance (§ 29 ZollV) applies a flat rate to travellers' goods up to €700: 17.5%, or 15% for goods that qualify for preferential treatment. 17.5% × €508.33 = €88.96. The ordinance doesn't explain whether Japanese-made goods in a traveller's luggage qualify for the 15% rate under the EU–Japan trade agreement, or what proof would be needed, so budget for 17.5% and ask German customs about the lower rate.
Compare two separate items of €250 each (€500 in total): one fits within the €430 allowance and only the other €250 is taxed. The single €508.33 set is taxed on its full value.
Example 3, alcohol: one bottle of sake and one of whisky. A standard large sake bottle (isshobin) is 1.8 litres; Japanese whisky is usually 700 ml.
Great Britain: sake 1.8 ÷ 9 = 20%; whisky 0.7 ÷ 4 = 17.5%. Total 37.5%, so it's within the allowance. You could add about two more whisky bottles.
EU or Northern Ireland: sake 1.8 ÷ 2 = 90%; whisky 0.7 ÷ 1 = 70%. Total 160%, so you're over. Either declare it, or take the whisky and a 500 ml sake instead (70% + 25% = 95%).
Sources for this section: HMRC: monthly exchange rates, October 2026 · ECB: euro foreign exchange reference rates (8 October 2026) · GOV.UK (HMRC): Simplified rates for bringing personal goods into the UK (updated 8 October 2026) · Council Directive 2007/74/EC (VAT and excise exemption for travellers), Articles 7–10 · Germany: Zollverordnung § 29 (flat-rate import charges for travellers) · GOV.UK: arriving in Great Britain · Your Europe: alcohol, tobacco and excise duties (last checked 21 September 2026)
Japan's tax-free shopping and your home customs
Japan's system changes on 1 November 2026. For goods handed over from that date, you pay the tax-inclusive price in the shop. Japanese Customs then confirms you're taking the goods out of Japan, which you must do within 90 days of purchase, and the shop refunds the consumption tax. The National Tax Agency says the change also abolishes the old split between general and consumable goods, the ¥500,000 cap on consumables and the special sealed packaging. The minimum purchase is ¥5,000. Our guide to Japan's tax-free changes in November 2026 has the details.
Tax-free in Japan isn't tax-free at home. GOV.UK says personal allowances apply "regardless of where you bought them", including duty-free and tax-free shops.
Keep every receipt. HMRC's online declaration asks for "the exact price of your goods in the currency you used to pay for them".
Refund timing: under the new method you pay ¥45,000 in the shop and later get about ¥4,090 back (10/110 of the price, before any refund-company fee). Neither HMRC nor the EU says whether to declare the price you paid or the price after the refund. If you're close to the limit, declare the price on the receipt.
Posting purchases home no longer counts as exporting for tax-free purposes: Japan abolished that option on 31 March 2025. A parcel posted home is also taxed as an import at home.
Sources for this section: Ministry of Finance Japan: 2025 tax reform, revision of the tax-free system for foreign visitors · National Tax Agency: Tax-Free Shopping System will be shifted to the Refund Method from November 2026 (PDF) · GOV.UK: Bringing goods into the UK for personal use
Food in detail
Great Britain, from Japan, banned: meat and meat products; milk and milk products (except powdered infant milk, infant food and medical food, up to 2 kg).
Great Britain, up to 2 kg per person: honey, plus a few others (live mussels and oysters, prepared snails).
Great Britain, up to 20 kg in total: fish, including dried, cooked, cured or smoked fish, and prawns.
Great Britain, allowed from anywhere: bread, cakes without fresh cream, biscuits, chocolate and confectionery (not those made with a lot of unprocessed dairy), pasta and noodles (not mixed or filled with meat), packaged soups, stocks and flavourings, and processed, packaged plant products.
