Guangxi issues eight-language tax refund guide, e-map for overseas visitors

The brief

Context

During the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China, large numbers of ASEAN businesspeople and overseas travellers have gathered in the region. To ease shopping and departure tax refunds for them, Guangxi's Department of Commerce and the regional tax service have released a departure tax refund guide in eight languages and a Chinese-English e-map of tax refund consumption. The moves come alongside a nationwide change, effective September 1, that lets stores issuing instant refund forms upload travellers' identity documents for online review, making instant refunds available across China.

Key facts

• The departure tax refund guide is issued in eight languages: Chinese, English, Cambodian, Indonesian, Lao, Burmese, Thai and Vietnamese.
• The Chinese-English e-map navigates users to the nearest of Guangxi's more than 400 tax refund stores.
• Eligibility requires spending at least 200 yuan (about $29.86) at the same tax refund store on the same day, with goods unused.
• Travellers must leave China within 90 days of purchase, carrying goods in hand luggage or checked baggage.
• Instant refunds are paid at the store, with verification completed at any departure port nationwide within 28 days of the application form being issued.
• From September 1, stores issuing instant refund forms can upload overseas travellers' valid identity documents for online review by the tax refund agency at the place of purchase.
• Guangxi ports handling departure tax refunds: Nanning Wuxu International Airport, Guilin Liangjiang International Airport and Dongxing port in Fangchenggang city.
• Guide copies are distributed at tax refund stores, shopping areas, scenic spots, hotels for foreign guests, airports and border ports.

Timeline

1. September 1, 2026Stores issuing instant refund forms begin uploading overseas travellers' valid identity documents, enabling online review and nationwide instant refunds.
2. September 18, 2026An exhibitor sells Malaysian durian ice cream at the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, Guangxi.
3. September 21, 2026People's Daily Online reports the release of the eight-language tax refund guide and the Chinese-English e-map.

Who has a stake

• Overseas travellers and ASEAN businesspeople — Easier access to departure tax refunds through multilingual information, e-map navigation and paperless or instant refund options.
• Guangxi Department of Commerce — Co-issuer of the guide and e-map; seeks to boost inbound shopping and consumption during the expo.
• Guangxi tax service and tax refund agencies — Administer eligibility checks, online review of documents and finalisation of refunds at departure ports.
• Tax refund stores (over 400 in Guangxi) — Issue instant refund forms, upload identity documents and pay refunds at point of sale; stand to gain foreign customers.
• Guangxi ports and customs — Nanning Wuxu and Guilin Liangjiang airports and Dongxing port handle departure refund business and customs verification.
• 23rd China-ASEAN Expo — Serves as the occasion driving visitor inflow and the trigger for the new consumer-facing services.

Why it matters

Departure tax refunds are a standard tool to convert visitor arrivals into retail spending, and language plus paperwork barriers are the usual obstacles. By publishing guidance in eight languages dominated by Southeast Asian tongues and mapping over 400 refund stores, Guangxi is aligning its consumer services with its role as China's gateway to ASEAN. The September 1 shift to nationwide instant refunds signals a wider Chinese push to simplify inbound tourist spending.