Xiamen enhances instant tax refund services for overseas tourists

April marks the one-year milestone of the comprehensive implementation of the "instant tax refund upon purchase" service for overseas tourists in China. 
Currently, 69 tax refund stores in Xiamen, Southeast China's Fujian Province, offer such a service, accounting for 45% of all tax refund stores in the city.

To further enhance the shopping experience for overseas tourists, Xiamen's tax authorities have continuously improved the convenience of the policy. 
The tax authorities of Guangdong and Fujian Provinces, as well as those of the cities of Xiamen and Shenzhen, have reached a cross-regional cooperation agreement on the instant tax refund service. 
This pact allows for mutual recognition of tax refund procedures across Guangdong and Fujian as of April 1, 2026. That means overseas tourists can now shop at any tax refund store in either province and choose any tax refund port within those two jurisdictions to complete their verification procedures, a move that breaks the previous geographical limitation that tied the shopping location to the place of departure.

Building upon the "instant tax refund" service, Xiamen has also piloted a "one receipt, one package, one code" convenient customs clearance model. This digital approach integrates tax refund receipts, product packaging, and verification QR codes, achieving a paperless, seal-free customs verification process. In this way, the verification time has been reduced from 15 minutes to under five minutes, effectively addressing the cumbersome tax refund verification process for overseas tourists.
Xiamen Hengweixin Technology Co., Ltd., an official authorized dealer of world-renowned consumer drone maker DJI in Xiamen, operates several official experience stores, such as at the MixC shopping complex. A store manager said that for DJI drones and handheld imaging products, which require on-site unboxing for activation and could affect the product's integrity, the upgraded customs clearance model allows for "sealed shopping and departure verification" without unsealing the products, ensuring product integrity while simplifying the customs clearance process.
Source: Xiamen Foreign Affairs