Refunds begin in-store when you make a purchase. If you make a one-time purchase in the same store for an amount equal to or greater than 155 euro, then you can ask at the checkout to issue you documents for Tax Free (not all stores do this, but it never hurts to ask!). Those documents must contain your name, surname, passport details, number credit card(in case you want the money back to your account). Not all stores fill this out, so you can fill in all the details later with a pen yourself.
Shopping is over, it's time for you to fly home...
In theory, if you fly home with a transfer to another European country, then the TAX FREE refund must be received there, but practice shows that everything can be done in Rome. We tell you how!
The action takes place in Terminal 3 of Fiumicino Airport.
The first thing you need to understand: are you checking in your purchases in luggage or are they traveling with you in hand luggage!

• Do you want to check in your purchases?

1. It is necessary to break all purchased items into suitcases (items must be labeled and unworn)
2. Next, we check in for the flight (if you checked in online, you still need to go to the airline’s counter and check in your luggage). At check-in, please state that you have TAX FREE goods in your suitcase. Your baggage will be checked in and returned to you.
3. With checked baggage you need to go to the DOGANA or CUSTOM counter, where the border guards will look at your purchases and, if everything is in order, they will stamp you on the documents that the store has made for you
4. After the stamps are set, luggage with purchases can be checked in
5. If you want to get money by transferring money to a card, then at the exit from the border guards, there is a small TAX REFUND booth, a pretty Russian-speaking girl was sitting there, who looked through documents with stamps in 3 minutes, asked for a credit card and that's it! Approximately 2 weeks later, the money comes to the account. If you want to receive money in cash, then after the border guards you need to go through all the controls, and then follow the TAX REFUND sign (which is located in zone H and is open from 7 to 22) and present documents with stamps there. The money will be returned to you immediately in cash.

• Your purchases will fly with you in hand luggage

1. You check in, check in your luggage.
2. Pass all controls.
3. Follow the signs for Tax Refund
4. There, first you need to go to the booth with the inscription DOGANA or CUSTOM and demonstrate your purchases and documents for TAX FREE issued by the store. The customs officer checks everything with a serious look, puts a seal.
5. With documents with stamps, go to the next window and decide whether you want to receive money in cash or on a card. Everything, there is happiness!

The procedure is actually not as complicated as it might seem at first glance.

Tax free can be obtained in the city itself.

All tourists who are not residents of the Eurozone countries, Italy provides the right to receive TAX FREE. You can use this service if:

- make a purchase in stores where you will see company logos on the windows: Global Blue TAX FREE (the most popular), TAX REFUND or PREMIER tax free. If you do not see them, do not hesitate to ask the seller if they issue TAX FREE.

- make purchases with one check for an amount of at least 154.94 euros. If you were not able to pay for all purchases with one check, then when making several purchases on the same day in one store, you can add up all checks to make up the minimum amount above.

Registration of TAX FREE:

At the checkout according to your passport, the seller will issue you a TAX FREE check. Carefully check if your details are correct: last name, first name, country of residence, address and passport number.

It is important to remember that the check for TAX FREE is valid only for 3 months!!!

Return TAX FREE:

METHOD #1: a tourist can return TAX FREE, without waiting for the day of departure from the country, at one of the offices of the above-mentioned companies located in the center of Rome. You must have with you: receipts for purchases, a passport, the purchases themselves in an unpacked form with all tags and price tags, return ticket. The paperwork will be filled out and the money will be given to you. When leaving the country at the airport, you will need to stamp the previously issued checks at the customs office (in Italian Dogana) and present your purchases.

Addresses of TAX FREE Global Blue points in Rome:

— ACCORP FOREXCHANGE. Via del Lavatore 88/a. Opening hours: Mon.-Sat. 10.30-19.30, Sun. 11.30-18.30. Max refund Money- 500 Euro.

— MACCORP FOREXCHANGE. Via del Caravita 6. Opening hours: Mon.-Sat. 10.30-19.30, Sun. 11.30-18.30.

