If your primary residence is in a non-EU country, you may be eligible for a refund of the VAT on the price of goods you purchased in France.

A stamp by the customs office at the point of departure from the EU definitively exempts the seller from collecting VAT. It is up to the seller to reimburse the VAT paid on the basis of the customs validation.

There are two refund approval methods in France:

• A stamp from the customs office
• An electronic stamp from a PABLO terminal

To obtain a refund you must:

• obtain a receipt from the Customs service in your country of destination proving that you paid the taxes and duties in force for imports, if the amount of your purchases exceeds that country’s customs and tax exemption levels;
• otherwise, just present the export sales form and the goods purchased to the French embassy or consulate in your country of residence to obtain a stamp or certificate.