VAT refund (or tax-free shopping) is a scheme that allows travelers residing outside the European Union (EU) to reclaim the Value Added Tax (VAT) paid on purchases made during their stay in the EU. This mechanism aims to encourage tourism by offering international visitors the opportunity to save money on their shopping.

Eligible travelers can request a refund on goods they take back home with them. To do so, they must have their tax-free form validated by Customs when leaving the EU.

Note that VAT refunds apply only to exported goods carried in your personal luggage, and not to services or items consumed on-site. Each EU country may also set specific conditions, such as minimum spending thresholds, to qualify for a refund.

In short, the VAT refund system gives international travelers a way to save on purchases made in the EU—making their shopping experience even more rewarding.

You can benefit from the VAT refund if you meet all three of the following conditions:

• You reside outside the European Union (EU)
• You are at least 16 years old
• Your stay in the EU is shorter than six months

What documents do I need to provide?

• If you hold a passport from a non-EU country: Simply upload a copy of your passport.
• If you hold a passport from an EU country: You’ll need to provide an additional document proving your residence outside the EU (e.g. consular ID, expatriate certificate, UK settled/pre-settled status, green card, etc.).

All of them.

Almost all your purchases are eligible, as long as you’re taking the items with you in your personal luggage when leaving the EU.

Exceptions (non-eligible items):

• Manufactured tobacco (note: e-cigarettes and e-liquids are eligible).
• Vehicles such as karts, quads, snowmobiles, and microlights (bicycles, e-bikes under 250 watts, trailers, and caravans are eligible).
• Vehicle parts like tires, brakes, engine components
• Firearms, explosives, protected species, illegal drugs or substances
• Fuel and petroleum products.
• Certain high-value cultural goods.

Note sure about an item? Just reach out via our in-app chat!

Non-eligible categories:

• Services (e.g.hotels, restaurants, taxis...)
• Commercial purchases or items intended for resale.

In which countries? Zapptax is currently available in:

• France
• Belgium
• Spain

More countries will be added soon!

In which stores? You can shop in any store, as long as you get an invoice issued in the name of Zapptax.

In which stores? You can shop in any store, as long as you get an invoice issued in the name of Zapptax.

What about online shopping? Yes, Zapptax works for online purchases too, as long as the invoice is also issued to Zapptax.

We aim to process your VAT refund within 1 to 3 weeks, amongthe fastest turnaround times on the market.

Sometimes, external factors like administrative delays from tax authorities or peak travel seasons (summer, holidays…) can extend this timeframe by a few days or weeks.

But here’s the good news: Once your tax-free form is validated by Customs, your refund is guaranteed. Since our launch in 2017, we’ve refunded every single validated form we’ve received — no exceptions.