Tax-Free Shopping: Claim Your VAT Refund at Paris Airport
Do you want to avoid paying the value-added tax (VAT) on goods purchased in France? If you are eligible for a tax refund, you can save a significant amount, since the standard VAT rate in France is 20%.On the other hand, a reduced rate of 10% applies to accommodation, transport, and dining, while an even lower rate of 5.5% applies to food products and essential goods, and equipment for people with disabilities. Finally, newspapers and certain medicines are subject to a 2% tax. Overall, travelers who can benefit from tax-free shopping can claim a refund of around 12% on the standard 20% VAT rate. So, can you claim such a refund before flying from Charles de Gaulle Airport?
Passengers Eligible for Tax Refund at CDG Airport
Not all passengers can claim a VAT refund at Charles de Gaulle Airport. There are special conditions that must be met to be eligible for the 12% value-added tax refund. In detail, these conditions are:
- You must be a resident of a non-EU country or be a citizen of a country outside the EU.
- You must be at least 16 years of age.
- You must have purchased the goods from stores in France participating in tax-free shopping.
- You must be leaving the EU. If you plan to visit another EU country first, you can claim your refund when you depart for your final non-EU destination.*
- You must purchase products costing a total of 100€, taxes included, in 3 consecutive days.
- The items purchased must be for personal and not commercial use.
- You must carry the products in your luggage while having your tax-free forms stamped at the airport.
- You must stay in France (or another EU country) for less than 6 months.
*Therefore, if France is your last destination in the EU, you can claim the tax refund for products purchased in other EU countries as well before boarding your flight.
The Tax Refund Process Step by Step
The VAT refund process at CDG Airport isn’t challenging. Still, there can be waiting lines, making it rather time-consuming. Therefore, you should plan your arrival at the airport wisely to allow enough time for both airport procedures and claiming your tax refund before your flight. Here is the tax refund procedure in detail:
To begin with, you must request a tax refund form from the vendor while shopping. This form is known as ‘bordereau de vente’ or BVE in French. It either has a barcode or displays the phrase ‘procédure de secours’. Please note that the stamping process at the airport must take place within 3 months of the day of purchase. Otherwise, you don’t have the right to claim the refund.
No VAT refund applies to tobacco products, weapons, ammunition, or cultural goods.
The stamping procedure takes place before dropping off luggage. Thus, the relevant facilities are located landside, near the check-in areas. There are two options: the Customs Tax Refund Offices stamp tax-free forms manually if the form doesn’t display the ‘PABLO’ logo, if the purchase was made in another EU country, or if passengers face problems with the automatic PABLO machines. Your passport, boarding pass, and tax refund forms will be required. Additionally, you must carry the purchased items with you—preferably in their original packaging—along with the receipts or invoices. There are five customs offices at CDG terminals, located at:
- Terminal 1, Level of CDGVAL, Hall 6
- Terminal 2D, Departures, Gate 6
- Terminal 2E, Departures, Gate 4
- Terminal 2F, Arrivals
- Terminal 3, Arrivals
Alternatively, the PABLO machines are the most popular—and often fastest—way to stamp tax-free forms. They have instructions available in 9 languages and can be found adjacent to the customs tax-refund desks. Passengers using the PABLO machines complete the stamping process electronically. Still, they must carry their boarding pass, passport, tax-free forms, purchased items, and the relevant receipts or invoices. Once the machine confirms that the forms are validated, passengers must drop off their luggage and proceed to the security screening, as the tax refund counters are located airside (except in terminal 1 and T2E).
The Tax Refund Counters at Charles de Gaulle Airport
Once passengers go through the security control, they must reach one of the tax refund counters and display their passports and stamped tax-free forms to claim their refund. Refunds can be made on the spot in cash (euros) or to e-wallets, and they can also be credited to bank cards. In the latter case, the refund is typically processed within 4–6 weeks from the date of request.
If you are flying from terminal 1 or T2E, you’ll find a Cash Paris Office landside. However, you can also claim your refund through the cash machines that can be found airside. On the other hand, if your departing terminal is T2A, Cash Paris Offices are located airside. Finally, passengers departing from T2B, T2G, or terminal 3 must proceed to the Global Exchange Offices, which are also situated in the airside zones of the terminals.
Specifically, the Cash Paris Offices are located in:
- Terminal 1, Level 2 (Landside)
- Terminal 1, Level 4
- Terminal T2E Gates L, Level 1, Near Gate L41
- Terminal T2E Gates K, Level 2, Near Gate K45
- Terminal T2E, Level 2 (Landside)
- Terminal T2E Gates M, Level 1, Near Gate M41
- Boarding Areas of Terminals T2A-T2C, Level 1 (Airside)
The Global Exchange Offices can be found in:
- Terminal T2BD, Level 1 (Airside)
- Terminal T2F, Level 2, Near Gate F24
- Terminal T2F, Level 2, Near Gate F44
- Terminal 2, Ground Floor (Airside)
FAQs
How to get a VAT refund at Paris Airport?
If you are eligible for a VAT refund at CDG Airport, you must have the tax-free form issued by the vendor at the time of purchase stamped at the airport’s automatic PABLO machines or the Customs Tax Refund Offices. Once the tax-free forms are validated, you must drop off your luggage and proceed to one of the tax refund counters to claim your refund.
How long does a tax refund take at Paris Airport?
Passengers can claim their tax refund in cash or to their e-wallets. In this case, they receive the money on the spot. Alternatively, the refund can be credited to a bank card. However, the process takes longer, and the money is usually received within 4–6 weeks.