In Person Claims
1. Documents
As an international visitor shopping in South Africa, remember to:
[1]
Inform the business that you are a foreigner and want to claim a VAT refund.
[2]
Request an Original Tax invoice for your purchases.
[3]
Ensure that your name and address are clearly indicated on the invoice if the total cost exceeds R5,000.
[4]
Provide proof of payment such as a credit card receipt or other documentation for purchases over R10,000.
[5]
Bring the original Tax invoice with you.
For more information on required documents please Click here
2. Inspection
Before departing South Africa, customs officials, VRA officials or both must inspect all purchased goods, this is mandatory and must take place in the departure hall before checking in for your flight.
The Qualifying Purchaser must present himself/herself and the movable goods as well as the Original Tax invoice to a VRA Official.
The VRA official or customs official or both, depending on the exit port, must examine the movable goods to ensure that they correspond with the description on the tax invoice.
The Qualifying Purchaser must present himself/herself and the movable goods as well as the Original Tax invoice to a VRA Official.
The VRA official or customs official or both, depending on the exit port, must examine the movable goods to ensure that they correspond with the description on the tax invoice.
At Cape Town International Airport, inspections must take place before checking in to your flight at the VRA counter, you will need to prove that you are leaving the country with goods and will need to have your Original passport with an Exit Stamp and a boarding pass.
Important
It is a requirement that all claimants who depart from Cape Town international airport send a photo of the Exit Stamp and boarding pass in their passport after receiving the stamp from passport control to the VRA before a claim can be submitted.
Please send via email to: info@vatrefundagency.co.za with your claim reference number.
Please send via email to: info@vatrefundagency.co.za with your claim reference number.
At OR Tambo International Airport, high-value items like jewelry, electronics, and watches undergo inspection by customs officials. Customs inspection takes place before security and passport control, while the additional office is located in the duty-free area after immigration control. you will also need to prove that you are leaving the country with goods and will need to have your passport with an Exit stamp and a boarding pass.
At King Shaka International Airport the vra office is located after passport control.
There will be an inspection by the VRA for jewellery, electrical devices, watches and other high value items in carry on luggage this can be inspected at our office after passport control.
You will need to prove that you are leaving the country with goods and will need to have your passport with an exit stamp and a boarding pass.
There will be an inspection by the VRA for jewellery, electrical devices, watches and other high value items in carry on luggage this can be inspected at our office after passport control.
You will need to prove that you are leaving the country with goods and will need to have your passport with an exit stamp and a boarding pass.
3. Submission
The submission process when claiming your vat refund,where movable goods are exported by the purchaser himself/herself via a designated commercial port is as follows:
Simply go to the VAT Refund Office at any designated airport and bring yourOriginal passport (as well as documents required to prove that you are a qualifying purchaser) and original Tax invoices.
The Qualifying Purchaser must declare the goods to Customs.
The Qualifying Purchaser must present himself/herself and the movable goods and the tax invoice to a VRA Official.
The VRA official must examine the movable goods to ensure that they correspond with the
description on the tax invoice.
The VRA official must endorse and return each tax invoice to the qualifying purchaser.
The VRA official must issue a VAT 255 summarising the tax invoice details.
The qualifying purchaser must sign the VAT 255 as confirmation of the correctness of the
details it contains.
A copy of the VAT 255 must be issued to the qualifying purchaser.
Your VAT refund will be paid directly into your account.
You will receive a Reference Number that you can use to check on the progress of your VAT refund claim.
Simply go to the VAT Refund Office at any designated airport and bring your
Your VAT refund will be paid directly into your account.
You will receive a Reference Number that you can use to check on the progress of your VAT refund claim.