I have bought countless goods on Amazon over the years (books, toys, air purifier, pollution masks, etc) and had them shipped to Indonesia, in Jakarta or Bali, without any difficulties. In spite of this, I know quite many expats who are still not confident using the website.

That's a shame because there are still many products that are hard to find in Indonesia, especially if you live in smaller cities. Amazon also has competitive prices (in particular on its "Today's Deals" page) and it is much safer to use than local alternatives like Lazada or Tokopedia.

If you are still hesitating, this guide will explain everything you need to know about buying on Amazon from Indonesia and why you should not worry about it.

I will answer common questions like:

- Is it safe to ship from Amazon to Indonesia?
- What kind of products should you avoid buying on Amazon for Indonesia?
- What is the AmazonGlobal shipping program and how does it work?
- Does Amazon Prime exist in Indonesia?

If you have a personal experience to share, negative or positive, please let me know by leaving a comment at the end of the article.

1) Can you buy products on Amazon and have them shipped to Indonesia?

Yes, absolutely. Many people are afraid that their package will be stopped by the Indonesian customs or lost in the mail, but there are no reasons this should happen as long as you follow these simple steps:

First, after you've created an Amazon account, you should make sure that you have a precise Indonesian address listed. By doing so, you will be shown ONLY the products that Amazon can send to Indonesia (and not the whole Amazon catalogue).

My address in Jakarta :-)
Second, when you order a product, just before paying, you should select the AmazonGlobal Shipping option:
This option is more secure because Amazon guarantees that your product will arrive at your home address in Indonesia. If not, they have a 100% refund policy, part of their "AmazonGlobal Shipping Program" (see below for more explanations). The delivery will be done through courier services like UPS, DHL or FedEx, and you will be able to track it down online all the way. They have 24/7 assistance and they are quick to react if there are issues.

The standard International shipping option is a bit cheaper, but you should use it only for goods costing less than US100$ as they are not subject to any import fees. With this option, the delivery will be done through normal mail services (Pos Indonesia) and it will take much longer for the products to reach the country. You may have to deal with customs yourself, which can really be a pain in the a$$.

2) What kind of products should you avoid buying on Amazon for Indonesia?

There are some products that you should avoid buying on Amazon in Indonesia:

- Goods that are urgently needed: You will receive most products within 10-15 days, but it might take longer. There is also the (small) possibility that the customs will refuse the product (in that case, you will get a refund).

- Products that are heavy (for instance a TV or a bike). Since you have to pay a delivery fee between US2$ and US3$ per pound, the shipping cost of those items will probably double or triple their price. Buy them directly in Indonesia instead on Tokopedia or Lazada.
International shipping cost of Amazon
- Prescription drugs, vitamins, food supplements: If they are not sold in Indonesia, there is a chance that they don't have the proper import license and they will be blocked by customs. Still, you can take your chances with small and inexpensive packages first.

- Expensive electronic goods that are easy to carry in your luggage (for instance a laptop): They will be subject to an expensive import fee, usually between 30% and 50% of their initial price. Instead, I recommend you to buy them in Singapore or in Malaysia, get a VAT refund, then bring them back with you to Indonesia. Just make sure to take them out of their box when passing the Indonesian customs.

- CDs and DVDs: I've never purchased any, but some of my friends told me that they could be blocked by customs (depending on the agent in charge). This might be due to fears of inappropriate content or censorship.

- Goods that are prohibited to enter Indonesia such as coins, books/magazines in Indonesian, sarongs, batiks, used clothes, etc. You can see the full list here: Import restrictions in Indonesia.

3) What is Amazon's global shipping program and how does it work?

AmazonGlobal is Amazon's attempt to crush local E-commerce competitors. Basically, the company will deal with customs clearance on your behalf, and it guarantees that you will receive your order at your Indonesian address.

To do so, they will charge you an estimated "import fees deposit" that will be used to pay the Indonesian customs for the right to import the product you order.

For instance, on this Air Purifier, the Import Fees Deposit is US$48.98:
This is a heavy product, hence the expensive shipping fees. As I mentioned before, it's best to avoid ordering this kind of goods.
Once your product arrives in Indonesia, Amazon will then adjust this amount. They will refund you if the actual cost of importing (duty fees) is lower than the deposit you gave.

In the unlikely event that it would not pass customs clearance, you will get a full refund.

4) Does Amazon Prime exist in Indonesia?

Amazon Prime is an exclusive membership program that lets you get free delivery within two days, plus a few other useful services (including video streaming). As of today, it is NOT available in Indonesia.

32 comments to '' My Experience Buying from Amazon in Indonesia "

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  1. Hi Thibaud-

    A quick questions, when you said that if the items do not pass customs clearance, Amazon will do a full refund.
    Does this include the shipping and import fees deposit? Or just the price of the items?

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there.. Amazon will refund everything you've paid, including the shipping and import fees deposit...

      Just buy from the Amazon Global website and enter your Indonesian address. You will only be able to purchase the products that can be sent to Indonesia, not the whole catalog (for instance, many vitamins and food supplements are not available).

      Delete
  2. Hello, what do you think about me buying a >100 USD hand calculator?

