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Shipping to Indonesia: what is not allowed

Indonesia's de minimis is USD 3 and VAT is charged even below it, so effectively every parcel pays. Clothing, bags and footwear pay 25% duty plus income tax; books are duty-free. Every shipment needs the recipient's tax number, national ID or passport number.

Not accepted for Indonesia

  • Prescription medicines without a prescription
  • Excisable goods above the per-parcel limits — the excess is destroyed, not taxed (cigarettes 40, cigars 5, cut tobacco 40 g, liquid tobacco 40 ml, alcohol 350 ml)
  • Counterfeit goods, narcotics and pornography

Allowed, with conditions

  • Prescription and OTC medicines — per prescription, max 90 days, prescription signed by the doctor in the origin country
  • Traditional medicines including Ayurvedic — max 5 pieces per item
  • Supplements — 5 small boxes; cosmetics — max 20 pieces per recipient
  • Processed food — 5 kg per recipient
  • Phones and tablets — IMEI declared on the consignment note

Between USD 3 and USD 1,500 FOB: general goods 7.5% duty, cosmetics 15% duty plus 5% income tax, clothing/bags/footwear 25% duty plus 5% income tax, books 0%; VAT (effectively 11%) on all. Above USD 1,500 full import procedure.

Over the limit, tax is charged on the whole value, not the excess. The recipient pays before delivery.

Quick answers: shipping from India to Indonesia

What can I not send from India to Indonesia?

Indonesia does not accept: prescription medicines without a prescription; excisable goods above the per-parcel limits — the excess is destroyed, not taxed (cigarettes 40, cigars 5, cut tobacco 40 g, liquid tobacco 40 ml, alcohol 350 ml); counterfeit goods, narcotics and pornography. On every route, we also cannot carry anything with a battery, mobile phones and laptops, real gold, silver or diamond jewellery, or anything flammable or pressurised such as perfume, aerosols and nail polish.

Can I send medicines from India to Indonesia?

Yes, within limits: prescription and OTC medicines — per prescription, max 90 days, prescription signed by the doctor in the origin country. Controlled and psychotropic medicines need clearance first, so ask us before you order them.

Can I send Indian food to Indonesia?

Yes, with conditions: processed food — 5 kg per recipient. Check the not-accepted list on this page before you order, because some foods are banned outright.

How long does a parcel from India to Indonesia take?

Normal transit on this route is 4 to 6 business days from our warehouse in Kerala.

Will I pay customs duty or tax in Indonesia?

Between USD 3 and USD 1,500 FOB: general goods 7.5% duty, cosmetics 15% duty plus 5% income tax, clothing/bags/footwear 25% duty plus 5% income tax, books 0%; VAT (effectively 11%) on all. Above USD 1,500 full import procedure. Over the limit, tax is charged on the whole value, not the excess. The recipient pays before delivery.

Never accepted, wherever you are

These are refused by the airlines, by Indian export rules or by us, so they cannot leave our warehouse for any destination.

Prohibited, restricted and dangerous goods, in one line each. Prohibited means it cannot be sent at all. Restricted means it can travel, but only under conditions your country sets, such as a personal quantity, a prescription or a declaration; those are listed under each destination. Dangerous goods are what airlines treat as a hazard on board: anything flammable, corrosive or pressurised. We also cannot ship anything with a battery, or anything that burns, such as agarbatti and camphor.

  • Cash, currency, cheques, bullion, and loose precious stones
  • Narcotics, illegal drugs, and psychotropic substances
  • Firearms, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, and weapons (including replicas)
  • Anything with a battery, including power banks, battery-operated toys and watches
  • Mobile phones and laptops
  • Real gold, silver and diamond jewellery
  • Flammable, corrosive, or pressurised goods — perfumes/deodorant sprays, aerosols, nail polish and remover, paints, thinners, fuel, gas cylinders, lighters, and matches
  • Anything that burns: agarbatti (incense sticks), dhoop, camphor, sambrani and candles
  • Live animals, plants, seeds, soil, and products of endangered species (CITES)
  • Pornographic, obscene, or seditious material
  • Counterfeit goods and pirated media
  • Human remains, biological samples, and infectious substances
  • Radioactive and toxic substances

Medicines and supplements are the one thing to check before you order. They are not banned — almost every destination lets a personal quantity through in its original packaging with a copy of the prescription. What changes from country to country is how much counts as personal, whose name the prescription has to be in, and which ingredients need clearance from that country's health authority first.

The rule for Indonesia is under Allowed, with conditions above. Controlled and psychotropic medicines are a separate case: several countries want their own health authority to clear the parcel first, so check with us before you order rather than after it arrives with us.

If you are not sure about something, ask on WhatsApp before you order it.

The same list, talked through

Three and a half minutes on what cannot leave India, what your own country will not let in, and the things that travel perfectly well once the paperwork is right.

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What You Can and Can't Ship From India (Full List)

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