Tax Free: reclaim VAT from your purchases in Spain
If you are not a resident of the European Union, you’ll be pleased to know you can claim a refund of the VAT (Value Added Tax) you paid on purchases in Spain which you are taking back to your country.
What do you need?
You simply need to fill in the Tax-Free form in the shops where you buy your purchases. Then, get the form validated at Customs within 3 months of the purchase date.
The electronic VAT refund procedure (DIVA) makes the validating process quicker and easier. You just have to ask the shops offering this service to provide you with the DIVA form, and validate it directly at the automatic terminals installed in Spain’s main ports and airports.
The refund process
In any case, on your return trip, remember to always carry:
- Your passport.
- Receipts or DIVA form for your purchases.
- The goods you purchased.
- Your boarding pass.
There are two ways to reclaim VAT after getting the form validated at Customs:
- Through the Tax Free management body located where you are departing (a fee will be charged). The refund will be in euros, in cash, to your credit card, by cheque, or by bank transfer.
- Directly through the shop where you made the purchases. They will refund the entire amount within 15 days by cheque, bank transfer, or to your credit card.
Also, remember that if your next destination is another country in the European Union, you will not be able to reclaim VAT in Spain, but in the last airport before leaving the EU.
For more information, you can download this information leaflet.
Authorised partner entities
The entities listed below are authorised by the Tax Agency to refund VAT to travellers:
- Global Blue España SA (formerly known European Tax Free Shopping Spain SA)
- Planet Payment Spain SAU (formerly known Cashback and Premier Tax Free)
- Innova Taxfree Spain (formerly known Spain Refund SL)
- Caja de Ahorros y Pensiones de Barcelona
- Open Refund SL
- Comercia Global Payments Entidad de Pago SL
- Financiera El Corte Inglés, EFC
- Travel Tax Free, SLU
- S21 TAX FREE, SL
- KEEP SHOPPING TAX FREE, SL
- HISPANIA TAX FREE, SL
- B FreeTax Back SL
- Safety Tax Free España, SL
- Wiblink, SL
- WOONIVERS SPAIN, SL (formerly known Getrefund SL)
- Traveleasy GmBH
- Pucela Brain Storm, SL
- Refundit, SL
- Yourtaxback, S.L.
- Upshop Tax Free España, S.L.
Where to get digital validation
You can do the digital validation process at the following list of Spanish ports and airports.
Advance refund
Global Blue also offers the option of getting your VAT refund in advance, before stamping in the customs office on the last day of your trip. To do this, go to one of the offices or information points ready to do this job in this list of city centres.
To use this option you will need to present a credit card as a guarantee and send in the Tax Free form, stamped by the customs office, within 21 days.