Ocean and Air Shipping From Indonesia to Germany

Information and quote from Indonesia to Germany for LCL, FCL and Air shipping

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Updated on 28 Nov 2021

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Indonesia and Germany hold significant geopolitical influence in their respective regions. As the largest economies in Southeast Asia and Europe, the two countries maintain a fruitful relationship with bilateral trade totaling $7.49 billion in 2018.

Maybe you are importing from Indonesia to Germany for the first time, or you have already established a supply chain. In either case, this page will provide you with vital information that will help you navigate the traditional complexities of ocean and air freight shipping.

What Are Your Options for Freight From Indonesia to Germany?

Warehouse operative in orange pushing a trolley, stacked with boxes, from the Flag of Indonesia towards the flag of Germany

You can choose between ocean and air shipping to transport commodities from Indonesia to Germany. There are pros and cons to both forms of shipping which we’ll outline below.

Ocean Freight From Indonesia to Germany

Less than Container Load (LCL): LCL entails transporting goods in a consolidated load. Your consignment is combined in a shipping container with products belonging to other shippers. LCL shipping is often the most economical way to transport goods from Indonesia to Germany, especially if you don’t have enough freight to justify hiring a full container.

Full Container Load (FCL): Often quicker than LCL ocean shipping and sometimes cheaper, FCL requires your business to pay for the use and transportation of a container exclusively for your goods.

Air Freight from Indonesia to Germany

Currently, there are no non-stop flights from Indonesia to Germany. But even with a transfer at another airport, your cargo will reach its destination much quicker with an air carrier than by sea. However, air freight is usually the more expensive option.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship Cargo From Indonesia to Germany?

When calculating the cost of transporting goods for export from Indonesia to Germany, a freight forwarder will consider:

What type of cargo needs to be shipped
Whether it is to be transported by air or as an FCL or LCL ocean shipment
The weight of the consignment
The dimensions and volume of your cargo
How far the freight must be transported between origin and destination
Whether the customer requires a port-to-port, port-to-door, door-to-port, or door-to-door service

You might notice little to no difference between the cost of air freight and LCL ocean freight up to a certain cargo weight. For consignments above 100 kg, ocean freight is typically more economical than flying your goods.

Note that for cargo of 35 kg or less, you will have to engage an international courier service instead of a freight forwarder. Shipa Freight doesn’t ship cargo in this weight bracket.

How Long Does it Take to Ship Cargo From Indonesia to Germany?

Although no direct flights are currently in operation between the two countries, air carriers can deliver export shipments from Indonesia to Germany in as little as three days. This includes any customs and security checks, as well as the loading and unloading your cargo requires.

FCL and LCL ocean shipping are considerably slower since thousands of kilometers and several oceans separate Indonesia from Germany. Transit times for sea freight range from 31 to 42 days.

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Sea From Indonesia to Germany?

Here are a few examples of transit times for shipping a container from Indonesia to Germany:

Jakarta to Hamburg – 31 days FCL
Surabaya to Hamburg – 34 days FCL, 29 days LCL
Semarang to Bremerhaven – 36 days FCL
Belawan Sumatra to Hamburg – 39 days FCL
Surabaya to Bremerhaven – 41 days FCL
Semarang to Hamburg – 42 days FCL

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Air From Indonesia to Germany?

If speed is key when importing from Indonesia to Germany, you’ll be glad to know that air freight typically takes less than a week. That includes the time necessary for cargo consolidation and customs clearance. For example, you can typically get a consignment from Jakarta to Frankfurt in six days, and from Denpasar Bali to Frankfurt in just three days.

Customs Clearance in Indonesia and Germany

Customs clearance is a mandatory part of the process when you export from Indonesia to Germany. Most businesses engage an experienced freight forwarder or agent for this task. The advantage is that you can be certain that your consignment will comply with existing laws and regulations—mistakes can be costly.

Inspector checking containers as Shipa Freight helps with customs clearance

Although a forwarder can take care of much of the work involved in global shipping, you will be responsible for submitting essential customs paperwork to accompany your cargo. Customs officials in both Indonesia and Germany will require the following documents:

Commercial Invoice
Packing List
Certificate of Origin
Letter of Credit or other payment terms (depends on the contract between the parties involved)
Bill of Lading for ocean freight or Airway Bill for air freight (your freight forwarder will provide this for you)

Additional documentation may be required, depending on the nature of your goods. Your freight forwarder will advise if a permit, certificate or license must be submitted. Our document list page presents descriptions and examples of the paperwork listed above.

Should You Choose Ocean Freight or Air Freight?

Ocean Freight

Whatever commodities you plan to import from Indonesia to Germany, sea freight is one sure way to get them there. Each port in Indonesia lies on the South China Sea, an area with the world’s busiest trade lanes, giving access to excellent ocean shipping routes. Germany’s ports lie on the nation’s only coastline, the North Coast. Many forwarders will recommend either Bremerhaven or Hamburg as the port of arrival.

