The Departure Tax Refund Service Code: Get It at Hunchun Port, Use It Anywhere in China
On this page
- What the service code actually is
- Where to register it: the Hunchun port desk
- How to use it: buying, then leaving
- Three mistakes that cost people money
- A note on the border itself
- FAQ
- Where do I get the departure tax refund service code?
- How much is the refund?
- What are the conditions for a refund?
- What is the difference between the service code and the instant refund?
- Check dates and availability
You can set it up on the spot at Hunchun port. The Hunchun tax bureau keeps a service desk at the port, and as soon as you step off the bus or out of the terminal you can scan a code, enter your identity details once, and generate a departure tax refund service code that works anywhere in China.
After that, buying is meant to be frictionless: show the code in any tax-refund store and the system generates the electronic refund form automatically; at departure, customs scans the code for online verification instead of you filling in paper forms at the border.
It is a genuinely useful thing to do at the start of a trip rather than the end, which is why Hunchun puts it at the first step of entry.
What the service code actually is
The code is one of the measures in the departure tax refund 2.0 release that took effect on 1 July 2026, when the tax administration upgraded the previous "information entry QR code" into a nationwide version. It has three advertised properties:
- Enter once, valid nationwide.
- One code, scanned across stores.
- Trackable end to end — electronic refund forms, invoices, processing status and payment status are all visible on your phone.
What it does not do is change any of the rules. It replaces form-filling and paper handling. The eligibility conditions still apply in full.
Where to register it: the Hunchun port desk
Hunchun has moved this step forward to the moment you arrive. Alongside the desk, 32 key travel agencies and 6 departure tax-refund stores in the city have completed training on the scheme, and bilingual operating guides have been produced. Across Jilin province there are now more than 81 tax-refund stores, and monthly average transaction volumes this year are up 277% on last year, with refund amounts up 170%.
One thing to keep straight: the service code is a nationwide policy. Hunchun is simply one of the places where you can register it in person on arrival. It is not a Hunchun-only scheme, and you are not required to start your trip there to use it.
Jilin has also launched a "Jilin Departure Tax Refund" mini-program with a multilingual electronic consumption map showing where the stores are, along with the policy and the process — worth a look before you travel rather than asking at the counter.
How to use it: buying, then leaving
When you buy. Show your service code and the system generates the electronic refund form. Four conditions must be satisfied at the same time:
- At least 200 yuan spent in the same store on the same day.
- The goods are unused and unopened.
- Departure is within 90 days of purchase.
- You carry or check the goods out of the country yourself.
When you leave. Scan the code at the port and customs verifies it online.
The refund rate depends on the tax rate the goods carry: items at a 13% rate refund 11%, items at 9% refund 8%, and after handling fees the practical figure lands at roughly 9% or 6%. Cash refunds are capped at 20,000 yuan.
The instant option. Under the "refund on purchase" arrangement — available nationwide since 1 September 2026 — you can collect the refund at the store rather than at the border, but you must then complete the verification at any departure port within 28 days of the form being issued.
Also worth knowing: not every shop qualifies. Look for the departure tax refund sign at the door. Only registered stores, and only purchases that come with a refund application form, can go through the process at all.
Three mistakes that cost people money
1. "Scan once" does not mean "sorted". The service code solves form-filling and submission. It does not soften a single one of the four conditions — the 200 yuan threshold, the unopened goods, the 90-day window and the personal export requirement all still stand.
2. The limits are real. The refund only starts once a single store's same-day total reaches 200 yuan, and cash refunds stop at 20,000 yuan.
3. Do not reverse the direction. The refund recognises one situation: an overseas traveller buys goods inside China and takes them out. Chinese travellers shopping abroad do not fall under these rules.
A note on the border itself
Hunchun sits on the lower Tumen River, near the point where China, Russia and North Korea meet, and the surrounding region has its own rhythm worth knowing about. China-Russia mutual visa-free travel has been extended to 31 December 2027, covering stays of up to 30 days without a visa. In the summer peak, Hunchun can see more than 100 Russian visitors a day entering the Fangchuan scenic area, where the souvenir shops sell "one glance at three countries" fridge magnets.
Fangchuan is in Fangchuan village, Jingxin town, within Hunchun. From the top of Longhu Pavilion you can see China, Russia and North Korea in a single view — the reason the area is known as the first village of the East.
FAQ
Where do I get the departure tax refund service code?
You can register it at the service desk at Hunchun port on arrival, by scanning a code and entering your identity details once. It is a nationwide policy, so Hunchun is one of several places where this can be done, not the only one.
How much is the refund?
11% on goods carrying a 13% tax rate and 8% on goods at 9%, or roughly 9% or 6% after handling fees. Cash refunds are capped at 20,000 yuan.
What are the conditions for a refund?
Spending at least 200 yuan in the same store on the same day, goods unused and unopened, departure within 90 days of purchase, and the goods carried or checked out personally by you.
What is the difference between the service code and the instant refund?
The service code is the registration that lets you buy with electronic forms instead of paper. The instant refund, available nationwide since 1 September 2026, lets you collect the money in the store — provided you complete verification at a departure port within 28 days of the form being issued.
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Check dates and availability
Hunchun is a border town, and the tax desk is at the port — which means the logistics around it matter more than the paperwork. If you are arriving at the border crossing rather than by air, or planning a stop at Fangchuan on the way in or out, private transfers and day trips from Hunchun are worth comparing before you travel, so the question is what's actually inside the price — a port pickup and the Fangchuan stop, or just the road between them:
👉 Check dates and availability
Disclosure: This article includes an affiliate link. I may earn a commission if you book through it, at no extra cost to you. This guide describes publicly listed information only — I have not personally taken these tours.
Image sources: stock/library photos, credited where required.