Tax-Free shopping in France

Vatfree.com is currently not active in France.

We provide guidance on Tax-Free shopping in France, but if you want a VAT refund from a French store, you need to ask the store for a Tax-Free form when you buy the goods. The Tax-Free form will show you which Tax-Free company is processing the claim and will transfer the VAT to your account.

Value Added Tax (VAT) in France

  • Local currency: EUR

  • Standard VAT rate: 20%

  • Low VAT rate: 10% on food and some optical products. 

  • Low VAT rate: 5.5% on medicines, pharmaceutical goods, books, magazines

7 Tax-Free Shopping Rules for France

  1. You must receive a Tax-Free form from the store, so don’t forget to ask for one when buying your goods

  2. Without a Tax-Free form —issued specifically by the store— you can’t get back the VAT

  3. Tax Refund takes place via the Tax-Free company mentioned on your Tax-Free form

  4. You must spend a minimum of €100 (including VAT) per store, per day

  5. The goods you buy must be for private use

  6. You must live in a non-EU country at least 6 months of the year

  7. You must get proof of export before the end of the 3rd month, after the month of purchase

Where to get proof of export from Customs?

In France, you can get proof of export at digital customs machines for all purchases made in France. The machine will ask you to scan the Tax-Free form which you received from the store. You can find these digital Customs machines at every international airport in France. They’re usually located before check-in, in international departure halls.

If the Customs machine is not working, you’re departing from another EU country, or you have receipts from stores in other EU countries, go to a manual Customs desk for an export stamp. You can ask an airport employee to point you in the right direction.

Bring to Customs:

  • French stores: Tax-free form issued specifically by the store;

  • Stores from other EU countries: Standard Tax-Free form;

  • Any other purchase documents received from the store;

  • Purchased items;

  • Passport (If you have an EU passport; other proof of residence outside the EU);

  • Boarding pass;