Osaka · KIX
Kansai International Airport: tax refund procedure
Do the customs confirmation before you check in your bags, within 90 days of purchase. Here is where to go at Kansai and what to expect.
- Where
- Terminal 1: 4th floor (international departures), next to the Customs inspection area · Terminal 2: Check-in lobby, before the security checkpoint
- When
- Before you check in any bags. Within 90 days of the purchase date.
- Online option
- Visit Japan Web, while connected to the dedicated Wi-Fi inside the marked area of the departure lobby (up to the security checkpoint).
- Customs office
- Osaka Customs
Terminal by terminal
| Terminal | Tax-free terminals (kiosks) | Dedicated Wi-Fi area | Customs inspection (RED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | 4th floor (international departures), next to the Customs inspection area 12 units | 4th floor, dedicated Wi-Fi area marked on the Osaka Customs map | 4th floor, Customs inspection area beside the kiosks |
| Terminal 2 | Check-in lobby, before the security checkpoint 4 units | Check-in lobby, dedicated Wi-Fi area marked on the Osaka Customs map | Check-in lobby, Customs inspection area beside the kiosks |
Source: Osaka Customs guide (PDF, English). Last checked 16 Oct 2026.
Kansai notes
- Osaka Customs warns that the kiosks may be congested and recommends the Visit Japan Web method over the dedicated Wi-Fi instead.
- The online method only works while connected to the dedicated Wi-Fi network inside the marked area. Mobile data will not do.
- Complete the procedure before checking in your baggage.
Step by step
- Do the tax-free procedure first, before you check in any bags. The terminals are in the international departure lobby, before baggage check-in. Checked bags cannot be retrieved, and every tax-free item has to be with you.
- Scan your passport at a tax-free procedure terminal. At the seven major airports you can instead use Visit Japan Web on your phone while connected to the dedicated Wi-Fi in the marked area, which runs up to the security checkpoint. Either way it takes seconds.
- Read the result. GREEN: the customs procedure is complete. RED: take your goods to the customs inspection area and show them to the officer.
- Keep every item from every receipt with you, consumables unused. If one item from a receipt is missing, that whole receipt loses the refund. If you ate, drank or used something, do not use the terminal; report it to the customs officer at the counter.
- Then check in your bags and go through security. The whole procedure, including any inspection, must be finished before your boarding procedures, so arrive with time to spare.
- The refund comes later from the shop or its refund operator. Customs does not pay you. It arrives by the method you registered at the shop: bank transfer, card, app or cash at the port. See Where’s my refund?
Official information
- Kansai International Airport, official site
- Osaka Customs: Guide to the refund procedure at Kansai Airport (PDF)
- Japan Tourism Agency: What is the Refund Method?
- Japan Tourism Agency: FAQ for travellers (refund method)
- Visit Japan Web (Digital Agency)
Last checked 16 Oct 2026.
We only state terminal locations we have verified against an official source. Airports move things; check the airport’s own page before you fly.