TAX FREE | Panorama

Tax Free Shopping in Lithuania

What is Tax Free Shopping and why it’s so great

 Wouldn’t it be nice to pay 48 EUR instead of 55 EUR when you have the right to? Or 178 EUR instead of 200 EUR? It would. And with Global Blue Tax Free Shopping it is.

 Global Blue is a worldwide leader in tax free shopping that helps globe shoppers to recover the VAT (value-added tax) on the goods they have purchased when travelling by refunding them directly on credit cards or in cash when leaving the country. If you’re thinking about shopping in Lithuania, you can take advantage of Global Blue program when visiting Vilnius. Standard VAT rate in Lithuania is 21% and you can get back up to 12-14% of the VAT from your in-store purchases.

Let’s talk numbers

Imagine, you are about to buy the perfect pair of shoes for 100 EUR. Not only you can get 12 EUR back, but, if a store staff also offers you to purchase an extra fashion accessory for 40 EUR, the total sum of your bought items is going to be 140 EUR and you will get back 15 EUR in total. Which means that you can get the second item for almost half of its price!

We at PANORAMA also believe in VAT refunds - you can find the list of our stores where you can shop tax free here. And with our special offers you can save even more - check out our latest discounts here!

Who can benefit from Tax Free Shopping in Lithuania?

 It’s a common misconception that Tax Free Shopping in Lithuania is mainly for tourists from Russia or Belarus. While many globe shoppers from these countries visit Lithuania to buy goods, any people who are not EU residents (even Lithuanians) can use Tax Free Shopping program in Lithuania and get a VAT refund.

Are you eligible for Tax Free Shopping checklist

You can get VAT tax refund when shopping in Lithuania, if:

You are not a EU resident, meaning you don’t live in any of these countries: Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Great Britain (including the Isle of Man), Estonia, Greece, Spain (including the Balearic Islands), Italy, Cyprus, Croatia, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira), France (including Monaco), Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Germany.

You have a EU passport (Lithuanian, Italian, French, etc.), but you don’t have a permanent residence permit in the EU.

You’ve spent no less than 55 EUR (VAT included) on the same day, in the same shop.

You leave the EU in 3 months after shopping in Lithuania.

You can’t get a VAT refund if:

  • You’re a holder of non-EU passport who has a permanent residence permit in an EU country.
  • You’re a diplomat.

Where can you get a VAT refund?

  • When your Tax Free Form is approved by customs, you can get your VAT refund at every border checkpoint when leaving Lithuania (except The Curonian Spit), at airports in Vilnius, Kaunas, Palanga and at Vilnius Railway Station.Click here to find the closest VAT refund point in Lithuania.
  • You can also get your VAT refund in other countries where they accept Lithuanian Tax Free Forms. You can check where you can receive your tax refund here.
  • You can also get your VAT refund in Lithuania, but you still must get the approval from customs first. Then you can be refunded in Medicinos Bankas, a bank that can be found in the old town in Vilnius, Klaipėda and Druskininkai as well as at shopping malls.
  • Lastly, you can be refunded back home on your credit card, if there is such an option in your country.

What information a shopper needs to give?

  • Passport
  • A proof of residence

What you need to do to get a VAT refund?

To get some of your money back, you need to follow these simple steps:

  1. Ask store staff for a Global Blue Tax Free Form when paying for your purchases.
  2. The store staff will fill the Tax Free Form with your personal information and provide you with all the necessary information you need to know to get your refund.
  3. If you have a SHOP TAX FREE Card, show it to store staff. Your personal details will automatically be filled out on the Tax Free Form. The staff will only have to fill your purchase info like receipt number, describe the items bought and indicate their price.
  4. Present your passport, a completed Tax Free Form, receipts and purchases to the Customs desk at the airport or port so that your form could be verified and stamped.*
  5. Contact the Global Blue Tax Refund Office or send your Tax Free Form in a prepaid envelope.
    * Remember to keep your purchases ready for inspection - they should be unused. Save their originals receipts, too.

Always be prepared! Download the Tax Free Lithuania checklist here.[5] 

Tax Free Shopping in Lithuania with Global Blue: Checklist

You can get up to 12-14% of the VAT from your in-store purchases in Lithuania.

You can get VAT tax refund when shopping in Lithuania, if:

  • You ‘re not a EU resident.

