- What Do I Need To Know To Move My Household Goods To Bali, Indonesia?
- Will I Have To Pay Customs Duty Or Taxes?
- Can I Move My Private Vehicle To Bali, Indonesia?
- Get Help From The Experts

The Indonesian archipelago includes more than 17,000 islands. Indonesia has numerous countries by land and sea. By land, Indonesia borders Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia, and by sea, the country borders India, the Philippines, Singapore, Australia, Palau, Thailand, Vietnam, Palau, and Christmas Island.
If you are moving to Indonesia, you have a lot to look forward to! Indonesia is a tropical, island paradise doted across the waters of South East Asia. Before you can enjoy all the wonder and beauty of Bali, you have some work to do. You might be wondering if you can bring your car, or how much customs duty or taxes will be.
This guide is intended to give you a quick introduction to what you need to know to import your household goods to Indonesia.
What do I need to know to move my household goods to Bali, Indonesia?
Once you figure out how to get your household goods to Bali, you are halfway there. You will need to provide documentation for your goods when you present them to customs.
Required documents
- Original work permit or residency permit
- Original passport with arrival stamp
- Boarding Pass used to enter Indonesia
- Original Bill of Lading
- Detailed Packing List
All customs shipments will go through a physical inspection by customs. This process can take a bit of time, so you will want to keep these timelines in mind as you plan your move.
For air shipments, customs clearance takes up to 8 working days. For sea shipments, you can count on between 10-12 business days for a full container, and 12-15 business days for a less container load.
Will I have to pay customs duty or taxes?
Indonesian customs officials rely on a tariff schedule for imported goods. This schedule is based on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and is applied to all goods imported from countries that are not ASEAN member states.
Under this tariff schedule, you will pay customs duties for your goods ranging from 0%-170%, although on average tariffs are below 15%. That’s a big spread, so do your research. The last thing you want is to pay more in tariffs for your household items than it would cost to replace them.
Indonesia, along with Australia, China, India, Japan, and Korea, is a member of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. Imports among ASEAN member countries tend to range from 0-5%. If you are moving to Indonesia from one of these countries, the customs duty will be much lower than it is for citizens of other countries.
As always, if you have questions about what this may look like for your particular situation, contact a shipping company or local customs officials for guidance.
Can I move my private vehicle to Bali, Indonesia?
Unfortunately, only diplomats are permitted to import their private vehicles to Indonesia – and not even all diplomats. You will most likely need to purchase a vehicle after arriving in Indonesia. Even better, you could hire a driver. Driving on Indonesia’s roads can be challenging. The roads are not always in good condition, washouts are fairly common, and other drivers and pedestrians can be unpredictable. Hiring an Indonesian driver will help you get where you need to go easily and safely…at least until you become familiar with the area.
Get Help from the Experts
Moving to Indonesia can be complicated and a little scary. You will need to navigate Indonesia’s complex import regulations while discovering a new culture, language, and environment. At A1 Auto Transport, our team of international shipping agents has the expertise you need for a hassle-free move. Contact us for your free, no-obligation quote today.