Vat refund for people resident out of the EU

Since the summer is upon us and you may have planned a trip to Italy to scout properties or just to visit our beautiful country, you may be interested to know that, if you do some shopping in Italy, and are a non-EU resident, you can ask for a vat refund.
Your citizenship is irrelevant, you can even be Italian, as long as you reside out of the EU.

From the start of 2024 the minimum amount to spend on goods to have the vat refund has been lowered to €70.
Not all shops offer vat refund, so please check before buying. They can also advice on what goods you can claim the vat refund on.

What you need to do is to ask for the vat refund form in the shop; then bring the unused goods and the form with you at the border.
You can claim the vat refund before the security check, if the goods are in the checked in baggage, or after the security check, if the goods are in your hand baggage, just look for the vat refund kiosk/office. The officer will check your form, check your goods, and validate the claim. They may also electronically send your validated form to the agency handling the vat refund or you will need to send them the validated form (there are usually post boxes just outside the kiosk/office).

An important warning: you only have three months to claim the vat refund at the border.
The percentage of vat you can have refunded varies according to the kind of goods you have bought.
You usually receive the vat refund credited to the credit card you have used to buy the goods.

Happy shopping!

This article is not exhaustive and is a guidance only.

If you need assistance with your move, please do get in touch.

Barbara De Benedittis Relocation and Legal in Italy