Indonesia Import Guide › Import licence
Last updated: 6 November 2026
Short answer: Importers in Indonesia need a business identification number (NIB) issued through the OSS system, which also serves as the importer identification number (API). Restricted goods (lartas) may also need an import approval (PI) or a surveyor report (LS), and many consumer products need a registration such as BPOM, SNI or postel, plus halal in phases, before they can be sold.
What licence does an importer need in Indonesia?
Since Permendag 16/2025 took effect in August 2025, the importer's NIB also serves as its API (Angka Pengenal Importir). Risk-based business licensing now follows PP 28/2025, which replaced PP 5/2021 in June 2025.
- API-U (general importer): for companies that import goods to trade.
- API-P (producer importer): for companies that import for their own production. Goods imported under API-P may not be traded or transferred.
- Customs registration: the importer must also register with the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) to file import declarations.
In practice, a foreign brand without an Indonesian company cannot obtain an NIB, so it imports through its own PT PMA, a local distributor or an importer of record partner. See importer of record in Indonesia. For a PT PMA, BKPM Regulation 5/2025 lowered the minimum issued and paid-up capital to IDR 2.5 billion per company; the investment threshold of more than IDR 10 billion per business line per location still applies, with exceptions such as wholesale trade.
What are restricted goods (lartas) and import approvals?
Lartas (larangan dan/atau pembatasan) are goods whose import is prohibited or restricted. Since August 2025 the rules sit in Permendag 16/2025 plus eight sector regulations, amended by Permendag 37/2025 and Permendag 18/2026.
- Import approval (Persetujuan Impor, PI): a Ministry of Trade permit issued through INATRADE for certain restricted goods, sometimes linked to quotas.
- Surveyor report (Laporan Surveyor, LS): a verification report by an appointed surveyor, used as a customs document. Cosmetics, for example, need a surveyor report under Permendag 23/2025.
- Import realisation report: importers must report imports made under their approvals. Under Permendag 18/2026, failure to report leads to a warning first, then a licence freeze.
| Sector regulation | Goods covered |
|---|---|
| Permendag 17/2025 | Textiles and textile products |
| Permendag 18/2025 | Agriculture and livestock |
| Permendag 19/2025 | Salt and fisheries |
| Permendag 20/2025 | Chemicals, hazardous materials and mining products |
| Permendag 21/2025 | Electronics and telematics |
| Permendag 22/2025 | Certain industrial goods, such as steel, tyres, ceramics and glass |
| Permendag 23/2025 | Consumer goods, such as food and drink, cosmetics, supplements, toys, bags, footwear and bicycles |
| Permendag 24/2025 | Non-new goods and non-hazardous waste |
Which product registrations might your goods need?
| Registration | Typical products | Authority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPOM registration (food, ML number) | Processed food and drinks | BPOM | Filed by the local importer or agent with an appointment letter from the manufacturer (BPOM Regulation 23/2023). An import certificate (SKI) is needed for each shipment, and Indonesian labels must be on the goods before customs clearance. |
| BPOM cosmetic notification | Cosmetics and skincare | BPOM | Filed by an Indonesian business with an NIB, backed by a contract or appointment from the manufacturer (BPOM Regulation 12/2020). Products from outside ASEAN need a Certificate of Free Sale; an SKI is needed for each shipment. |
| SNI certificate (SPPT-SNI) and NPB | Products under mandatory SNI, such as toys and certain electrical goods | Accredited certification body (LSPro); NPB under Permendag 33/2025 | The NPB goods registration number goes on the goods or packaging and is stated in the import declaration. |
| Postel certificate | Telecommunication and wireless devices | Komdigi | Under Permenkominfo 3/2024. Komdigi publishes the list of HS codes that need certification; check the current official list. |
| Halal certificate | Food and drink, cosmetics, supplements and other categories, in phases | BPJPH | Under PP 40/2026: imported food and drink from 18 October 2028 (after mutual recognition arrangements are finalised); cosmetics and several other categories by 17 October 2028. |
Detailed guides: BPOM registration, SNI certification and halal certification.
How do you check the requirements for your product?
- Find the 8-digit HS code of your product in the Indonesian tariff book (BTKI).
- Search the HS code on the INSW portal to see import restrictions, required permits and the issuing agency.
- Check whether the product also needs a registration before it can be sold, such as BPOM, SNI, halal or postel.
- Confirm who will hold the permits and registrations: your own Indonesian company, your distributor or your import partner. See importer of record in Indonesia.
Frequently asked questions
Is the API still a separate licence?
No. Under Permendag 16/2025 the importer's NIB serves as its API. The importer chooses API-U or API-P in the OSS system.
Do all products need an import approval?
No. Import approvals and surveyor reports apply only to goods that are restricted for their HS code. Many products only need the NIB, customs registration and, where relevant, a product registration such as BPOM or SNI.
Can my distributor hold my BPOM registration?
Yes. BPOM registrations and notifications are filed by an Indonesian business, often the importer or distributor, with authorisation from the brand owner. Agree in writing who holds each registration and what happens to it if the partnership ends.
When does halal certification become mandatory for imported products?
Under PP 40/2026, imported food and drink must be halal certified from 18 October 2028, and cosmetics and several other categories by 17 October 2028. Over-the-counter drugs and class B medical devices follow in 2029, and prescription drugs and class C medical devices in 2034.
Not sure which permits your products need?
Send us your product list. We check the requirements by HS code and tell you what is needed before you ship.
Market entry solutionImport procurement solutionSources
- Permendag 16/2025 on import policy and arrangements (full text)
- PP 28/2025 on risk-based business licensing (SSEK summary)
- PwC Indonesia legal alert: new import framework, Permendag 16–24/2025
- Baker McKenzie: Permendag 37/2025 amendments (Nov 2025)
- SIP Law Firm: Permendag 18/2026 changes to import policy
- DDTC: how to check lartas rules online on INSW (June 2026)
- INSW: Indonesia National Trade Repository
- A&O Shearman: BKPM Regulation 5/2025
- USDA FAIRS Country Report Indonesia (Feb 2026): BPOM food registration
- SIP Law Firm: importing cosmetics into Indonesia
- SIP Law Firm: SNI certification
- Permendag 33/2025 (full text)
- TÜV: Permenkominfo 3/2024 on telecommunication equipment certification
- BPJPH: halal certification phases under PP 40/2026
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; check the requirements for your specific HS code before shipping.