Travellers FAQ

All taxable goods exported for personal use, except:

• sales which, by their nature or characteristics, are a commercial supply for the buyer
• manufactured tobacco
• petroleum products
• goods subject to special customs formalities
• means of transport for private use
• capital goods and fueling of the means of transport for private use
• weapons, ammunition and any related parts
• certain cultural goods

By presenting it to the customs approval office at your final exit point from the European Union, at a “Pablo” terminal with an optical scanner if you are leaving the EU via France (electronic approval), if not, you should get it stamped by a customs official (manual approval). You must keep your goods available in case they need to be checked.
The tax refund is conditional upon customs approval (stamp or electronic scan approval).

You must get the document approved before the end of the third month following the month you made the purchase. For example, for an item purchased on 20th March, you must obtain approval by 30th June at the latest.

If you are registering tax-refundable goods that will be going in the hold, you must get your refund form approved by customs in the first country of the European Union that you leave. If you are exporting products both in the hold and in hand luggage at the same time, you should ask for separate tax refund forms at the time of purchase.

• Flight with short stopover:
  • If your stopover is less than 3 hours in another airport in the EU. You should get your tax refund form approved at the departure airport
• Flight with a stopover where there is no possibility of getting to the tax refund kiosk with the goods in question:
  • If your stopover is at least 3 hours but you cannot access your goods: You should get your tax refund form approved at the departure airport
• Flight with a stopover where you are able to get to the tax refund kiosk:
  • If you are leaving the EU for a third country with a stopover of under 3 hours and you have access to the goods in question as well as a tax refund kiosk, you should get your refund form approved at the stopover airport

You must get your tax refund approval in the French sector

You must get your tax refund approved during the French customs check on board the train or at the station on the border.

Your tax refund form must be approved by the customs services at the last port or at the last EU exit point.

Approval of your tax refund at a later date is not applicable for travellers who didn’t present their form and/or the goods in question on leaving the EU. It only applies if the non-approval was attributable to the customs service. In that case, you must send the following documents to the relevant regional customs office within the timeframe of six months from the date of purchase:

• The handwritten proof of the goods’ export (receipt for the payment of import duties and taxes, or certificate from the French consulate or embassy in the country of residence)
• The original copy of the approved tax refund form from the French consulate or embassy and/or a certificate that the goods were presented
• A copy of your ticket
• A copy of a valid identity document, proving your status as a non-EU resident
• A letter stating the reasons preventing you from completing the customs export formalities and specifying the name of the office at your exit point from the European Union and the date you exited

SIMPLY TAX FREE
BP 31
44360 SAINT-ETIENNE-DE-MONTLUC
FRANCE

• At one of our refund kiosks in central Paris
• In the kiosks at the Paris Airports 
• Bordeaux Mérignac Airport, Global Exchange offices
  – Terminal A and B link Wing, Departures Hall, Public Area
  – Terminal Billi , Under Customs Area
• Marseille Provence Airport, Global Exchange Office
  – Terminal 1: Non-Customs Departures Office