Unless you are shipping break-bulk material, your carrier will transport your cargo in a shipping container from Indonesia to Germany. Standard containers are usually either 20ft or 40ft long. They open at one end, and are suited to most types of cargo. If your goods require a specialist container, your freight forwarder will let you know.

There are two ways to ship a container from Indonesia to Germany: LCL and FCL. Your forwarder will help you decide which is best for you, as will the information we’ve included below:

Considerations for LCL Freight Shipping

Less-than-container-load (LCL) shipping is likely to be your best option if:

Your shipment measures 14 CBM or less (equal to six standard pallets) in volume
Your cargo is not urgently required in Germany
Your goods can be safely shipped in a shared container
Air freight is out of the question due to size, weight, or budget restrictions

It’s worth knowing that LCL shipping from Indonesia to Germany can sometimes take longer than FCL. That’s because your goods will share container space, so need to be consolidated with other products from other shippers at the port of origin in Indonesia. Deconsolidation is then required upon arrival in Germany.

LCL may not be your best choice if:

Your freight is perishable, delicate, or of high-value
Excessive handling or moving of your goods could damage them
You don’t have a flexible delivery date, so delays are not acceptable
Your goods aren’t suited to sharing a container, perhaps because of their size, shape, weight,or composition

Considerations for FCL Freight Shipping

Full-container-load (FCL) shipping will likely meet your supply chain needs if:

Your freight is not urgent, but must still be in Germany by a certain date
You’d like your container to remain sealed throughout shipping
The recipient has the facilities to unload the container
Your goods are more than 14 CBM (about half of the capacity of a 20ft container) in total volume
Your freight is heavy or delicate, and therefore better suited to exclusive use of a container rather than sharing

Air Freight

You’re likely to find that {air shipping](https://www.shipafreight.com/service-air-freight/) offers substantial advantages if you’re transporting:

Perishable goods with a short shelf-life
Cargo that’s required in Germany urgently
High-value items that will benefit from stringent airline and airport security measures
Small, light consignments that don’t occupy more than three or four pallets
From a supplier and to a consignee who are both nearer to airports than seaports

Ocean Cargo Port Guide

Cargo Ports of Origin in Indonesia

Surabaya

Port Facts:

Also called Tanjung Perak
Second-busiest seaport in Indonesia
The main port for the eastern part of the island of Java
Accessed via the narrow 40-kilometer long Madura Strait
Center of inter-island shipping within Indonesia

Owned By: PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II.

Annual Container Volume: >3.8 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: IDSUB.

Jakarta

Port Facts:

Also called Cabang Tanjung Priok
22nd busiest port in the world in 2019
Handles more than 50% of Indonesia’s transshipment cargo traffic
Has a capacity of about eight million TEUs per year
Features three container terminals and a 16,800-meter quayside

Owned By: PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II.

Annual Container Volume: >8 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: IDJKT.

Semarang

Port Facts:

Also called Tanjung Emas.
Constructed in the 19th century by the Dutch colonial government.
Third-largest port in Indonesia.
A good choice if your supplier is located in one of the coastal regions of northern Java.

Owned By: PT Pelabuhan III Indonesia.

Annual Container Volume: >730,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: IDSRG.

Belawan Sumatra

Port Facts:

Located on the northeast coast of Sumatra.
Indonesia’s busiest seaport outside of Java.
Popular port for cruise ships as well as cargo vessels.
Built in 1890.

Owned By: Pelni.

Annual Container Volume: >400,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: IDBLW.

Cargo Ports of Arrival in Germany

Hamburg

Port Facts:

Third-busiest container shipping facility in Europe.
Among the 20 busiest ports in the world.
Facilities include four container terminals, some 80 or more cranes, and 22 berths.

Owned By: Hamburg Port Authority.

Annual Container Volume: >8.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: DEHAM.

Bremerhaven

Port Facts:

One of the most well-known and busiest ports in Europe.
The largest closed container-management area in the world
Boasts four container terminals, one of which can process over seven million TEUs of freight.
Five-kilometer quayside can provide berths for up to 14 large container vessels.

Owned By: Free Hanseatic City of Bremen.

Annual Container Volume: >5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: DEBRV.

Flying Your Freight: Airport Guide

Airports of Origin in Indonesia

Jakarta

Airport Facts:

Officially Soekarno Hatta International Airport (SHIA for short)
Located 20 kilometers to the northwest of central Jakarta
Opened a third runway in 2019
Plans for development are in place to boost the cargo-handling capacity further

German Airports Served: None.

Jakarta to Germany Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: CGK.

Denpasar Bali

Airport Facts:

Called Ngurah Rai International Airport Located 13 kilometers south of the city of Denpasar on the popular island of Bali Second-busiest airport in Indonesia Able to accommodate wide-body aircraft

German Airports Served: None.

Denpasar Bali to Germany Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: DPS.

Surabaya

Airport Facts:

Called Juanda International Airport
Located 12 kilometers from Surabaya in Eastern Java
Indonesia’s third-busiest airport
Features a two-story freight terminal
Processes around 120,000 tons of air cargo annually

German Airports Served: None.

Surabaya to Germany Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: SUB.