“Shopping in Europe is so much cheaper.” For the longest, I’ve always heard about the benefits of shopping in Europe, but it wasn’t until my recent trip to Spain that I got to experience it firsthand (well, sort of). I say sort of, because while I did some light research about designer shopping and discounts before my trip, I never read anything detailing what you actually need to fully reap the benefits.
Your passport.
If you plan on buying any designer items while in Europe, you need to physically bring your passport with you to the store to be able to get the VAT (value added tax) refund. They (Louis Vuitton in Barcelona) won’t accept photos or copies because they have to physically scan your passport on their machine. Items in Europe are already significantly cheaper to purchase than in the U.S., and you can also get a percentage of your money back from the taxes you paid.
Let’s break it down. The Louis Vuitton bag that I purchased in Spain was $740 cheaper than the U.S. price. If we add the VAT refund (in Louis Vuitton it was 10%), then I’d get an additional $252 off, bringing the reduced total to $990 cheaper. When the sales associate explained everything to me I was so excited, but when she said I needed my passport I was definitely unprepared. Even though I wasn’t able to get the VAT refund because I didn’t have my passport with me, I was still very pleased to purchase a bag that was significantly cheaper and something that I’ve wanted for a while.
The next time you’re in Europe and plan to do some luxury shopping, make sure to bring your passport with you so you can get the VAT refund!
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