Hi

I will be leaving Europe from Rome but my flight is such that I will have to stopover/transit in London (for about 2 hrs) before leaving the EU. Does anyone know if I should claim VAT refund in Rome or in London? If it is in London, is it possible to claim the VAT refund from the transit areas in the airport?

The standard rule is that you claim VAT rebates at the point you exit the EU EXCEPT on a same-day plane transfer at another EU airport, in which case you claim at the airport where your journey begins.

In theory, therefore, you claim in Rome. Theory and practice do not always coincide in dealings with the Italian state, though.

bookmarking

Claiming the VAT Refund – I’ve done this in Venice, not Rome, but I imagine the protocol is the same.

You must obtain the paperwork from the vendor where you bought your goods.

Customs have to stamp the paperwork before you go through imigration control. They might want to sight the goods, but they never have done this with us.

You then lodge the claim with the Thomas Cook currency exchange once you have gone through immigration. If the goods were bought in Italy, then you can get the refund in cash – either euro, or another currency (but then you suffer Cook’s exchange costs).

thanks, the thing is my transit is only for one hour at heathrow. assuming i cannot claim in Italy, is there anywhere in the transit area which has an office for claiming the refund?