Great Britain, fruit without a phytosanitary certificate: pineapple, kiwi, coconut, citrus, kumquat, persimmon, durian, curry leaves, banana and plantain, mango, dates, passion fruit, guava, plus peeled nuts and grains such as rice.
Great Britain, breaking the rules: an undeclared banned product can mean a fine of up to £5,000 in England, or prosecution.
EU, from Japan, banned: all meat and dairy, except up to 2 kg of infant milk, infant food or medical food (shelf-stable, branded, unopened).
EU, fish: 20 kg, or one fish, whichever weighs more.
EU, other products without meat or milk, such as honey: 2 kg.
EU, plants and fresh fruit and vegetables: these need a phytosanitary certificate. The only exceptions are pineapple, coconut, durian, banana and dates.
EU, breaking the rules: undeclared meat or dairy is confiscated and destroyed, and you may be fined or prosecuted.
Sources for this section: GOV.UK: Bringing food into Great Britain · Your Europe: taking animal products, food or plants with you (last checked 23 December 2025) · European Commission (DG SANTE): plant health rules for passengers' luggage from non-EU countries
Knives and souvenir weapons
UK: kitchen knives (gyuto, santoku, nakiri) are legal to bring home. GOV.UK lists weapons that are illegal to possess or bring into the UK. The ones sold as Japanese souvenirs include these:
Swords: curved swords of 50 cm or more, measured in a straight line from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade (katana-style), and "ninja swords" (straight blades of 14–24 inches).
Throwing stars: shuriken.
Chain weapons: kusari, manrikigusari and kusari gama.
Folding knives: butterfly knives, and flick or gravity knives.
There are some exemptions, such as items over 100 years old (but not flick or gravity knives). For an antique sword, get advice from the police before you buy. Back home, carrying most knives in public without a good reason is illegal, and you must be 18 or over to buy one.
EU: there's no single EU list; each country sets its own. Germany's Weapons Act, for example, bans throwing stars (Wurfsterne), butterfly knives, push daggers (Faustmesser), and most flick and gravity knives.
Sources for this section: GOV.UK: Selling, buying and carrying knives and weapons · Germany: Waffengesetz, Annex 2 (prohibited weapons)
Medicines
Returning to the UK: if a Japanese doctor prescribes and dispenses you a controlled drug, such as some strong painkillers, the Home Office says the usual personal-import route doesn't cover UK residents treated abroad. The guidance says that if you want to return to the UK with them, you need to email the Home Office drugs licensing team (dflu.ie@homeoffice.gov.uk). Do it while you're still in Japan, so you have an answer before you fly. For medicines that aren't controlled drugs, the Home Office points to MHRA rules.
Returning to the EU: there's no EU-wide rule for medicines in luggage; each country's medicines authority sets the limits. Carry the prescription or pharmacy receipt and keep medicines in their original packaging.
Bringing medicines into Japan is a separate topic with its own rules.
Sources for this section: GOV.UK (Home Office): Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs
Your next step: the evening before you fly home
1. Match everything you bought to a row in “What to do with each thing you're bringing”. Eat meat products such as wagyu, ham and jerky in Japan, and leave cheese, milk and butter behind.
2. Add up your Japanese receipts and convert the total: divide by 208.5932 for pounds (HMRC's rate for this month, checked 11 October 2026), or by about 177.05 for euros (ECB, 8 October 2026).
3. Check the alcohol on its own: one 1.8-litre bottle of sake uses 90% of the EU's 2-litre allowance for drinks up to 22%; Great Britain allows 9 litres.
4. Over £390 in Great Britain, or €430 in the EU by air? Declare online up to 5 days before you land in the UK, or go through the red channel in the EU.
5. Keep every receipt in your hand luggage: HMRC's online declaration asks for the exact price in the currency you paid.
Sources for this section: GOV.UK: arriving in Great Britain · ECB: euro foreign exchange reference rates (8 October 2026) · Your Europe: alcohol, tobacco and excise duties (last checked 21 September 2026)
Key facts, checked 11 October 2026
Great Britain goods allowance: £390; tax on the full value if exceeded.
