International shipping guide from Indonesia

Before you start talking with freight forwarding companies in Indonesia about exporting your goods overseas, it’s a good idea to perform a little research. Some general knowledge about things like shipping lanes and customs requirements will help you in your discussions and in your assessment of any prospective freight forwarder in Indonesia.

As an alternative to looking for local companies, you could always let Shipa Freight move your shipments out of Indonesia. Whether you choose to do that, or prefer to use an Indonesian logistics provider, we’re very happy to share the information on this page, with the intent to help you get off on the right foot with international freight shipping from Indonesia.

Border Controls in Indonesia: Customs and Export Formalities

As a Shipa Freight customer, you won’t have to worry too much about the management of documents and submissions for the Indonesian customs service, as we will perform much of the necessary processing on your behalf.

We are providing the following details, therefore, largely for your information. However, you will need to provide us with the information necessary to complete your documents. Also, before you can start making commercial shipments from Indonesia, there are some requirements that your business will need to fulfill.

Export Licensing and Registration

Before you can begin shipping goods commercially from Indonesia, you will need to register as an exporter and obtain an NIK or customs identification number from the Indonesian Directorate General of Customs and Excise.

You will also need an Exporter Identification Number or APE. In fact, the APE is essentially a license to export, so there is no possibility of shipping goods from Indonesia without one, unless your business holds one of the following alternative types of export license:

• Trade license (SIUP) from the Ministry of Trade
• Manufacturing license from the Ministry of Industry
• PMA license issued by the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM)

The Indonesian Customs Export Declaration (PEB)

In order for the customs authorities to clear any of your consignments for international shipping from Indonesia, your freight forwarder (that’s Shipa Freight, if you are shipping your goods with us) will need to submit a completed export declaration, known locally as a PEB.

The PEB provides the customs office with details about your shipment and must include the following information:

• The identity of the exporter;
• The identity of the recipient of your goods;
• The means of transportation by which you will ship your export;
• The destination country;
• Information about your goods, such as the type of goods, quantities, and container numbers;
• Details about the company acting as your customs broker (this can be a specialist customs broker, a logistics company or a freight forwarder in Indonesia or elsewhere, as long as it is the entity taking responsibility for your shipment).

The company shipping your goods must submit the PEB before those goods enter the customs area, but no earlier than seven days before export. It must also submit the following documents to accompany the PEB:

• Bill of Lading (or Airway bill if you are shipping air cargo in Indonesia);
• A commercial Invoice;
• A packing List;
• An insurance Certificate;
• A certificate of Origin for your goods.

You may also need to provide other documents, depending upon the types of goods you are shipping. These documents may include a taxpayer ID number (known as an NPWP), quality statements, or quality certificates. Perhaps a Truth Examination Report (or LKP) may also be required if your goods are of a type requiring export tax payment.

Restrictions on International Shipping from Indonesia

The Indonesian government imposes certain controls on the export of goods from the country. You can find more details about products that are restricted or prohibited from exportation on the DGNED website, but essentially, there are four categories (or levels) of control.

The categories for international shipping from Indonesia are as follows:

• Goods free to export: These types of goods are not restricted, so you are free to export them provided you meet the requirements required for the government to recognize you as an exporter.
• Goods subject to export trade system: If you wish to export these goods, you must first attain registration as a recognized exporter of those specific goods.
• Export controlled goods: You can only export these types of goods after attaining the explicit approval of the Indonesian Ministry of Trade.
• Export-prohibited goods: As the title suggests, you may not ship these goods out of Indonesia under any circumstances.

International Shipping from Indonesia: Ocean Freight Routes

The information in this section deals with port-to-port shipping only, but if you choose us as your export freight forwarder for Indonesia, we are also able to provide port-to-door and door-to-door shipping to locations in any of the 100 countries where we operate.

The majority of freight forwarding companies in Indonesia primarily specializes in ocean freight. This is understandable, as ocean freight tends to be the shipping mode of choice for exporters, mainly because it is less costly than sending goods as air cargo from Indonesia. In fact, for larger shipments, ocean freight is often the only practical solution.

Top Ocean Freight Lanes for Shipping from Indonesia

The following five routes are some of the most frequently used by freight forwarding companies in Indonesia to ship clients’ goods consignments out of the country:

• Jakarta to Singapore
• Jakarta to Shanghai (China)
• Surabaya to Shanghai (China)
• Jakarta to Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia)
• Surabaya to Singapore

The Longest and Shortest routes for International Shipping from Indonesia

The longest ocean freight routes from Indonesia channel exports to countries in Northern Europe. For instance, the route from Jakarta to Klaipeda in Lithuania involves a transit time of 50 days, with similar transit times attached to the routes from Jakarta to Oslo in Norway and Helsinki in Finland.

