Hainan Tax-Refund Purchases Top CNY 30M in 100 Days

Data released by Haikou Customs on October 10 showed that from July 1 to October 8, customs authorities in Hainan processed 24,000 departure tax refund verification applications, covering more than CNY 30 million in eligible purchases.

The release came 100 days after a new policy took effect on July 1, 2026. The policy was jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs and four other government departments, with measures to further streamline departure tax refunds and boost inbound consumption.

At the international departures hall of Sanya Phoenix International Airport, customs officers can retrieve a traveler's tax refund information simply by scanning a QR code. For some applications, physical inspection of the purchased goods is no longer required, allowing customs clearance to be completed in under a minute.

The new measures replace paper documents with digital processing and individual inspections with spot checks for lower-value purchases. The fully paperless system allows customs officers to verify information online by scanning travelers' tax refund QR codes, enabling data sharing and end-to-end traceability.

For tax refund applications on purchases under CNY 10,000, Hainan has introduced a spot-check system, enabling most travelers with lower-value claims to complete departure procedures more quickly.

The improvements also extend to the final stage of a visitor's trip. International visitors who shop at designated tax refund stores anywhere in China can verify their departure tax refund at ports in Hainan. The permitted departure window, during which purchases can be made and have tax claimed back from, has also been extended to 28 days.