  • You have a EU passport (Lithuanian, Italian, French, etc.), but you don’t have a permanent residence permit in the EU.

  • You’ve spent no less than 55 EUR (VAT included) on the same day, in the same shop.

  • You don’t stay in the EU longer than 3 months after shopping here.

Don’t forget your:

  • passport;

  • a proof of residence.

Get a Global Blue Shop Tax Free card for faster shopping!

After shopping, you can be refunded:

  • When your Tax Free Form is approved by customs, you can get your VAT refund at every border checkpoint when leaving Lithuania (except The Curonian Spit), at airports in Vilnius, Kaunas, Palanga and at Vilnius Railway Station. Click here to find the closest VAT refund point in Lithuania.
  • You can also get your VAT refund in other countries where they accept Lithuanian Tax Free Forms. You can check where you can receive your tax refund here.
  • You can also get your VAT refund in Lithuania, but you still must get the approval from customs first. Then you can be refunded in Medicinos Bankas, a bank that can be found in the old town in Vilnius, Klaipėda and Druskininkai, as well as at shopping malls.
  • Lastly, you can be refunded back home on your credit card, if there is such an option in your country.

Non-refundable goods:

  • Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
  • Goods that are not a subject to a 21% VAT (books, medicine, etc.);
  • Discount cards;
  • Car lubricants and fuel;
  • Taxable services (insurance, additional warranty, delivery, repair, production of eyeglasses, etc.);
  • Storage devices that are a subject to AGATA fee.

How to fill Tax Free Form

Refund calculator

After shopping in Lithuania in stores that are a part of the Global Blue program, you can get back about 12-14% of the VAT from your purchased goods.

Want to calculate how much money you can get back with Global Blue based on the amount you want to spend? Try this simple and convenient refund calculator and plan your expenses better!

CALCULATOR

Disclaimer: While Global Blue does everything they can to ensure the accuracy of the refund calculator, its results may not be 100% accurate and should be taken with a pinch of salt. Global Blue does not warrant that the calculator will be kept up to date or be completely true at all times. That being said, it still gives you a fairly clear idea how much money you can get back.

Track your refund

Want to check the status of your refund? You can easily to it here - you just need to enter the number on your Tax Free Form (DOC ID) and your purchase amount.

What is a Global Blue Shop Tax Free card?

 A Global Blue Shop Tax Free card is a must-have card for frequent travellers because it helps to save time when shopping. If the shop you want to buy goods has the Global Blue Tax electronic solution in place, this card will help you to fill in the Tax Free Form quicker.

How does shopping with the SHOP Tax Free card look like?

You simply have to give your passport and the Tax Free card to a shop assistant and he or she will enter your card’s number to the system. All your personal data that is needed to fill in the Tax Free Form will be automatically displayed on the screen - you will only have to fill in the details of your purchase and the amount spent. This way both you and the assistant can save a significant amount of time! 

Is this card free of charge?

Yes. You can order the Tax Free card on the Global Blue website.

How can I get a Shop Tax Free card?

It’s simple. You only need to submit your personal data (proof of ID) that is needed to fill in the Tax Free Form.

There are 3 ways that you can receive the card:

1. It can be sent to your home address free of charge.
2. It can be issued at IKEA’s info desk in Lithuania.
3. You can install a Global Blue app on your smartphone and have the card right in your phone.

How Global Blue can help businesses

Shoppers always appreciate the efforts to make their shopping experience more pleasant, especially when it involves discounts and saving their precious time. Great shopping experience, in turn, results in more sales for businesses, too. That’s where Global Blue steps in.

Global Blue creates value not only for the Globe Shoppers but for retailers, too. It encourages foreign travelers to shop at the stores that can help them to recover the VAT on the goods they want to purchase. So, stores that can provide this service stand out among their competitors and have an upper hand attracting international clientele which tends to spend more than regular shoppers. It’s a win-win situation! 

Exceptions

Non-refundable goods:

  • Alcoholic beverages and tobacco;
  • Goods that are not a subject to a 21% VAT (books, medicine, etc.);
  • Discount cards;
  • Car lubricants and fuel;
  • Taxable services (insurance, additional warranty, delivery, repair, production of eyeglasses, etc.);
  • Storage devices that are a subject to AGATA fee.
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