The shortest routes are those connecting Indonesia with Singapore and Malaysia. In fact, the shortest route of all, from Belawan to Malaysia’s Penang port, has a transit time of just one day.

Main Ocean Routes for Export Shipping from Indonesia

To America

Port of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Port	Approximate Duration
Jakarta	Canada	Vancouver	25 Days
Jakarta	Canada	Montreal	45 days
Jakarta	United States	Atlanta	35 Days
Jakarta	United States	Baltimore	43 Days
Jakarta	United States	Boston	41 Days
Jakarta	United States	Houston	45 days
Jakarta	United States	Oakland	34 Days
Surabaya	United States	Miami	48 days
Jakarta	United States	Miami	47 Days
Surabaya	United States	Norfolk	39 Days
Jakarta	United States	Norfolk	39 Days
Jakarta	United States	Seattle	28 Days
Surabaya	United States	Seattle	32 Days
Jakarta	United States	Mobile	35 Days
Surabaya	United States	Mobile	44 Days
Jakarta	United States	Los Angeles	23 Days
Jakarta	United States	Long Beach	23 Days
Surabaya	United States	Long Beach	35 Days
Surabaya	United States	Los Angeles	34 Days
Jakarta	United States	Tacoma	29 Days
Surabaya	United States	Tacoma	32 Days
Jakarta	United States	Savannah	43 Days
Surabaya	United States	Savannah	41 Days
Surabaya	United States	Charleston	45 Days
Jakarta	United States	Charleston	45 Days
Jakarta	United States	Port Everglades	48 Days
Surabaya	United States	Port Everglades	47 days

To Europe

Port of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Port	Approximate Duration
Surabaya	Belgium	Antwerp	38 Days
Jakarta	Belgium	Antwerp	30 Days
Jakarta	Denmark	Aarhus	43 Days
Jakarta	Denmark	Copenhagen	47 Days
Jakarta	Finland	Helsinki	49 Days
Jakarta	France	Fos-sur-Mer	35 Days
Jakarta	Germany	Bremerhaven	33 Days
Surabaya	Germany	Bremerhaven	36 Days
Jakarta	Germany	Hamburg	37 Days
Jakarta	Italy	Ancona	40 Days
Jakarta	Italy	Genoa	36 Days
Jakarta	Lithuania	Klaipeda	50 Days
Jakarta	Netherlands	Rotterdam	39 Days
Jakarta	Norway	Oslo	49 Days
Jakarta	Poland	Gdansk	40 Days
Jakarta	Portugal	Lisbon	43 Days
Jakarta	Russia	Arkhangelsk	45 Days
Jakarta	Russia	Vladivostok	18 Days
Surabaya	Slovenia	Koper	32 Days
Jakarta	Slovenia	Koper	32 Days
Surabaya	Slovenia	Koper	33 Days
Jakarta	Spain	Algeciras	36 Days
Surabaya	Spain	Barcelona	28 Days
Jakarta	Spain	Barcelona	31 Days
Jakarta	Spain	Bilbao	45 Days
Surabaya	Spain	Valencia	31 Days
Jakarta	Spain	Valencia	31 Days
Surabaya	Sweden	Gothenburg	40 Days
Jakarta	Sweden	Gothenburg	34 Days
Jakarta	United Kingdom	Belfast	45 Days
Jakarta	United Kingdom	Grangemouth	43 Days
Surabaya	United Kingdom	London Gateway	32 Days
Jakarta	United Kingdom	London Gateway	29 Days
Surabaya	United Kingdom	Felixstowe	32 Days
Jakarta	United Kingdom	Felixstowe	29 Days
Surabaya	United Kingdom	Southampton	32 Days
Jakarta	United Kingdom	Southampton	29 Days

To Africa and the Middle East

Port of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Port	Approximate Duration
Jakarta	Morocco	Casablanca	40 Days
Jakarta	Saudi Arabia	Ad Dammam	14 Days
Jakarta	Saudi Arabia	Jeddah	25 Days
Surabaya	Saudi Arabia	Jeddah	25 Days
Jakarta	Saudi Arabia	Riyadh	30 Days
Surabaya	Saudi Arabia	Riyadh	32 Days
Jakarta	United Arab Emirates	Abu Dhabi	17 Days
Jakarta	United Arab Emirates	Dubai	20 Days
Surabaya	United Arab Emirates	Dubai	21 Days
Jakarta	United Arab Emirates	Jebel Ali	20 Days
Surabaya	United Arab Emirates	Jebel Ali	21 days