Great Britain alcohol: 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of wine, and 4 litres of spirits or 9 litres up to 22%.
Great Britain simplified rates: 2.5% flat duty up to £630; spirits £12.75 per litre.
EU goods allowance: €430 by air or sea; items can't be split.
EU alcohol: 4 litres of wine, 16 litres of beer, and 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres up to 22%.
Meat and dairy from Japan: banned in Great Britain and the EU.
Japan's tax-free refund method: from 1 November 2026; customs check within 90 days.
HMRC JPY rate, October 2026: ¥208.5932 = £1.
Sources for this section: GOV.UK: arriving in Great Britain · GOV.UK (HMRC): Simplified rates for bringing personal goods into the UK (updated 8 October 2026) · Your Europe: alcohol, tobacco and excise duties (last checked 21 September 2026) · GOV.UK: Bringing food into Great Britain · Your Europe: taking animal products, food or plants with you (last checked 23 December 2025) · Ministry of Finance Japan: 2025 tax reform, revision of the tax-free system for foreign visitors · HMRC: monthly exchange rates, October 2026
Questions about this guide
Can I bring wagyu beef home from Japan?
No. Great Britain bans "meat or meat products" from outside the EU, and the EU bans all meat and dairy from non-EU countries. This includes vacuum-packed, frozen and dried beef, and noodles mixed or filled with meat. In England, failing to declare a banned product can lead to a fine of up to £5,000. Eat it in Japan.
How many bottles of Japanese whisky can I bring home?
To Great Britain, 4 litres of spirits: five 700 ml bottles (3.5 litres), if you bring no sake or other drinks up to 22%. To the EU or Northern Ireland, 1 litre: one 700 ml bottle. Above that, declare it and pay duty. In Great Britain, HMRC's simplified excise rate for spirits is £12.75 per litre, plus import VAT.
Can I bring a Japanese kitchen knife back to the UK or EU?
Yes, to both the UK and the EU. Kitchen knives aren't on the UK banned list or on Germany's banned list. Pack it in checked baggage. It counts towards your £390 or €430 goods allowance, so a ¥45,000 knife (£215.73) is fine on its own. Katana-style curved swords of 50 cm or more and shuriken are banned in the UK.
Are KitKats and other Japanese sweets allowed?
In Great Britain, yes: chocolate, confectionery and biscuits are allowed from any country, unless they're made with a lot of unprocessed dairy. For the EU, the general rule bans dairy products from non-EU countries, and Your Europe doesn't spell out whether shelf-stable milk chocolate in a traveller's luggage is caught, so check with your arrival country before packing it. Dairy-free sweets, such as many wagashi and rice crackers, are covered by the 2 kg limit for products without meat or milk.
I bought it tax-free in Japan. Do I still pay at home?
Yes, if you're over your allowance. Japanese tax-free status only removes Japan's 10% consumption tax. UK and EU allowances apply to goods "regardless of where you bought them". Example: ¥85,000 of goods (£407.49) costs £93.73 in UK duty and VAT, whether or not you got the Japanese tax refunded.
Official pages for this guide
The rules in this guide come from the official pages below. Japan, Booked. does not book or submit requests on your behalf.
