Need advice on shipping please

10POSTS

7 years ago

Hi,
I need some advice on shipping personal belonging please..I am British and will be relocating to indonesia to be with my Indonesian fianc茅, we are getting married next month. I have been told that there鈥檚 quite a complication process to ship personal effect to Indonesia. Please advise? Thanks rita

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Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

7 years ago

Import duties are designed to discourage you from bringing things in, and most of the stuff is easy and cheap to buy here anyway.

Cars, electronics, household furniture, and all the other big stuff is likely to be a headache, both for shipping and paying import duty.
Large white goods such as a fridge are easy to buy out here, and I don't know anyone with a UK style oven.

Laptops, phones (Make sure it's unlocked to any network) and other portable items in hand luggage are fine - It's unlikely anyone will even bother looking at them.

Clothes - Bring one jumper in case you go to Bandung, but leave behind everything you wouldn't use on a hot July day in England.

I came over with a 20kg rucksack and a well stuffed piece of hand luggage, but a lady might well want to bring 2 large bags plus carry on and live with the excess baggage fee.

There was some sadness in my move as I was unable to bring my mini library, a sad loss for my brain and all but irreplaceable here.
I'm down from 2 large 6 shelf bookcases to about 30 books - I cry about them from time to time.

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Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

7 years ago

I did a load of car boot sales, sold off all the pro electronics to guys in the trade, gave charity shops all the clothes and stuff I didn't need, then did a runner out here with easily enough cash from the sales to buy what we needed for the house.
No headaches with customs - Bonus.

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

7 years ago

Clothes are cheap and everywhere (Avoid M&S and the other foreign chains because they know how to charge - You can tell I'm from Yorkshire

) so you won't actually need to bring that much if you don't want to.
Places like ITC have piles of stuff, and there are piles of places like ITC.

rita christianty Member

10POSTS

7 years ago

Thank you 馃槉

Ubudian Indonesia Expert

3214POSTS

7 years ago

Unless things have changed (as they so often do here), personal property can be imported duty free so long as you are on a residency (KITAS) visa.聽 That said, shipping is expensive, so, unless the property is near and dear, as Fred notes, it might be cheaper to buy your furnishings here in Indonesia.

rita christianty Member

10POSTS

7 years ago

Hi Ubudian,

Thank you for useful info. I have already got a reasonable quotation from freight co over here, just waiting for approval of documentation. So fingers crossed...:-)

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rita christianty Member

10POSTS

7 years ago

Hi guys,

Thank you for the useful advises and Fred, I am sorry to hear about your mini library :-(

Hopefully by now you have made up the loss ?

I didn't know the complexity of bringing in the personal belongings, so basically according the Kementrian Keuangan as a Foreigner I need to provide Work Permit as well as KITAS (min 1 year), is that correct? Thanks Rita

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

7 years ago

KITAS is a must in the hope of avoiding taxes (But they've tried to charge me before now) - I have no clue about the work permit for anything other than work.

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