The in-store GL desk offers 12%. Here's why British tourists should skip the queue entirely - and how to get 13%+ back on everything from Dior to the beauty hall, all from your phone.
The short version: Yes, British tourists can claim VAT back at Galeries Lafayette - up to 13% of everything you spend, across every brand in the store. The in-store GL tax desk works, but the queue can be 30–40 minutes and the refund rate is lower. Using a digital operator like Airvat, you skip the desk entirely, get a better rate, and receive your money within 24 hours of leaving France. This guide covers both methods, the full floor-by-floor shopping breakdown, and exactly what to say at each counter.
Can British tourists get a VAT refund at Galeries Lafayette?
Yes - and since Brexit, this has become significantly more useful for UK visitors. Before January 2021, British passport holders paid French VAT like any other EU resident and couldn't claim it back. Since leaving the EU, British tourists qualify as non-EU visitors across France, which means the full tax-free shopping scheme now applies.
To be eligible, you need to:
- Be a resident outside the European Union (UK counts)
- Be 16 years or older
- Be staying in the EU for less than 6 months
- Buy physical goods for personal use that you'll take home
Services, meals, show tickets, and anything consumed in France don't qualify. Everything else - clothing, bags, beauty, perfume, electronics, jewellery, even chocolates from the food hall - is eligible as long as you're taking it home.
Important for GL specifically: Galeries Lafayette Haussmann is the flagship store where VAT refund is fully set up and well-staffed. The BHV Marais and Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées also participate, but the Haussmann location on Boulevard Haussmann is where the experience is smoothest.
How much do you actually get back?
The French VAT rate is 20% on most goods. But you don't get 20% back - the refund is calculated on the pre-tax price, and operators take a commission. What you actually receive depends on which method you use.
The Galeries Lafayette in-store desk (using their GoTaxFree system or Global Blue) offers a flat 12% refund on your purchase price. Digital operators like Airvat return 13–15% of what you paid.
On a €500 spend, the difference between 12% and 13% is €5. On a €3,000 spend across the store - which is entirely achievable at Galeries Lafayette's beauty hall, ready-to-wear floors, and luxury counters - the difference is €30. On a €5,000 weekend shop, it's £50 extra in your pocket just for using a different tool.
The queue at the GL tax desk on a Saturday afternoon can exceed 40 minutes. Airvat skips it entirely - and pays out more.
The honest comparison: GL tax desk vs Airvat
There are two ways to claim VAT at Galeries Lafayette. Here's exactly how they compare:
| Factor | GL In-Store Desk | Airvat (Digital) |
| Refund rate | 12% of purchase price | 13–15% of purchase price |
| Queue time | 20–45 min (busy days) | None - all in-app |
| What you ask for at counter | Tax-free form (standard) | Business invoice to "Airvat" |
| Paperwork | Paper form per purchase | Photo upload, no paper |
| Airport process | PABLO kiosk scan | PABLO kiosk scan (same) |
| Payout speed | 2-6 weeks | 1-2 weeks |
| Payout method | Cash, card or bank transfer | Bank, card or PayPal |
| Minimum spend | €100 per counter/brand | €100 total (all stores combined) |
| Works across stores | GL brands only | Any store in France |
| Verdict | ✕ Works, but slower and lower refund | ✓ Higher rate, faster, no queue |
One practical note: if you're making a single large purchase at a brand counter inside Galeries Lafayette (say, a Chanel bag), the counter staff will often automatically initiate a tax-free form in the GL system. You can still ask instead for an Airvat invoice - simply say "I'm using a digital VAT refund operator, could I have a business invoice to Airvat?" - and most brand counters will comply.
Floor-by-floor guide: what's where at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann
The Haussmann flagship spans three buildings - the Coupole (the main glass dome building), the Maison (homeware), and the Gourmet (food hall). For VAT refund shopping, you'll spend most of your time in the Coupole. Here's what's on each floor:
B1
Basement - Beauty & Fragrance
The largest beauty floor in Paris: Chanel Beauté, Dior Beauty, YSL Beauté, Armani Beauty, Lancôme, Charlotte Tilbury, Guerlain, La Mer, Sisley, Clé de Peau, and 100+ other brands. Niche fragrance section includes Byredo, Diptyque, Le Labo, Maison Margiela Replica.
→ VAT on skincare and fragrance: 20%. One of the best value floors for tax-free shopping.
0
Ground Floor - Accessories & Entry Luxury
Bags, sunglasses, scarves, small leather goods. Brands include Longchamp, Kate Spade, Coach, MCM, and selected entry-level luxury. Also where the main entrance concierge is located.
→ Good for smaller VAT refund claims that combine with beauty floor purchases.
