Tax Free in Poland: how non-EU visitors get the VAT back

Visitors from the UK, the US, Canada, Ukraine, Norway, Switzerland and anywhere else outside the EU can reclaim Polish VAT on goods they buy in Poland and take home in their luggage. On a 1,000 zł set of Bolesławiec pottery, that can mean well over 100 zł back. It does take a little paperwork – mostly at the shop and at the airport.

Tax Free at a glance

Who qualifies	Travellers whose permanent residence is outside the EU
Minimum purchase	200 zł including VAT, in one shop (on one document)
Polish VAT rate	23% on most goods; 8% or 5% on some food and books
What you get back	The VAT minus the refund company's fee – often 10–17% of the price on standard-rated goods
Deadline to leave the EU	By the end of the third month after the month of purchase
Where to confirm	Customs at the airport or land border where you leave the EU
Not eligible	EU residents, services (hotels, restaurants, tours), fuel

Who can claim

You can claim if your permanent residence is outside the EU – shown by your passport or residence document. Nationality does not matter: a British citizen living in Germany cannot claim, while a Polish citizen living permanently in the US can.

Because the UK left the EU, British visitors are eligible, as are visitors from Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and every country outside Europe. Visitors from Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia also qualify – and are among the most frequent Tax Free shoppers in Poland.

Step by step

1. In the shop

• Shop where you see the Tax Free sign – large shops, department stores, electronics chains, pottery factory shops and jewellers often take part. Ask at the till if you are not sure.
• Spend at least 200 zł (including VAT) in one shop. Several receipts from different shops cannot be added together.
• Ask for Tax Free before you pay, and show your passport. The shop issues an electronic TAX FREE document, which you receive by email or as a printout, together with your receipt.
• Choose how you want the refund – cash or to your card – when the document is issued. You cannot change it later.

2. Leaving the EU

• Take the goods out of the EU in your personal luggage, unused and in their original condition, by the end of the third month after the month of purchase. Goods bought in October must leave the EU by 31 January.
• Before you check in your bags, go to customs (Służba Celno-Skarbowa) at the airport or the border crossing and show your passport, the TAX FREE document and the goods if asked. Customs confirms the export electronically, or stamps a printed document.
• Leaving the EU from another country – for example, flying home from Kraków via Frankfurt? Customs confirmation happens where you finally leave the EU, so keep the goods with you until then.

3. Getting the money

• From a refund company such as Global Blue or Planet – at its refund desk at the airport or border, or later by card. At Kraków Airport, refunds are paid at the currency exchange by the check-in desks.
• From the shop itself, if it handles refunds directly – usually to your card once the export confirmation reaches it.

How much will you get back?

Polish VAT is 23% of the net price – that is 18.7% of the price you pay. Refund companies keep part of it as a fee, which is larger on small purchases. As a rough guide:

You spend	VAT included in the price	Refund you might get
200 zł	about 37 zł	about 20–25 zł
1,000 zł	about 187 zł	about 120–150 zł
5,000 zł	about 935 zł	about 700–800 zł

The exact amount is on your document or the refund company's receipt. Food and books are taxed at lower rates, so the refund is smaller.

Tips

• Pottery and amber are the classic Tax Free purchases for visitors. Big factory shops in Bolesławiec and reputable jewellers in Gdańsk and Kraków are used to the paperwork – see Polish pottery outlets and souvenirs from Poland.
• Leave time at the airport. Allow an extra 30 minutes – more in summer – to visit customs before check-in.
• Pack the goods where you can show them: in your hand luggage or at the top of your suitcase, unopened.
• Keep everything together: the TAX FREE document, the receipt and your passport.
• Check what your own country allows when you get home – you may have to declare goods above your duty-free allowance.
• Paying by card? Choose złoty, not your home currency, at the terminal – see common scams.

Sources

• Polish Ministry of Finance / National Revenue Administration (PUESC): TAX FREE – information for travellers
• Prawo.pl: VAT refund for travellers under the TAX FREE system – eligibility, 200 zł minimum, export deadline, refund methods
• Infor.pl: Electronic TAX FREE from 2022 – electronic documents and export confirmation
• Kraków Airport: Tax refund – Global Blue refunds at the airport, 200 zł minimum
• Way4I: Poland Tax Free shopping guide (2026) – electronic document, choice of refund method, border validation