Leisure travellers whose usual place of residence is in a country outside the European Union are entitled to have VAT deducted from the purchases that they have made in France. The visitor concerned must be aged 16 or more and be visiting France for a period of less than 6 months.
The purchases, of a touristic nature, must be made over a maximum of 3 days, at a retailer that offers tax free shopping and in the the same brand (or group of brands) for an amount exceeding €100 (since 1st January 2021), inclusive of tax. The retailer then tells the buyer what they must do in order to claim back the VAT and gives them the sales slip for export. The buyer must show their passport to the retailer in the shop to prove their non-resident status.
Many shops offer tax-refund services.
> Aéroports de Paris shops : two Parisian airports, Orly et Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, each have several dozen duty-free shops (Perfume, Cosmetics, Wines and Spirits, Tobacco, Gastronomy and Confectionery).
> Vallée Village is a shopping outlet for major fashion and luxury brands. Every year, shops offer products from previous seasons’ collections at reduced prices. All shops offer duty-free shopping and the Vallée Village has its own tax-refund office.
> One Nation Paris is the largest luxury and fashion outlet in France and the first one with a global tax-refund policy.
> The Val d'Europe shopping center offers a centralized tax-free service from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 9 pm and on Saundays until 7.30 pm.
> Several Paris department stores have tax-refund counters: Galeries Lafayette, the Printemps Haussmann, the BHV Marais, the Bon Marché Rive Gauche or the Samaritaine Paris Pont-Neuf.
> Top luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès…
> Fnac shops in Paris: Fnac des Halles, Fnac des Ternes, Fnac Saint Lazare
> La Maison .Kate Lee, creator of unique models of trendy and timeless women's bags and leather goods in the 3rd arrondissement
> Les Antiquaires et Galeries d'Art du Village Suisse, on Suffren avenue, in the 15th arrondissement
> Several shops in the Eurostar departure lounge at the gare du Nord
> Shops in the Passage du Havre shopping centre (except food and drink outlets)
> Several shops in the Carrousel du Louvre and perfume shops on rue de Rivoli, opposite the Louvre
> Binet-Papillon Parfums, in the Galerie Vivienne, in the 2nd arrondissement
> Empreintes offers tax-free shopping for an even better experience.
> Urban and streetwear clothing boutique, The Hideout Clothing in the 3rd arrondissement
> The made by hand Jeweler, Nadine Delépine in the 6th arrondissement
> L'Habit Français, the Made in France concept-store located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris
You can register for a tax refund with operators in Paris such as Detaxe SAS
To be entitled to a tax refund, you must present the duty-free slip at customs on leaving France. You may be asked to produce the objects purchased so that they can be verified. You can easily obtain an electronic duty-free slip by using the Pablo terminals at the airports.
For an immediate VAT refund, you should present all your documents at the tax refund desk at the airport, the port or the train station from which you are departing. Otherwise, you must send the documents by post to a tax refund office such as Detaxe SAS, Global Blue France or Detaxe.com.
> More info: Tax-free purchases with Pablo
> Customs information telephone numbers: +33 (0) 8 00 94 40 40 from mainland France or +33 (0) 1 72 40 78 50 outside mainland or from abroad
Allow the necessary time for refund formalities to avoid stress on the day of departure. The visitor must take the sales slip for export to complete these formalities at customs before checking in baggage and before the end of the third month following the date of purchase.
Passengers who do not leave the European Union via France, and who travel via international rail can also claim the VAT back! All the details can be found on the dedicated page of the Ministry of Finance and Public Accounts.
Please find below a non-exhaustive selection of Parisian shops offering tax reclaim for leisure travellers.
Vivienne - Victoire, 2nd arrondissement
Binet-Papillon is a French independent perfume house that …
The new mixed fashion store specialized in «made in France»products in Saint Germain-des-Prés.
A new fashion …
The essential address for Métiers d'art in Paris
Porcelain mugs, designer jewellery, stoneware …
