Indonesia limits what travellers can bring into the country and take out of it, and several of these rules changed in 2024 and 2025. As of October 2026, goods that must be declared are entered in the customs section of the All Indonesia arrival card, which replaced the separate e-CD customs form for arrivals by air and sea in September 2025.
The customs part of the card is explained question by question in our customs declaration guide for Bali. Breaking the rules can mean confiscation, fines and, for drugs, prison.
Each passenger answers for everything in their luggage. Pack your bags yourself, do not carry anything for strangers, and check any parcel friends ask you to bring, including the packaging.
Importing to Indonesia
Prohibited Items
Any narcotic or psychotropic substance is banned, including marijuana and cannabis products such as hemp oil, seeds, drops and edibles, even where they are sold legally. A foreign prescription for medical cannabis does not make it legal in Indonesia.
Smuggling drugs can carry the death penalty, and even a small amount for personal use can lead to years in prison. What happens after an arrest is described in our article about being caught with drugs in Bali.
Pornographic films, images and objects are banned, and that includes files on phones and laptops, which officers may check.
Communist symbols and literature are banned by Indonesian law. Tourists wearing T-shirts with a hammer and sickle have been detained by police and had the clothing confiscated.
Firearms, ammunition, explosives and realistic replicas, including toy guns that look real, need a permit from the Indonesian police. Air guns, hunting and sports weapons are allowed only with a licence.
Medicines, traditional remedies and supplements that are not registered with Indonesia's food and drug agency may be refused entry. For prescription medicines, carry the prescription and a doctor's letter in English that matches the amount you have with you, and declare them in the arrival card. Medicines containing narcotic substances need approval from the food and drug agency before the trip.
New items in factory packaging, goods in cardboard boxes and large numbers of identical items may be treated as goods for sale. Customs then charges duties and taxes at commercial rates or holds the goods for inspection. The same applies to cosmetics: batches and trade samples are imports, and they need import documents and food and drug agency approval.
The full list of goods banned from import is set by Indonesia's Ministry of Trade (regulation text in Indonesian).
Customs explains its rules on www.beacukai.go.id.
Restricted Items
Adults can bring the following duty-free amounts of alcohol and tobacco. Alcohol can be brought in from the age of 21.
- 1 litre of alcoholic drinks
- 200 cigarettes, or 25 cigars, or 100 g of tobacco
- 140 sticks or 40 capsules for heated-tobacco devices
- 30 ml of e-liquid for open-system vapes, or 12 ml for closed-system pods
Anything above these amounts is destroyed by customs on the spot, with or without the passenger present.
Phones, laptops and cameras you use on the trip count as personal belongings. Customs looks at whether the quantity is reasonable for personal use, and several identical new devices in boxes may be treated as goods for sale. New devices bought abroad that will stay in Indonesia count towards the US$500 duty-free allowance.
Tourists staying up to 90 days do not need to register their phone's IMEI and can use roaming or a tourist SIM card. For a longer stay with an Indonesian SIM card, the phone has to be registered.
Since May 2024 there have been no quantity limits on clothes, shoes and bags that travellers carry as personal belongings. New items bought abroad still count towards the US$500 allowance, and removing tags from new clothes after a shopping trip helps avoid questions.
Cash and other payment instruments worth IDR 100 million or more (in rupiah or foreign currency) must be declared in the arrival card, and you then go through the red channel at customs. Undeclared cash is fined 10% of the amount, up to IDR 300 million. Rupiah worth IDR 100 million or more is checked for authenticity on arrival, and taking that much rupiah out of Indonesia requires prior approval from Bank Indonesia. Once on the island it also helps to know the cheapest way to withdraw rupiah with a foreign card.
Foreign banknotes worth IDR 1 billion or more can only be moved across the border by licensed banks and money changers. A private traveller carrying that much is fined 10%, up to IDR 300 million.
Luxury items such as bags and jewellery are fine in a reasonable personal quantity. If an officer decides there are too many for personal use, they can be treated as goods for sale.
Temporary Import
Video cameras, binoculars, portable audio equipment and sports gear can be brought in on condition that you take them out again. A customs officer may ask for a deposit, refunded when you leave.
Duty-Free Allowance and Taxes
Goods bought abroad that stay in Indonesia are free of duty and taxes up to US$500 (FOB value) per person per arrival. Above that, a 10% import duty is charged on the amount over US$500, plus 12% VAT. Since June 2025 personal goods are no longer charged import income tax. Keep receipts for new items to prove their value.
Bringing Pets into Indonesia
Dogs and cats cannot be flown directly into Bali: the island restricts the entry of animals that can carry rabies. Pets enter Indonesia through another approved port, usually Jakarta, go through quarantine there and then travel on to Bali.
The animal needs a rabies vaccination given at least 30 days and no more than 12 months before entry, a blood test showing rabies antibodies, an official health certificate and an import permit from the Indonesian authorities. Most owners hire a pet relocation agency, and preparation takes several months.
Food and Agricultural Products
Small amounts of food for personal use rarely cause problems, but fresh fruit, poultry, some types of sugar and rice are formally restricted. Animal, plant and fish products, as well as seeds and seedlings, are declared in the quarantine section of the arrival card and may need a quarantine permit or a health certificate.
Sending Packages to Indonesia
Parcels worth up to US$3 are free of import duty. Above that and up to US$1,500, most goods pay a flat 7.5% duty plus VAT, while some categories have their own rates: books 0%, cosmetics and watches 15%, bags, shoes and textiles 25%.
Prescription medicines cannot be sent by post without approval from the food and drug agency, and parcels without it may be seized.
Exporting from Indonesia
Prohibited Items
Live animals, plants and products made from protected species cannot be taken out without permits. Python skin and other reptile leather goods need CITES export documents, and Indonesia does not exempt tourist souvenirs from this rule, so ask the seller for the paperwork when you buy.
Some airlines refuse to carry durian because of its smell. Check with your airline before packing it.
Items Requiring Special Documentation
Marine animals need a veterinary certificate from the seller and confirmation from a quarantine facility in the destination country.
Some wood carvings and cultural objects are restricted for export. Check each item separately and arrange export documents if needed.
Useful Resources
Indonesian Customs: www.beacukai.go.id
Overview of Indonesia's 2021 trade rules on imports and exports: ASEAN Briefing
For questions about specific goods, you can also contact the Indonesian embassy or consulate in your country, customs, the food and drug agency or the National Narcotics Agency.
We urge strict adherence to the relevant Indonesian legislation and mandatory coordination of the transport of animals and plants across the border with local quarantine services.