Question 1

What is the Tourism Refund Scheme?

Accepted Answer

As a tourist in Singapore, if you make any purchase of more than S$100 (including GST) at participating shops, you may claim a refund on the 9% Goods and Services Tax (GST) paid. This is known as the Tourism Refund scheme.

Be sure to check whether a shop is participating in the Tourism Refund Scheme—Look out for the "Tax Free" shopping logo or sign displayed at the shop.

These logos are displayed above for your ease of reference. Alternatively, feel free to check with the friendly staff if your purchases are eligible for GST refund.

global-blue global-tax-free

Question 2

How much am I entitled to refund?

Accepted Answer

You can collate up to 3 same-day receipts or invoices to meet a minimum purchase amount of $100. These receipts should be from shops bearing the same GST registration number and shop name.

Question 3

Am I eligible for a GST refund?

Accepted Answer

Besides being a tourist in Singapore, you have to meet the following criteria:

You are not a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident;
You are aged 16 and above at the time of purchase;
You are not a crew member of the aircraft on which you are leaving Singapore;
You are leaving Singapore from Changi Airport or Seletar Airport. You will not be eligible for a GST refund if you are leaving by the Causeway or sea.
You must have made your purchases within two months from when you apply for a refund.
You are not a Specified Person*:
- on the date of the purchase;
- at any time within the period of 3 months immediately before the date of purchase; or
- on the date you submit your claim for a refund of the GST charged on your purchases at the airport;

*For more information on criteria of a Specified Person, eligibility and conditions of the scheme, please click here.

Question 4

Which of my purchases are ineligible for a GST refund?

Accepted Answer

Goods which you have already used or consumed in Singapore.
Goods that you are exporting for commercial purposes.
Goods that will be exported by freight.
Accommodation in a hotel or hostel, and services such as car rental and tour charges.

Question 5

What is the Electronic Tourist Refund Scheme (eTRS), and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

The Electronic Tourist Refund Scheme (eTRS) is a quick, easy way to apply for your GST refunds electronically.

This system allows you to get your refund fuss-free, as you no longer have to fill up different refund forms issued by different shops.

Question 6

What's the process of using the eTRS?

Accepted Answer

When making purchases from retailers who are on eTRS, you must show your passport and the e-Pass* in person to the retailers to prove your eligibility under the eTRS. Photocopies or images of passports or e-Pass are not acceptable.

The retailer will then issue an eTRS transaction to you at the point of purchase with your passport details.

When you apply for your GST refund at the airport's eTRS self-help kiosk with your passport, your transactions will be retrieved automatically.

*The e-Pass will be issued by ICA and can be retrieved from your email.

Question 7

How do I get my Tax refund?

Accepted Answer

There are several ways to apply for your GST refunds.

i) Via the Electronic Tourist Refund (eTRS) self-help kiosks at the airport

Apply for your GST refund using the eTRS self-help kiosks at Changi Airport Departure Check-in Hall (before departure immigration)1 and Departure Transit Lounge (after departure immigration)2; and at Seletar Airport Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) duty office.

You'll want to arrive at the airport early to allow sufficient time to process your GST refund and for the inspection of goods (if required).

Scan your passport at the kiosk to retrieve details of all your purchases. Follow the instructions on the eTRS self-help kiosk thereafter to apply for your GST refund.

When you are done, read carefully the outcome of your refund request shown on the kiosk to confirm if you would need to go to the Customs Inspection counter to have your purchases verified.

ii) Via Global Blue Mobile Applications (App)

For ease of tax refund and to keep track of your purchases, we recommend you download the new eTRS mobile applications provided by Global Blue in advance before or when you arrive in Singapore.

Global Blue: Global Blue now comes with Mobile Validation coupled with a Facial Recognition Authentication feature. You can independently manage the final step of Customs validation from the palm of your hand. Download the "SHOP TAX FREE" mobile app via the App Store, Google Play or the Global Blue website. Follow the instructions shown in the app thereafter to complete the mobile tax refund process.

Important Note: In order for the tax refund to work via mobile app, please ensure that you have turned on your location service and notification alert on your mobile phone; and be within 15m radius of the eTRS Self Help kiosks at the airport.

When you are done, read carefully the outcome of your refund request shown on the mobile app to confirm if you would need to go to the Customs Inspection counter to have your purchases verified.

¹ If you intend to check in your luggage with the goods purchased in Singapore, please perform the tax refund at the Departure Check-in Hall (before departure immigration).

² If you intend to hand carry your goods purchased in Singapore, you may perform the tax refund within the Departure Transit area (after departure immigration) at the airport.

Question 8

What are the different modes of refund?

Accepted Answer

For cash refund, please head to the Central Refund Counter in the Departure Transit Lounge (after departure immigration) with your passport. Cash refund is not available if you are departing from Seletar Airport.

For credit card, you may proceed for boarding after completing your claims at the eTRS kiosk. The money will be credited to your specified credit card within ten days upon successful claim submission.

For refund to be credited into your Alipay account (applicable for Chinese citizens only), select the Alipay refund option after performing your declaration at the eTRS self-help kiosks. Follow the instructions displayed on the eTRS kiosk and scan the QR code from your Alipay mobile app. The money will be credited immediately into your Alipay account upon successful transaction.

For refund by bank cheque, write your name and mailing address on the slip printed from the eTRS kiosk and drop the slip into the cheque refund box. The bank cheque will be mailed out to you 14 days later.

Note:

Due to handling fees, the actual amount refunded will be less than the total GST amount paid for. The details of the transactions can be verified by registering and logging into the eTRS e-Services or via the "eTRS" application downloadable from Google Play or Apple App Store.
Alternatively, you can also access the details via the "Global Blue SHOP TAX FREE" mobile app via the App Store, Google Play or website.
You must depart with your goods within two months from date of purchase and within 12 hours after obtaining approval of your GST refund. GST refund must be claimed from the approved central refund counter operator within two months from date of approval of the application.

iii) Via Global Blue Downtown Refund (In-Store)

Global Blue now offers new ways to receive your refund in-store, giving you more to spend during your trip. Whilst in-store, choose for your refund to be paid to your credit card, saving you time at the airport.

Question 9

How does it work?

Accepted Answer

1. Request a Downtown Refund (In-Store)

When requesting a tax refund, ask the Shop Assistant for the 'Downtown Refund (In-Store)' service and provide your credit card. Refunds will be paid within 5 business days to credit cards. Purchases up to $25,000 are eligible for in-store refunds. For transactions over this value, only the standard refund is available.

When requested, give the Shop Assistant your email address or mobile number, and Global Blue will send you a secure link where you can track the status of your refunds and the required next step to complete the process, with all your purchases for your current trip handily grouped together.

2. Validation by Singapore Customs

Before leaving Singapore, you MUST proceed to the eTRS self-help kiosk to validate your tax free transactions. When departing from Changi Airport, you have the option to complete the Customs validation via the Mobile Validation service found in the Global Blue SHOP TAX FREE mobile application. Follow the instructions shown on the respective platforms to complete the validation process.

Note
*For credit card refund, the refund amount will be credited to your nominated credit card within 5 business days

IMPORTANT:

If Global Blue does not receive your validated tax free transaction(s) within 21 days of the date of issuance (15 days for UnionPay), the refund amount will be debited from your account.
The refund will be repaid if the Tax Free transaction(s) are subsequently validated within 2 months from the date of purchase.
The cardholder or account holder to whom the refund is to be paid must be the same person who purchased the goods
*Global Blue pays the refund amount within 5 business days, but in some cases, there may be a delay from your card scheme or issuer in processing the transaction on to your account.