— MACCORP FOREXCHANGE. Piazza della Rotonda 68/b. Opening hours: Mon.-Sat. 9.00-20.30, Sun. 9.30-20.00.

Addresses of TAX REFUND points in Rome:

— Best and Fast. Via Nazionale, 19. Opening hours: Mon.-Sun. 7.45-21.00.

— ROMA Via Veneto. Via Lazio, 10. Opening hours: Mon.-Fri. 9.30-19.00, Sat. 9.30-13.00, Sun. - day off.

Rome Piazza di Spagna. Piazza di Spagna, 38. Opening hours: Mon.-Fri. 9.00-17.30, Sat. 9.00-12.30, Sun. - day off.

Rome Piazza di Spagna. Piazza di Spagna, 80. Opening hours: Mon.-Sun. 9.30-20.00.

Addresses of PREMIER Tax Free points in Rome:

— Premier Tax Free. Via Gregoriana, 54. Opening hours: Mon.-Fri. 9.00-18.00.

— Forexchange. Via della Conciliazone, 43/A. Opening hours: Mon.-Sun. 8.30-20.00.

— Forexchange. Termini Train Station, opposite platform 4. Opening hours: Mon.-Sun. 7.00-20.00.

— Forexchange. Via del Caravita, 6. Opening hours: Mon.-Sun. 9.00-20.00.

— Bank of China. Via Barberini, 97/103. Opening hours: Mon.-Fri. 8.45-16.00.

METHOD #2. TAX FREE can be returned at Fiumiccino Airport (Aeroporto nazionale Leonardo da Vinci Fiumiccino). In this case, I advise you to arrive early, because very often there is a long queue at the TAX FREE pick-up points.

The procedure for obtaining TAX FREE is as follows:

- go to the passenger check-in desk and take boarding pass, tell the woman at the counter that you want to get TAX FREE, she shows you where the customs office is located (DOGANA in Italian).

- after receiving your boarding pass, you take your luggage and go to the customs point. Things for which you want to return the tax, you need to prepare in advance so as not to waste time. Do not remove tags and price tags from them and do not unpack them.

- the customs officer, at his discretion, may ask you to present all purchases according to the submitted checks. If there are no questions, he will put a stamp on your checks.

– with stamped checks, you go to the Global Blue TAX FREE, TAX REFUND or PREMIER tax free points, where you can receive money in cash immediately or on bank card within 3-5 business days. I advise you, until the transfer of money to your card, keep the papers that the customs officer will give you. If the money does not come, you will need to call back the number indicated on the papers to obtain information.

Customs (DOGANA) at Fiumicino Airport are located:

in the center of the first floor. After passing through this customs, upon presentation of your boarding pass, you check in your luggage.

- in the center of the hall passport control. For orientation: pass the Salvatore Ferragamo boutique, then the bar, on the right you will see the TAX FREE points of issue of all the above companies, behind them there is a customs point. After passing through this customs, you pick up your things in the cabin of the aircraft.

TAX FREE Global Blue points at Fiumicino Airport are located:

— Global Blue Italia srl. Terminal 3, next to check-in desk 326. Opening hours: Mon.-Sun. 09.00-21.00. TAX FREE refund to credit card only.

— Global Blue Italia srl. Terminal 3 - Exit H1 (non-Schengen area). Opening hours: Mon.-Sun. 07.00-22.00. The maximum refund is 999.50 euros.

Global Blue Italia srl. Terminal 5. Opening hours: Mon.-Sun. 07.00-12.00. The maximum refund is 999.50 euros.

TAX REFUND points at Fiumicino Airport are located:

- Terminal 3 (Check-in Area). Opening hours: Mon.-Sun. 7.00-22.00.

- Terminal 3 (Departures Area). Opening hours: Mon.-Sun. 7.00-22.00.

Tax Free allows shopaholics and ordinary tourists to save on purchases. Rules for receiving in different countries may differ. Consider how to get savings in Tax Free at Fiumicino Airport in Rome and other Italian cities.

The principle of obtaining Tax Free by passengers who travel

Tax Free is a system that allows travelers to save on value added tax (VAT) refunds. The tax included in the final cost of goods in each state is directed to the development of the social sphere.

