Your Tax Free questions answered

Foreign students can only shop Tax Free within the last months of their studies before they head home permanently.

This time period differs from country to country and is the same time period specified for export validation.

Useful information:

• Countries and their Rules
• How to shop Tax Free
• Where to shop Tax Free

You can find some advice on how and where to shop Tax Free, and our multi-lingual Customer Services team are always happy to help!

Useful pages:

• Countries and their Rules
• How to shop Tax Free
• Where to shop Tax Free
• Or you can contact our Customer Services

All taxable goods that are exported in your personal baggage.

Please note that goods should be sealed and unused.

For local refund rules for a list of goods that are exempt in each country, and useful information on Tax Free shopping, please check out the below pages.

Useful information:

• Countries and their Rules
• How to shop Tax Free
• Where to shop Tax Free

Look for stores displaying the Planet Tax Free sign, or ask in-store whether they offer Planet Tax Free services. 

You can also search our brand directory for specific stores and locations - see below for useful links:

• Brands we work with
• Countries and their rules

You can view where Tax Free shopping is available by visiting:

• Where to shop Tax Free
• Countries and their rules

Yes. If you want a VAT refund, you must get a Tax Free form from the retailer that sold you the goods.

This Tax Free form needs to be fully completed and export validated before you can get a refund. 

Yes. In most cases, the Tax Free form must be fully completed in-store.

At the very least, this form MUST be fully completed before you request export validation. 

All Tax Free forms must be export validated to qualify for a refund. In most cases, this is a Customs stamp.

The relevant Customs officials or airport agents need to check that you are eligible and meet all of the requirements to get a VAT refund.

You will need to present your Tax Free form, passport and travel documents.

Some countries require that you attach your receipts to the Tax Free form. You may also be asked to present your goods. 

If you have made your purchases in the EU, you get export validation from Customs at your last point of departure from the EU.

For any other countries, this is when you finally depart.

Customs is well signposted at all airports, land border or ports. 

Please allow enough time at the airport to complete the export validation - please check the airport website for further information or contact our customer services team. 

Please refer to the list of validation points, and other useful links, below:

• Export Validation Points
• Countries and their rules
• Feel free to contact our Customer Services

Generally, no. You must have your goods on you, ready to present to Customs on request for export validation.

If you are required to present your boarding cards, you can check-in but you must not drop your bags off until after export validation. 

In some countries, you MUST check-in before export validation. In these cases, you must ask check-in staff to label your luggage and return it to you.

Once Customs have inspected your purchases and validated your Tax Free forms, they will organise for your luggage to be transferred to the airplane. 

Any high-value goods should be carried in your hand luggage and you should receive export validation after security. 

The refund methods differ from country to country, and there are country-specific local rules and thresholds. Refund options and opening hours may vary across refund locations and may change periodically. Please check with the individual refund location for availability - please visit the pages below for specifics:

• Refund locations
• Tax Refund methods
• Or you can contact our Customer Services

Most Credit Card companies/Banks charge Planet for processing refunds through their network.

Planet pass on this charge by way of deduction from the refund amount. The Amex charge is £1, or equivalent. The Visa charge is €0.87c, or equivalent. The exchange rate used to convert this charge to other currencies is periodically reviewed.

Choosing this refund method indicates agreement to pay an additional charge.

Some card companies require the expiry date of the card as well as the card number to process a refund. Where you have not supplied the expiry date the refund may not be successfully processed to your card by your card company. Where this occurs Planet can reprocess your refund once you have provided us with the necessary data.

Please see our full list of refund points and other useful links, below: 

• Tax Refund points
• Countries and their rules
• Where to shop Tax Free

Yes. In most airports, a separate charge will be made by the airport agent providing the cash refund service. 

No, you can receive the refund on any credit card. 

We process your refund within 30 days of receiving your original export-validated Tax Free form.

Due to credit card procedures put in place by credit card companies, refunds generally appear on your bank statement in the month following the transfer of your refund amount from Planet to your bank. 

If you do not receive your refund two months after posting the form back to us, we advise you to contact us as there may have been a problem with your Tax Free form. 

Your refund will appear on your credit card statement as "Planet Refund."

In most cases, the refund amount will appear in the currency of your credit card; for example, if you have a US credit card, it will appear in US dollars.

If you received an immediate cash refund or had the refund deducted from the amount you paid in store and do not return your export-validated Tax Free form to us within the specified time period, we charge the credit card you gave us as a guarantee for the agreed amount.

These charges can be avoided by making sure you return the export-validated Tax Free form to us within the specified time period.

If you are unsure what this is, please check the local rules (see links below) for the country where you got the immediate cash refund. 

Useful pages:

• Countries and their rules
• How to shop Tax Free
• Credit card charges
• Or you can contact our Customer Services

Yes, once you have mailed your Tax Free form, it is still possible to change your refund choice - if it has not been processed.

To change your refund option, please contact the Planet office in the country where you made the purchases ASAP. 

The person who presents their ID and signs the form in-store must be the one exporting goods.

This doesn't necessarily have to be the person who pays for the goods. For further information please see the EU Guide to VAT refund for visitors to the EU.

Hand baggage: Goods carried as hand baggage and Tax Free forms must be produced to Customs at the final transfer, the last point of departure before you leave the EU.

Hold baggage: If you are leaving from one EU airport but changing flights (in transit) at another EU airport and the goods you are exporting are checked through to your final destination outside the EU, go to Customs at the country where you check-in your bags, your Tax Free form will be export-validated as if that were your last EU departure point.

If you collect your bags in-between transit, then you must go to Customs at your last point of departure in the EU where you finally check-in your bags.

Yes, and you can check the status of your refund by using the 'Track My Refund' service. 

Please make sure you fill in all the requested information. 

If you have any issues or questions about your Tax Refund, you can fill in your details via our dedicated enquiry form.

• Track My Refund
• Customer Services for specific tax refund voucher queries
• Or you can contact our Customer Services

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• Terms and Conditions
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