VAT refund - Paris - Switzerland - Rome

Posted by Jan K on 03/23/25 03:05 AM

Hi, seeking some expertise and experience please.

I will be travelling to Paris in June, thereafter, we will leave Paris to visit a few cities in Switzerland, before ending our trip in Rome, Italy.

If I made some purchases and obtained the necessary the tax refund forms in Paris, am I able to get everything stamped when I depart from Rome, at the FCO airport?

I having been seeing conflicting advices - some say that it is not permitted since I am leaving EU (Switzerland) and have to do a tax refund in Paris, whereas some say getting it processed in Italy is not a problem.

If I have to get it done on Paris, can someone please share what would be the best way to do it? I'll be leaving via Gare de Lyon and I am clear that there isn't a tax refund machine there. Where can I submit the form then, with office/machine that is accessible from the public area instead of transit area?

Posted by JHK

Florida (previously California)

03/23/25 03:27 AM

4142 posts

You are supposed to do your refund processing at your last stop in the EU. For you, it seems like that will be Rome. Allot plenty of time for that at FCO and also be sure that the items are unused and available for inspection.

Posted by Jan K OP

03/23/25 03:34 AM

3 posts

Hi JHK, thanks, tbh this is the best answer I am hoping to get :)

I guess my concern is, there isn't an issue even when I'm technically leaving a EU (France) to a NON-EU (Switzerland) country before re-entering and departure via a EU country (Italy) and claiming my tax there?

Posted by JHK

Florida (previously California)

03/23/25 04:13 AM

4142 posts

"I guess my concern is, there isn't an issue even when I'm technically leaving a EU (France) to a NON-EU (Switzerland) country before re-entering and departure via a EU country (Italy) and claiming my tax there?"

You are overthinking it. I overthought it too when I did a similar trip but the answer was to do my refund at the last EU country for the trip. You could theoretically leave France for the US and not do your refund and return with your unused item and do your refund on your second return home if all that happens within 3 months of the purchase date. The refund application must be done within 3 months of the purchase date. Are you traveling for more than 3 months? If not, no worries. If you are, then you will have to track down a customs officer on your train and good luck finding one. I read somewhere that they are in plain clothes and board the train at the last stop in France. One tip: mail your forms back from a US post office if you do the processing at FCO. Some VAT refund processors provide envelopes and postage that are good only in the country of purchase so the envelopes you get in France will not go anywhere when mailed from Italy.

Posted by Jan K OP

03/23/25 10:34 AM

3 posts

Thanks, that's great news!

Posted by WengenK

Wengen

03/24/25 07:27 AM

2785 posts

Nobody will know that you will have passed through Switzerland on the way to Rome.

In fact, I did once something similar. I travelled to Paris from Switzerland, and was unable to get tax free forms stamped in Basel. However a week later I had a day trip to Milano, and on the way back did the customs formalities in Domodossola...

So the stuff went France - Switzerland - Italy and then back to Switzerland.