A tourist will not be able to take advantage of various social programs of the country, therefore he has the right to a deduction.

The store where goods are purchased must be included in the Tax Free Shopping system. The tax refund is not carried out by the outlet, but by the operator.

Most often, the service is issued in Global Blue, but if you can choose an operator, give preference to the last two. So, when receiving a refund at the airport, you will avoid long queues and tedious waiting.

You can return VAT when buying clothes and shoes, watches and accessories, gadgets, jewelry. If the product was purchased online, the tax refund is not available.

You can return Tax Free in Italy if the check amount is 154 euros. In this case, several goods can be included in the check, only the total amount matters.

In stores, when buying, sellers fill out a special form - Tax free shopping check. It reflects the total cost of the purchase, the details of the buyer and the amount that can be refunded. To prove that you are foreign citizen, you need to show your passport to the cashier.

The procedure for obtaining Tax Free on the example of Fiumicino (Rome)

You can return the tax upon departure from Italy. Purchase receipts are valid for 3 months, you need to meet this deadline.

If you do not apply for a refund within a given period of time, then checks can be thrown away, since it will not be possible to refund part of the VAT on them.

Returning Tax Free at Rome airport is not always easy, you should be patient. Long queues and large crowds of people will be a real test for the human nervous system.

There are two customs offices at Fiumicino Airport. The first customs is intended for passengers who wish to issue Tax Free, and then check in their luggage.

Customs officers verify the goods indicated on the check with real things. Often they simply check for the presence of things, in rare cases they can check the name of the product on the tag with the list in the receipt.

The passenger will have to put up with a long queue of the same tourists who want to issue Tax Free.

The second customs office is suitable for passengers who do not plan to check in their purchases as baggage. The queue moves faster, but the inspection of things is carried out more carefully.

You can get Tax Free at Fiumicino Airport in the following order:

1. If the purchases from which you want to return the tax will be checked in as luggage, go to the check-in counter. Tell the employee that you want to issue Tax Free. Get your boarding pass, but don't check in your luggage yet.
2. Together with your luggage, you go to the customs office.
3. The customs officer checks the correspondence of the list in the check with the real things. It is advisable to keep purchases on the surface of a suitcase or bag so as not to waste time looking for them.
4. If the check is successful, the customs officer will stamp the checks. Certified documents must be taken to the Tax Free operator's point.
5. Present checks at the operator's point. Money can be issued in cash immediately or transferred to a card. Transfer to the card may take up to 5 days. If the issuance is carried out on a card, save the document that the operator will issue. If for some reason the money is not received within the specified period, you need to contact the Tax Free operator by phone.

Important! Arrive at the airport early in order to have time to do all the necessary procedures and catch your flight. Getting Tax Free can take 1.5-2 hours. If you do not check in your luggage, you will be able to free yourself early.

Is the procedure different at other airports in Italy

Getting Tax Free at other airports is about the same as in Rome. Venice has a small airport, so the queue is not so long. You can pick up money after passport control.

There are two customs offices in Bergamo. All passengers go through the first customs, regardless of whether they check in their luggage. Items are checked thoroughly. If the check was successful, you can pick up the money before passing through passport control.

In Bologna, customs is located in the arrivals area. First you need to check in for a flight, and then go through the entire airport to customs. You can get Tax Free at the currency exchange kiosk. The kiosk is open during the day, so if you get on a night flight, you will have to receive money while at home.

At Naples airport, you will not be able to get Tax Free cash. Funds are transferred to the card. After registration and customs clearance, the passenger goes to the cash desk, where the employee will put down the necessary stamps.

Can there be difficulties in obtaining Tax Free

Although the procedure is simple, sometimes there are difficulties. Refunds are not available for all product categories. For example, when buying precious stones, the tax is not refundable. You can clarify the list of things from which you can return VAT in stores or with Tax Free operators.

It is also important to observe the period during which you can return part of the VAT. An appeal later than 3 months will not be considered, and it will not be possible to receive money.