To Asia/Oceania

Port of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Port	Approximate Duration
Jakarta	Australia	Adelaide	13 Days
Jakarta	Australia	Brisbane	15 Days
Jakarta	Australia	Fremantle	9 Days
Jakarta	Australia	Melbourne	10 Days
Jakarta	Australia	Sydney	13 Days
Jakarta	Bangladesh	Chittagong	12 Days
Surabaya	Bangladesh	Chittagong	11 Days
Jakarta	China	Shanghai	14 Days
Surabaya	China	Shanghai	13 Days
Jakarta	China	Ningbo	14 Days
Surabaya	China	Ningbo	15 Days
Jakarta	China	Dalian	17 Days
Surabaya	China	Dalian	17 Days
Jakarta	China	Qingdao	18 Days
Surabaya	China	Qingdao	20 Days
Semarang	China	Qingdao	23 Days
Jakarta	China	Xiamen	18 Days
Surabaya	China	Xiamen	18 Days
Surabaya	China	Guangzhou	14 Days
Surabaya	China	Shenzhen	16 Days
Jakarta	China	Shenzhen	6 Days
Surabaya	China	Nansha	7 Days
Jakarta	China	Nansha	9 Days
Jakarta	China	Changsha	32 Days
Jakarta	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	7 Days
Surabaya	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	13 Days
Semarang	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	13 Days
Jakarta	India	Chennai	14 Days
Jakarta	Japan	Nagoya	15 Days
Surabaya	Japan	Nagoya	16 Days
Semarang	Japan	Nagoya	16 Days
Jakarta	Japan	Tokyo	12 Days
Surabaya	Japan	Tokyo	11 Days
Semarang	Japan	Tokyo	13 Days
Jakarta	Japan	Kobe	16 Days
Surabaya	Japan	Kobe	15 Days
Semarang	Japan	Kobe	17 Days
Semarang	Japan	Shimizu	15 Days
Jakarta	Japan	Shimizu	16 Days
Semarang	Japan	Yokohama	14 Days
Surabaya	Japan	Yokohama	12 Days
Surabaya	Japan	Shimizu	13 Days
Jakarta	Japan	Yokohama	13 Days
Jakarta	Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	5 Days
Surabaya	Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	6 Days
Belawan	Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	3 Days
Semarang	Malaysia	Tanjung Pelepas	3 Days
Jakarta	Malaysia	Port Klang	4 Days
Semarang	Malaysia	Port Klang	10 Days
Surabaya	Malaysia	Port Klang	4 Days
Belawan	Malaysia	Port Klang	2 Days
Surabaya	Malaysia	Penang	6 Days
Belawan	Malaysia	Penang	1 Day
Jakarta	New Zealand	Auckland	24 Days
Jakarta	Philippines	Cebu	11 Days
Jakarta	Philippines	Davao	5 Days
Surabaya	Philippines	Davao	3 Days
Semarang	Philippines	Manila	14 Days
Jakarta	Philippines	Manila	10 Days
Surabaya	Philippines	Manila	12 Days
Jakarta	South Korea	Busan	17 Days
Surabaya	South Korea	Busan	16 Days
Surabaya	South Korea	Kwangyang	14 Days
Jakarta	South Korea	Kwangyang	15 Days
Jakarta	Singapore	Singapore	2 Days
Semarang	Singapore	Singapore	3 Days
Belawan	Singapore	Singapore	2 Days
Surabaya	Singapore	Singapore	3 Days
Jakarta	Sri Lanka	Colombo	16 Days
Surabaya	Sri Lanka	Colombo	14 Days
Jakarta	Taiwan	Taipei	9 Days
Jakarta	Taiwan	Kaohsiung	13 Days
Surabaya	Taiwan	Kaohsiung	10 Days
Semarang	Taiwan	Kaohsiung	8 Days
Surabaya	Thailand	Bangkok	8 Days
Semarang	Thailand	Bangkok	10 Days
Semarang	Thailand	Laem Chabang	10 Days
Surabaya	Thailand	Laem Chabang	9 Days
Jakarta	Thailand	Laem Chabang	4 Days
Belawan	Thailand	Laem Chabang	8 Days
Jakarta	Vietnam	Haiphong	9 Days
Surabaya	Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh City	3 Days
Jakarta	Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh City	3 Days

Air Freight from Indonesia

The following information covers some of the main routes for shipping air cargo from Indonesia. You may notice that most of the details relate to airport-to-airport shipping. However, Shipa Freight provides a full range of services for customers with air cargo in Indonesia, including port-to-door and door-to-door shipment to destinations in 100 countries.

