The lowdown on sending parcels to Indonesia
The Southeast Asian nation of Indonesia is made up of around 18,000 islands, and has a population of more than 250 million - making it the fourth most populous country on the planet. Almost 60 per cent of Indonesians live on the large island of Java, which is also home to the capital city, Jakarta.
Indonesia is as culturally diverse as they come. Although bound by religion (86 per cent of the country is Muslim) there are more than 300 distinctive ethic groups spread across the nation, with around 700 different languages spoken.
As you'd expect from any country with such a huge population, Indonesia is home to a thriving consumer market. In fact the exporting of British goods to the country is growing constantly. This - paired with the fact that around 11,000 Brits live there permanently - means there's real demand for parcel delivery services to Indonesia.
The following is worth bearing in mind before you go ahead with sending anything yourself.
Customs declaration
First and foremost, Indonesia is obviously outside of the European Union, so you will need to send the appropriate customs documentation with your items. If your package's contents have a value of £270 or less, you need to complete and attach form CN22. Anything else should be sent with a fully completed form CN23, which must be attached securely to the front of the parcel.
What can't you send?
Like most countries, Indonesia has certain items it won't allow across its borders. This list has many of the items you'd expect to find, including but not limited to: live animals, explosives (including fireworks), firearms, ammunition and narcotics.
On top of this, there are a few not-so-obvious inclusions. You can't, for example, send any politically sensitive materials, including newspapers and certain imagery. Pornographic material is prohibited too, as are printed publications that may be considered obscene or immoral.
It's also worth noting the ban on sending lithium batteries and items that contain them, like mobile phones and laptops.
The finishing touches
Once you've made sure the products you want to send fit in with Indonesia's customs regulations, it's time to get packing. Of course, every care is taken to ensure your items arrive on the other side of the world safely, but it's always best to package properly for that extra peace of mind.
Start by taking a decent size box with just enough room for the contents to breathe. Then plug the gaps with soft materials like bubble wrap, tissue paper or polystyrene. This will stop the stuff inside from moving around too much in transit.
Finish by sealing all openings with strong parcel tape before adding the address clearly to the front. Write it as normal, but be sure to include 'INDONESIA' in large capital letters on the last line.
Also see related content...
Sending parcels to Indonesia