The personal-goods concession
Indonesian Customs states a general passenger personal-goods concession of USD500 per person per arrival. Where relevant personal goods exceed it, the excess can attract import duty and applicable taxes. Goods brought for sale or other commercial purposes have different treatment.
Keep purchase records for valuable new goods. Separate belongings you will take home from purchases or gifts that will remain in Indonesia, and answer the declaration according to the goods actually carried. Airline baggage weight and customs value are different limits.
Alcohol, tobacco and cash
The alcohol concession is up to one litre for a passenger aged 21 or over. Conventional tobacco concessions for eligible adults include 200 cigarettes, 25 cigars or 100 grams of cut tobacco. Mixed tobacco types are assessed proportionally, and separate limits apply to electronic products.
Cash or other payment instruments totalling IDR100 million or more, or the foreign-currency equivalent, require declaration. Do not split or conceal goods to avoid answering a declaration question.
Medicines and restricted goods
Before bringing medication, establish whether its active ingredients are legal in Indonesia and whether documentation or permission is needed. An Australian prescription is not an import permit. Keep legal medication in its original packaging, with the prescription and a doctor’s letter where appropriate.
Plants, animals and related products can raise quarantine requirements. Weapons, controlled drugs and other restricted goods require particular care. A duty-free shop’s sale or an airline’s acceptance does not establish Indonesian import permission.
A practical packing method
- Review the declaration categories while there is still time to leave an unsuitable item at home.
- Keep receipts and any permits together, accessible before the checked bags are opened.
- Carry only your own baggage or goods whose contents you know.
- If a declaration answer is uncertain, raise the item with a Customs officer rather than treating the uncertainty as an exemption.
- For an overseas phone intended for long-term Indonesian use, review Customs’ current IMEI procedure. Tourist SIM validation and permanent device import registration are not the same process.