Busiest Trade Lanes for Air Freight from Indonesia

The busiest routes used by carriers to ship air cargo from Indonesia are those that link the islands to the mainland of Southeast Asia. Five of the most popular air freight lanes are as follows:

• Jakarta to Hong Kong
• Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
• Denpasar to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
• Surabaya to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
• Denpasar to Melbourne (Australia)

Air Freight from Indonesia: Longest and Shortest Transit Times

The longest air freight routes from Indonesia connect the airport of Jakarta with destinations in Western Europe. The transit time for cargo flights from Jakarta to London is 14 hours, with a similar transit time from Jakarta to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

The shortest transit times are on routes from Indonesia to Malaysia and Singapore. The routes from Jakarta or Surabaya to Penang in Malaysia and Singapore’s Changi Airport all take around two hours from terminal to terminal.

Key Air Freight Routes from Indonesia

To Europe

Airport of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Airport	Approximate Duration
Jakarta	Netherlands	Amsterdam	14 Hours
Jakarta	United Kingdom	London Heathrow	14 Hours

To Asia/Oceania

Airport of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Airport	Approximate Duration
Jakarta	Australia	Sydney	7 Hours
Denpasar	Australia	Brisbane	5 Hours
Denpasar	Australia	Sydney	6 Hours
Denpasar	Australia	Melbourne	5 Hours
Jakarta	Australia	Melbourne	6 Hours
Denpasar	Australia	Adelaide	6 Hours
Jakarta	China	Guangzhou	5 Hours
Denpasar	China	Wuhan	6 Hours
Jakarta	China	Xiamen	5 Hours
Denpasar	China	Xiamen	5 Hours
Denpasar	China	Chengdu	7 Hours
Jakarta	China	Beijing	6 Hours
Denpasar	China	Beijing	7 Hours
Jakarta	China	Shenzhen	5 Hours
Jakarta	China	Shanghai	6 Hours
Denpasar	China	Shanghai	6 Hours
Denpasar	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	5 Hours
Surabaya	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	4 Hours
Jakarta	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	5 Hours
Denpasar	Japan	Tokyo	7 Hours
Jakarta	Japan	Tokyo	7 Hours
Jakarta	Malaysia	Penang	2 Hours
Surabaya	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	2 Hours
Denpasar	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	3 Hours
Jakarta	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	3 Hours
Jakarta	South Korea	Seoul	6 hours
Denpasar	South Korea	Seoul	7 Hours
Jakarta	Philippines	Manila	4 Hours
Denpasar	Philippines	Manila	4 Hours
Jakarta	Singapore	Singapore	2 Hours
Surabaya	Singapore	Singapore	2 Hours
Denpasar	Singapore	Singapore	3 Hours
Denpasar	Thailand	Bangkok	4 Hours
Jakarta	Thailand	Bangkok	3 Hours
Jakarta	Taiwan	Taipei	5 Hours

To Africa and the Middle East

Airport of Origin	Destination Country	Destination Airport	Approximate Duration
Jakarta	Oman	Muscat	8 Hours
Jakarta	Qatar	Doha	9 Hours
Jakarta	Saudi Arabia	Jeddah	10 Hours
Jakarta	Turkey	Istanbul	11 Hours
Jakarta	UAE	Dubai	8 Hours
Jakarta	UAE	Abu Dhabi	8 Hours

Freight Shipping from Indonesia: It’s Simple with Shipa Freight

If you’re not familiar with the intricacies of logistics in Indonesia, it’s easy to run into difficulties and find your goods delayed before they even leave the country. That’s why it makes good sense to choose a freight forwarder with a local Indonesian presence. Shipa Freight is backed by Agility, a major global logistics company, with offices and operations in Indonesia and around 100 other countries.

We can help you with domestic logistics in Indonesia, get your shipments swiftly through customs, and manage them through to their final destinations. All of these can be done via our easy-to-use online platform, and with a little extra assistance from our customer support team when necessary.

Shipping from Indonesia is simple with Shipa Freight, but if you’d like to know more, don’t hesitate to reach out and make contact with us.

We’re ready and waiting to answer your questions and provide you with a competitive quote for ocean or air freight from Indonesia—to anywhere.