    Will it be halted at customs?
    Hit by import duties?

    Thanks for your help! I really like your article

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there, thanks!

      Are you buying it on Amazon with an address in Indonesia?

      If yes, the import duties are estimated by Amazon and added to the price of your calculator...

      Delete
  3. Hi there.
    I want to ask you something, before I pay my amazon's order bill.
    Do I have to pay extra tax when my order is completed to deliver?
    I've checked my order total, and I found nothing with the "estimated tax"and there is no "import fees deposit" in it.

    Thank you,
    Grace

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Just, no you don't have to pay anything extra. The tax is already included in the price.

      Delete
    2. hey could you tell me if you had to pay any taxes on arrival?

      Delete
  4. Hi, how could I get some refund from import fees deposit?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is credited to your Amazon balance automatically if the amount asked by Indonesian customs is lower than what Amazon charged you...

      Delete
  5. So shipping and import fees deposit already include tax?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes exactly. As you can read here About Import Fees Deposit :

      "The Import Fees Deposit is an estimation of the taxes and duties that may apply and isn't an actual calculation. (...). You won't be charged additional fees if the actual Import Fees exceed the Import Fees Deposit we estimated."

      So basically, either you pay too much and Amazon reimburses you. Either you don't pay enough and Amazon pays the missing part for you.

      It's very generous because Amazon doesn't want local competitors to become too large.

      Delete
  6. Hey,
    Just want to ask, does Amazon Prime handle the import fees or only the delivery fees?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amazon Prime Delivery is not working in Indonesia to my knowledge...

      Delete
  7. Is Amazonglobal also available at Amazon.au (Amazon Australia) as I intend to buy some electric appliances and send them to Indonesia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes you can connect from Amazon Australia, and if the delivery address is in Indonesia, it will be covered by Amazon Global

      Delete
  8. Hi there we are wanting to buy a RAVpower file hub which helps you get files off your hard drives and it costs around $60usd would this be likely to be held/restricted in Bali?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Damien, I checked on Amazon and it says it ships to Indonesia for an additional fee of US$9 (global shipping). So you are safe to purchase it.

      Delete
  9. Hi there! i want to ask a aquestion about buying from amazon

    I want to buy a AMD CPU (for PC) in amazon. it cost 190 USD. I already logged in to my amazon acc and i use my Indonesia Address. In the product page it said "This item ships to my address in Indonesia" and its a free shipping. I just need to pay 190 USD no shipping cost and no import fee deposit cost.

    I also checked another stuff there like a monitor, it cost 75 USD. But in the product page the cost written "75 USD + 70 USD shipping and import fee"

    Both items are ship and sold by amazon.com not by third party seller.

    IF i buy the 190 USD AMD CPU, does the import fee already included in that 190 USD? or i need to pay the custom fee by myself when the item arrived?
    because if i need to pay the custom fee by myself, it will be quite a hassle and i would rather just bought it from the online shop in Indonesia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi ! If they don't mention any shipping cost or import fee, then you won't be charged anything but the cost of the product... Seems like a good deal!

      Delete
  10. Hi, how long amazon will adjust/refund the deposit if less than we have paid? and how do we know how much they paid? thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great question, I'd like to know about this.

      Delete
  11. Which courier they use to delivery in Bali because i ordered something in Australia with australian post they signed as delivered but it was never arrived

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hello, I just purchased a textbook from the UK to be shipped to Indonesia and the only available delivery option was "standard delivery", with an estimated date to get it by 4-21 November. Should i worry that there might be a (probably a lengthy) delay or not even receive my order? Since it's standard delivery (instead of global), and i read that books are one of the things in the import restriction list? I've tried searching the item i want on amazon global, but did not find it, so i went to amazon.co.uk. Thank you very much for your attention and help.

    ReplyDelete
  13. hey, you mention to avoid to order electronic goods,but checking while checking a phone it says already how much is the shipping + import fee (which was ok for me) buuut... as you mention, I would need still to pay 30%-50% when the item arrives? besides what I am paying already by amazon estimated fees?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When did he said such thing? I've re-read the blog and Don't seee we need to any extra than what amazon tell us to pay for, it's all included

      Delete
  14. Hi. I bought some vitamin from amazon to Surabaya. Many times.. and so far so good. But today I got a notification if my package is delayed at customs. Whay that does it mean and what sould I do? Thankyou 🙏

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How much do you bought? Some says it's ok if just 2 bottles or maybe up to 5.
      Do you bought the same amount like usual but this time got delayed by customs?

      Delete
  15. I opened an amazon account to have things shipped to Indonesia I wanted to pay with a USA debit card. However, they rejected it. Instead they requested a document with my bank information. I didn't want to give them this information. any suggestions what I can do?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's weird... maybe you can ask them why they rejected your debit card?

      Delete
    2. i guess it seems like scam. It's like a stolen card used to send goods to Indonesia.

      Delete
  16. Since Indonesia's regulation waive the import tax/fee on printed books, is it safe that I assume I could get a 100% refund on the import deposit? Inside my cart are printed books only.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Were you in the end able to get the printer books and a refund on the import deposit Adam?

      Delete