Shopping Tax-Free in physical stores

1. Ask for Tax-Free in the store

Take a look in our shopping guide and find more than 55.000 stores that offer Tax-Free, Hassle Free, in the neighborhood and online.

In all stores, ask for an invoice, Tax-Free receipt or Tax-Free form. This information should be mentioned there: your name, non-EU address and passport number.

Check the rules per EU country here.

2. Get proof of export

When exiting the EU, visit Customs for proof of export. You can find Customs at the borders and all international airports in the EU.

Customs wants to see your items and documents from the store. You might need a Tax-Free form. Check the Customs rules per EU country here. You’ll get a stamp or digital confirmation of export. This is proof for the store that your items left the EU.

Exporting via ocean freighter or courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS etc.)? You’ll receive digital export documents from your shipper. Read our tips here.

3. Claim back the VAT

You can register via our app for iOs and Android, or the website.

It’s easy and you sign up for free. You’ll see how much you get back and we’ll keep you updated on the status of your claim, every step of the way. We only charge a fee when a store refunds your VAT.

Original documents

In most cases we process your requests digitally. We’ll ask you to upload pictures of your documents from the store.

⚠️ In a few cases we might need to receive your originals by post.

Need to send originals by post? Tips:

✅ Identification: Write your Vatfree.com registration number on your documents from the store. It will help us easily connect them to your account when they arrive in the post.

✅ Make good copies: Avoid problems in case of issues with the post. Make clear pictures of all your documents. We can use them to process your claim in case the originals get lost.

✅ Post before departure: Send mail directly from your EU airport of departure. EU postal services are reliable and will help your documents arrive safely and without delay.

Vatfree.com
att: web
P.O. Box 37234
1030 AE Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Payment

Each store has different payment terms and processes. This is visible in your account.

When your claim has been processed by the store we notify you automatically by email and the app. You can request payment after a store has processed your claim.

Payment methods: CreditCard (VISA and Mastercard), EuropeanIBAN/SEPA account, PayPal, Alipay, WeChat

Transaction costs: 2 EUR+ for CreditCard; 2 EUR for PayPal

Vatfree.com Service Fee: Use our Refund Calculator to get an exact fee. Finding a higher refund somewhere else? Let us know! We’ll match it, guaranteed.

Need help?

Ask our bot in the right bottom corner, it’s pretty smart! Or take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions and contact us.