1
First Floor - Luxury & Tax Refund Desk ★
Louis Vuitton counter. Also Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Celine, Valentino. The GL Tax Refund Area is also on this floor, near the LV section.
→ If using Airvat: request invoices at each brand counter individually. You do NOT need to visit the GL Tax Refund desk at all.
VAT desk here
2
Second Floor - Designer Ready-to-Wear (Women's)
Saint Laurent, Isabel Marant, Jacquemus, A.P.C., Sandro, Maje, ba&sh, Rouje, Ganni, and 50+ French and international designers. Strong for mid-range designer pieces.
→ Excellent for building up a VAT claim across several brands in one visit.
3
Third Floor - Premium & Contemporary (Women's)
Zimmermann, Alaïa, Erdem, self-portrait, Rotate, Staud, and other premium international brands. Also houses the GL Stylists for personal shopping (free, by appointment).
4
Fourth Floor - Men's & Sport
Men's designer labels including Ami, Kenzo, Paul Smith, Façonnable, plus sportswear from Nike, Adidas, and Salomon. Tech and electronics also on this level.
→ Electronics are VAT-eligible and often a strong value for UK shoppers.
5
Fifth Floor - Fine Jewellery & Watches
Messika, Mauboussin, Dinh Van, Agatha, and independent jewellery makers. Watch brands include Hamilton, Tissot, Longines.
→ Jewellery VAT refund is significant on higher-value pieces.
6
Sixth Floor - Rooftop Terrace (Free)
No shopping, but the best free view in central Paris. Worth 20 minutes before or after your shopping. Restaurant and café also on this level.
Galeries Lafayette Gourmet (separate building, same block): The food hall sells premium French products - champagne, truffles, macarons, charcuterie, cheese, wine, condiments. Most packaged food items are VAT-eligible as long as you don't consume them in France. Champagne and sealed food items in your luggage: fully eligible. A box of Ladurée macarons for home: eligible. A macaron you eat on the pavement outside: not eligible (consumed in France).
Real savings: what a typical GL visit looks like
To show what's realistic, here's what a well-planned two-hour visit to Galeries Lafayette Haussmann might look like for a British tourist, and what Airvat would return:
| Purchase | Floor | Spent (€) | VAT back (≈13%) | In pounds |
| Chanel Beauté full skincare set | B1 | €380 | +€49 | ~£42 |
| Le Labo Santal 33 (100ml) | B1 | €265 | +€34 | ~£30 |
| Jacquemus Le Chiquito bag | F2 | €520 | +€68 | ~£59 |
| Isabel Marant jacket | F2 | €490 | +€64 | ~£55 |
| Messika diamond pendant | F5 | €1,100 | +€143 | ~£124 |
| Champagne & truffles (Gourmet) | Gourmet | €210 | +€27 | ~£23 |
| Total | — | €2,965 | +€385 | ~£333 |
£333 back on a single shopping afternoon. Using the GL in-store desk at 12% instead, the same basket returns £308 - a £25 difference, plus the queue. Small on smaller spends, meaningful on larger ones.
How to claim VAT at Galeries Lafayette using Airvat - step by step
1
Download Airvat before your trip Set up your account, add your payment details, and read the in-app shopping guide. Five minutes at home saves five minutes of confusion at a counter.
2
At each counter, before paying, say: "Could I have a business invoice made out to Airvat?" This is the single most important step. You cannot add it retrospectively. At brand counters inside GL (Celine, Gucci, LV etc.), the sales associate may initially start a GL tax form — simply clarify you're using Airvat instead. They will know what to do. For beauty counters, show the in-app instruction card if needed.
3
Photograph each invoice in the app immediately Don't wait until the end of the day. Photograph each invoice at the counter, add it to your cart in the app, and move to the next shop. Everything is saved and consolidated automatically.
4
Generate your tax-free form before your last day in France One QR code pulls together every invoice from every shop — GL counters, boutiques on Rue du Faubourg, the pharmacy around the corner, all of it in one barcode.
5
Scan at a PABLO kiosk at CDG or Orly before check-in Self-service customs terminals before passport control. Scan your QR. Under two minutes. Keep purchased goods in carry-on, unused.
6
Choose your payout method and wait Bank transfer, card refund, or PayPal. Refund arrives within 24 hours of customs validation - typically before you've unpacked at home.
Using the Eurostar instead of flying? There's a PABLO kiosk at Paris Gare du Nord, inside the Eurostar departure area before boarding. The process is identical - scan your Airvat QR code, done. Allow a few extra minutes as the terminal can be slower than CDG.
