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Obtaining an Indonesian Import License

How to Obtain an Indonesian Import License

If you have decided to import a product into Indonesia, first and foremost you’d need to set up a company. Whether this is a foreign-owned company (PT PMA) or a local company (local PT), all importers are required to have an Indonesian-based company.

Upon registration, your business will have to apply for a business identification number (Nomor Iduk Berusaha, or NIB) through the Online Single Submission System (OSS).

The NIB doesn’t expire and replaces the Company Registration Certificate, Importer Identification Number, and Customs Registration NIK (Nomor Induk Kepabeanan) needed before implementing OSS.

What else is needed to import a product into Indonesia?

Getting an import license is the first step in your goal of distributing your product to Indonesia.

Before importing goods it is important to check two things:

  1. The imported product should be related to the sector business in the NIB
  2. The Indonesian Harmonization System (HS) Code, which is used to classify every category of products imported

These are important because Indonesian import licenses are limited to a particular industry classified in the NIB and do not permit the importation of goods unrelated to a business sector.

When importing products into Indonesia, additional licenses are required to ensure Indonesian product standards are met.

The following shows what additional licenses are needed for each sector:

indonesian import license infographic

How Cekindo Can Help

When you are ready to import a product, Cekindo is ready to help you with every step of the process. Aside from getting an Indonesian import license, we provide services that can assist you in:

Contact our consultants

Selected Testimonials

  • I am thankful for Cekindo, as they assisted me for several months to obtain my business visa and enter Indonesia. I was in constant contact with valuable consultants the provided me with updated information during this precarious time. Today, my being in Jakarta is not a miracle – it was made possible by Cekindo.

    Gabriel Francois Pierre Hossaert
  • Balev Coporation

    We needed an expert in applying and obtaining respective registrations for our product range in Indonesia, and a renowned German consultancy company in the safety compliance field recommended Cekindo due to their well-developed network in the Asia Pacific. Cekindo’s practical knowledge helped professionally shape and balance the wording of our labels, resulting in full compliance with Indonesian product regulations while taking into account the market and its end users.

    Rumen Myankov
    Balev Corporation
  • Tim Stewart - Photo

    I would like to acknowledge the exceptional service that PT. Cekindo Business International provided to me and my company. I needed to attend a meeting in Jakarta in October 2020 and because of the COVID-19, there were some restrictions with regard to visa application. I made the right decision by consulting with the visa team at Cekindo. The application process was expertly handled. The team ensured the visa was issued well ahead of time for my trip. I would recommend PT. Cekindo Business International to anyone looking for expert help in managing the visa application process.

    Tim Stewart
    Northern Territory Building Consultancy
  • logo-PT-Asia-Victory

    Prior to choosing Cekindo as our business partner in Indonesia, we interviewed and compared several companies. Finally, we chose to cooperate with Cekindo because of its professionalism and quality. Cekindo has assisted us in many ways, from company certification application to KITAS application and financial statement compliance to the fulfillment of other tax obligations in Indonesia. We appreciate the team’s fast response and professionalism in preparing the financial statements, among others.

    Doris Chen
    PT. Asia Victory and PT. Bigger One
  • logo Toaster

    When I joined Toaster, it was already working with Cekindo. But it’s quick to see why Toaster chose Cekindo. Cekindo has been very helpful throughout. Toaster Headquarters is based in London. Indonesian tax laws are not our specialty. Cekindo’s team has helped us to understand Indonesian tax. They are very knowledgeable and dependable, and therefore a huge asset to our company.

    Tsui-Sie Wong
    Toaster

FAQ’s About Indonesian Import Licenses

What if my product has been registered under a local distributor and we decide to transfer the license to our company or another distributor?

You can transfer the license as long as your current local distributor agrees to change the product license holder. The procedure will be different for each product category. We can only recommend you try to prevent these issues by setting cooperation with a trustworthy partner from the beginning.

Is it true that I cannot start importing products if I do not have an import license?

Not completely. You can leverage a service called Importer of Record or Undername Importer to assist you in importing products into Indonesia.

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