Your goods should be exported before the end of the 3rd month after the month of purchase. Your customs stamp (or export documents in case you goods were exported by a shipping company) will prove your goods were exported on time.
If your goods have been exported on time, you can submit you receipt for a VAT refund until the end of the 5th year, after the year of purchase.
The expiration period varies per country. Check the guidelines in the overview below.
AU Austria 3 years / 1095 days
BE Belgium 3 years / 1095 days
BG Bulgaria 5 years / 1825 days
CR Croatia 5 years / 1825 days
CY Cyprus 5 years / 1825 days
CZ Czech Rpblk 5 years / 1825 days
DE Germany 4 years / 1825 days
DK Denmark 1 year / 365 days
ES Spain 5 years / 1825 days
ET Estonia 5 years / 1825 days
FI Finland 5 months / 150 days
FR France 6 months / 180 days
GR Greece 90 days
HU Hungary 5 years / 1825 days
IR Ireland 5 years / 1825 days
IT Italy 3 months / 90 days
LI Lithuania 5 years / 1825 days
LU Luxembourg 5 years / 1825 days
LV Latvia 5 years / 1825 days
MT Malta 5 years / 1825 days
NL Netherlands 5 years / 1825 days
PL Poland 7 months / 210 days
PT Portugal 5 years / 1825 days
RO Roemania 5 years / 1825 days
SE Sweden 1 year / 365 days
SK Slovakia 5 years / 1825 days
SV Slovenia 5 years / 1825 days
UK United Kingdom 1 year / 365 days
*Stamped receipts for purchases made in Belgium are valid until December 31st of the third year after purchase date.