Regulation on carrying money into Indonesia may come to your question due to your upcoming trip to this country. This post will answer your curiosity, based on the existing regulation.
The Policy Basis
Article 36 on the Law Number 8 Year 2010 on the Prevention of Money Laundering mandate the Indonesia’s government to stipulate Government Regulation (PP) on carrying money in cash or other instrument inbound or outbound the Indonesia’s border.
That is the reason behind the enaction of Government Regulation No 99 Year 2016 on the carriage of cash or other instrument inbound or outbound the Indonesia’s border. Here’s the main point:
Every person who carry cash or other payment instruments of at least IDR 100 million or its equivalent inbound or outbound of the customs area is obliged to notify the Customs and Excise official. Cash as intended consists of money in rupiah currency or money in foreign currency.
The airline will provide you the form to notify the custom on how much money you carry. You may ask flight attendance for this form. Normally the form will be distributed few hours upon arrival or it is available in the seat pocket in front of you.
Other payment instruments referred to are slips to carry in the form of check, traveler’s checks, promissory notes, and certificates of deposit. Meanwhile, customs area is the territory of the Republic of Indonesia which includes land, water and air space above it, as well as certain places in the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in which customs laws apply.
The Amount You Can Carry
It is also stated that the carrying of cash in RUPIAH currency of at least IDR 100 million outbound the Indonesian customs area must be accompanied by a permit from Bank Indonesia (Indonesia’s central bank) in accordance with its regulation. This Government Regulation emphasizes that the operator of an international airport, international port, or cross-border post must provide facilities to ensure that everyone can carry out the obligation to notify the carriage of cash or other payment instruments as intended.
Penalty
Failure to notify the amount of cash you carry may result a punishment by law. The form of the punishment is a fine with the amount of 10% of all cash / other instrument amount the traveler carry with maximum of IDR300 million. That is mean, you maximum fine is IDR 300 million (if you disobey this regulation).
Dishonest on the amount of money you carry will also result in fine with the calculation as follow:
10 percent of the excess amount carried with a maximum amount of IDR 300 million
Fine Payment
The fine payment must be done within 5 working days starting from the notification.
The Maximum Amount of Money You Can Carry
Through Indonesia’s Central Bank regulation (or abbreviated as PBI) No. 20/2/PBI/2018 concerning Amendments to PBI No. 19/7/PBI/2017 dated March 5 2018:
Everyone is PROHIBITED to bring foreign banknotes inbound and outbound of the Indonesian customs area eq. IDR 1 billion.
Carrying foreign banknotes eq. IDR 1 billion can ONLY be made by a Licensed Entity, namely Banks and Non-Bank Foreign Exchange Business Activities (KUPVA BB)/money changers who have permission and approval from Bank Indonesia (Indonesia’s Central Bank).
Any party who does not have a permit and approval from Bank Indonesia will be fined 10% of all foreign banknotes brought (max. IDR 300 million).
A Permitted Agency that carries foreign banknotes in excess of the value approved by Bank Indonesia will be fined 10% of the difference between the banknotes carried and the agreed value (max. IDR 300 million).
This regulation aims to minimize the activity of carrying foreign banknotes that could potentially disrupt the stability of the Rupiah value and to synergize with the government’s efforts to prevent money laundering.
Read: Travel Tips to Bali
Summary
You may get confused because there is limitation on the maximum amount you can carry. To easily understand the regulation the limit is IDR 100 million – IDR 1 billion. You may not notify the custom if you carry cash or other instrument below IDR 100 million, yet it is best to notify it through the custom form being provided by the airline upon arrival whatever amount of money you carry. Be careful if your amount of money / other instrument equivalent to IDR 1 billion, more restrictive limitation applied.