Recommended
Airvat - VAT Refund for British Tourists in France, Belgium & Northern Ireland
Officially licensed by French Customs (licence FR-017-AOD). Works at every counter in Galeries Lafayette, every boutique on Avenue Montaigne, and every shop across France - no store sign-ups required. Refund paid to your bank, card or PayPal within 24 hours of airport validation.
- 13%+ refund - higher than the GL in-store desk
- No queue, no paperwork, no paper forms
- One QR code covers all your Paris shopping across every store
- €100 minimum applies to your total trip, not per store
- Free app - iOS and Android
Download Airvat - free →Full VAT refund guide Tips, tricks and common mistakes
Book a free personal shopping appointment
Galeries Lafayette offers free personal stylists on the third floor — they'll pull looks across the whole store based on your brief. Worth booking in advance (online via the GL website). They're familiar with VAT refund procedures and can help you navigate the invoice request at each stop.
The beauty hall is the most underrated floor for VAT value
British tourists tend to focus on bags and ready-to-wear, but the basement beauty floor offers some of the best price-per-item VAT value. A full Charlotte Tilbury set, a Le Labo fragrance, and three La Roche-Posay skincare items can easily total €400 — returning over £45 in VAT — items that are materially cheaper in Paris than in UK department stores to begin with.
Don't go to the GL tax desk if you're using Airvat
This is the most common confusion. If you're using Airvat, you never need to visit the first-floor GL Tax Refund Area. It's for the GL in-store system only. Walking in there with Airvat invoices will only waste your time — the staff there can't process Airvat claims.
The rooftop is free and genuinely worth it
The sixth-floor rooftop terrace at Haussmann is open to the public, free, and has one of the best views of central Paris — Sacré-Cœur in the distance, Haussmann boulevards below. Take 20 minutes before or after shopping. The café is decent. The view is exceptional.
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Frequently asked questions
Do Galeries Lafayette offer VAT refunds to British tourists?
Yes. Since Brexit, UK residents qualify as non-EU tourists in France and can claim VAT back on purchases at Galeries Lafayette and any other French retailer. The standard refund via GL's in-store system is 12%. Using Airvat, a licensed digital operator, returns 13–15%.
Where is the VAT refund desk at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann?
The GL Tax Refund Area is on the first floor (Floor 1), near the Louis Vuitton section. Opening hours typically match the store: 10am–8:15pm. If you're using Airvat, you don't need to visit this desk — everything is handled through the app and the PABLO airport kiosk.
Can I combine purchases from different floors or different brands for the VAT refund?
With Airvat, yes — you can combine purchases from every counter, every floor, and every separate store you visit in France into one consolidated tax-free form. With the GL in-store desk, the €100 minimum typically applies per brand counter or per receipt. Airvat's model is more flexible and better for people making several smaller purchases across multiple brands.
Is the Galeries Lafayette food hall (Gourmet) eligible for VAT refund?
Yes, on most packaged food and drink items that you take home: wine, champagne, chocolates, condiments, preserves, truffles. Items you consume in France are not eligible. The food hall applies the reduced French VAT rate of 5.5–10% on food items rather than 20%, so refunds are smaller proportionally — but still worth claiming on higher-value purchases like champagne or luxury preserves.
What do I say at the counter to get an Airvat invoice?
Before you pay, say: "Could I have a business invoice made out to Airvat, please?" In French: "Puis-je avoir une facture professionnelle au nom d'Airvat?" The Airvat app also has an instruction card you can show the sales associate — useful in smaller boutiques where staff may be less familiar with the process.
How long does the VAT refund take from Galeries Lafayette?
Via the GL in-store system: 2–6 weeks after customs validation at the airport. Via Airvat: within 24 hours of scanning at the PABLO kiosk. Both methods require the same PABLO kiosk scan at the airport before your flight — the difference is purely in how long the money takes to arrive after that point.
Can I get a VAT refund on cosmetics at Galeries Lafayette?
Yes. Skincare, makeup, fragrance, and haircare are all eligible as long as they're sealed or clearly unused when you depart. The standard 20% French VAT applies to most cosmetics, making refunds proportionally strong on the beauty floor. Charlotte Tilbury, Chanel Beauté, La Mer, Guerlain — all fully eligible.
Does Galeries Lafayette's GoTaxFree app work for British tourists?
GoTaxFree is Galeries Lafayette's own VAT refund app, launched to replace the paper-form system. It works, but it's limited to GL purchases only and still routes through the same in-store system, returning 12%. Airvat is a separate, independent operator that works across all French retailers — not just GL — and offers a higher refund rate.
Information accurate as of July 2026. Galeries Lafayette store layout and brand mix subject to change. Airvat is an officially licensed VAT refund operator under French Customs licence FR-017-AOD. Refund amounts vary by purchase type and VAT rate applicable.