- GOV.UK: Bringing goods into the UK for personal use
- GOV.UK: arriving in Great Britain
- GOV.UK (HMRC): Simplified rates for bringing personal goods into the UK (updated 8 October 2026)
- HMRC: monthly exchange rates, October 2026
- GOV.UK: Bringing food into Great Britain
- GOV.UK: Selling, buying and carrying knives and weapons
- GOV.UK (Home Office): Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs
- Your Europe: alcohol, tobacco and excise duties (last checked 21 September 2026)
- Your Europe: taking animal products, food or plants with you (last checked 23 December 2025)
- European Commission (DG SANTE): plant health rules for passengers' luggage from non-EU countries
- Council Directive 2007/74/EC (VAT and excise exemption for travellers), Articles 7–10
- ECB: euro foreign exchange reference rates (8 October 2026)
- Germany: Zollverordnung § 29 (flat-rate import charges for travellers)
- Germany: Waffengesetz, Annex 2 (prohibited weapons)
- Ministry of Finance Japan: 2025 tax reform, revision of the tax-free system for foreign visitors
- National Tax Agency: Tax-Free Shopping System will be shifted to the Refund Method from November 2026 (PDF)
Read next
- Tax-free shopping in Japan in 2026Understand the shopping process and the planned November rules transition, including relevant dates and required documents for your purchase.
- Cash or card in Japan: plan your everyday paymentsBuild a practical mix of cash, cards and transport payments for shopping, food and getting around.
- Bringing medication into Japan: which route your medicine needsUp to a 1-month supply of ordinary, non-controlled prescription medicine needs no paperwork; more needs a Yunyu Kakunin-sho. Codeine and Elvanse need permission; Adderall is banned. CBD and posting rules.
- Your first steps after landing in JapanFollow a practical arrival sequence from immigration and baggage to internet access, money and your first hotel.
Sources and how this guide was checked
Published · Based on official sources · no affiliate links
Official sources
These official sources explain the rules and conditions used in this guide. Live availability and your own booking, admission or service outcome still need to be confirmed for your trip.
- GOV.UK: Bringing goods into the UK for personal use
What this confirms: Covers the personal allowances for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, banned and restricted goods, online declarations up to 5 days before arrival, and allowances that apply regardless of where goods were bought.
Last checked - GOV.UK: arriving in Great Britain
What this confirms: Gives the £390 goods allowance, the alcohol and tobacco allowances, and the rule that tax is due on all goods in a category once you go over.
Last checked - GOV.UK (HMRC): Simplified rates for bringing personal goods into the UK (updated 8 October 2026)
What this confirms: Gives the 2.5% flat duty rate for goods up to £630 and the £12.75 per litre simplified excise rate for spirits.
Last checked - HMRC: monthly exchange rates, October 2026
What this confirms: Gives the October 2026 customs rate of JPY 208.5932 per £1.
Last checked - GOV.UK: Bringing food into Great Britain
What this confirms: Lists the meat and dairy ban, the 2 kg and 20 kg limits, the foods allowed from any country, the fruit allowed without a certificate and the fine of up to £5,000 in England.
Last checked - GOV.UK: Selling, buying and carrying knives and weapons
What this confirms: Lists the banned weapons, including curved swords of 50 cm or more, shuriken and flick knives, the exemptions, and the age limit of 18 for buying a knife.
Last checked - GOV.UK (Home Office): Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs
What this confirms: Explains that UK residents prescribed controlled drugs abroad need to contact the Home Office drugs licensing team before returning with them.
Last checked - Your Europe: alcohol, tobacco and excise duties (last checked 21 September 2026)
What this confirms: Gives the €430 allowance for air and sea travellers and the EU alcohol and tobacco allowances for arrivals from outside the EU.
Last checked - Your Europe: taking animal products, food or plants with you (last checked 23 December 2025)
What this confirms: Gives the ban on meat and dairy from outside the EU, the 2 kg exceptions, the 20 kg fish limit and the confiscation of undeclared products.
Last checked - European Commission (DG SANTE): plant health rules for passengers' luggage from non-EU countries
What this confirms: Explains that plants and fresh fruit and vegetables need a phytosanitary certificate, except pineapple, coconut, durian, banana and dates.
Last checked - Council Directive 2007/74/EC (VAT and excise exemption for travellers), Articles 7–10
What this confirms: Sets the travellers' allowances and states that the value of an individual item may not be split up.
Last checked - ECB: euro foreign exchange reference rates (8 October 2026)
What this confirms: Gives the reference rate of ¥177.05 per €1 on 8 October 2026.
