Can a non-EU citizen claim a refund of VAT for a purchase made in store whilst visiting the UK?
Yes. Non-EU customers are entitled to a refund of the VAT from in store purchases, however, the following criteria must be met in order to be eligible:
- You must be leaving the EU within a maximum of 4 months from the original purchase date.
- You must be living outside of the European Union
- The total amount of the purchase much exceed £25.00
Whilst in store you can ask one of staff members for a VAT refund form. This will then need to be provided when prompted at the UK Airport VAT office. A claim will not be valid if you have left the United Kingdom and do not return within 16 weeks of the original sale date.
