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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.
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 Global Blue France.
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.
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