Last checked - Germany: Zollverordnung § 29 (flat-rate import charges for travellers)
What this confirms: Sets the flat rate of 17.5% of the value for travellers' goods up to €700, and 15% for goods that qualify for preferential treatment.
Last checked - Germany: Waffengesetz, Annex 2 (prohibited weapons)
What this confirms: Lists prohibited weapons, including throwing stars, butterfly knives, push daggers and most flick and gravity knives.
Last checked - Ministry of Finance Japan: 2025 tax reform, revision of the tax-free system for foreign visitors
What this confirms: Explains the move to the refund method from 1 November 2026 and the customs check within 90 days of purchase.
Last checked - National Tax Agency: Tax-Free Shopping System will be shifted to the Refund Method from November 2026 (PDF)
What this confirms: Explains the end of the general and consumable goods split, the ¥500,000 consumables cap and special packaging, and the ¥5,000 minimum purchase.
Last checked
About this guide
UK £390 and EU €430 allowances, whisky and sake limits, the meat and dairy ban, knives, and why Japan's tax-free shopping doesn't change what you owe at home.
Checked against GOV.UK (HMRC, Home Office), the European Commission (Your Europe, DG SANTE), EU and German legislation, and Japan's Ministry of Finance and National Tax Agency on 11 October 2026. Japan, Booked. is independent. This page has no affiliate links and isn't legal advice.
How we checked this
Sources and limits of this guide
These dated notes clarify what is confirmed by official sources—and what you still need to verify yourself.
If columns are cut off, scroll sideways. Keyboard: focus the table, then use Left/Right Arrow keys.
| Question | What we found | Where it comes from | What this means for your trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| What happens if I go over £390? | Tax and duty are due on all the goods in that category, not just the excess. | GOV.UK: arriving in Great Britain | Add up your receipts in pounds before you fly, and declare online if you're over. |
| Is sake within my EU allowance? | Only up to 2 litres, shared with spirits: one 1.8-litre bottle uses 90%. | Your Europe: alcohol, tobacco and excise duties (last checked 21 September 2026) | Choose smaller bottles or declare the excess. |
| Can I bring wagyu home? | No. Meat and dairy from Japan are banned in Great Britain and the EU. | GOV.UK: Bringing food into Great Britain | Eat it in Japan; an undeclared banned product can mean a fine of up to £5,000 in England. |
| Can I bring a Japanese kitchen knife home? | Yes in Great Britain, where only adults can buy one; there is no EU-wide ban, and national rules apply. | GOV.UK: Selling, buying and carrying knives and weapons | Pack it in checked baggage, and check your own country's rules in the EU. |
Based on official sources, linked below.
Guide updates Reviewed
When this guide was checked and what changed
- First published
- Last checked
- Check again by
- What we checked
- GOV.UK, HMRC, Home Office, Your Europe, DG SANTE, EU and German legislation, ECB, Japan's Ministry of Finance and National Tax Agency pages, checked 9 October 2026.
- Latest update
- : Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.
The date above reflects when these checks were last run. If an individual source was rechecked later, you’ll see that date next to it below. Other copy edits are listed in the update history.
Who edits this guide
One editor looks after this guide
Japan, Booked. is run and edited from Japan. The same editor checks the Japanese and English sources, writes the traveller-facing guidance and keeps the correction history up to date.
What changed
Update history
- Scheduled recheck
Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.
- Next step
Added a numbered next step, using only facts already in this guide. No facts were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.
- First published
First published: UK and EU allowances for goods, alcohol and tobacco, the food and weapons rules, three worked examples and how Japan's tax-free refund relates to them, checked against official pages on 9 October 2026.
If an operator, organiser or product changes in a way that affects the guide, we check it again sooner. Reader reports help us spot what to investigate, and we verify them against current official information before publishing. Read our update and corrections policy. See every guide's review schedule. Suggest an improvement to this guide.