Bringing camera gear to Indonesia

[Christian]

As an add on, I used the digital immigration and customs service online, filed it online a day or so before traveling. Super smooth.

 

[Dan]

At one time I brought DSLR underwater case for my dive buddy and cookie press kit for cake decorating (see the attached picture, below) for a cake maker friend who both live in Jakarta. The Jakarta Customs (Bea & Cukai or BC) office scanned luggages and chalk marked my bag since those stainless steel cookie press kit look like bullets. The BC officer pulled me into his office and asked me to inspect my bag. They saw what looked like bullets (in red circle in the picture, below) turned out to be cookie press kit and asked me for the receipt. Then they noticed the big dome camera case that looked like brand new. They asked to see the camera. I didn’t have a DSLR camera & told him that was a gift for a friend. They asked me for the receipt and tallied up the total price and I had to pay the import tax.

So, my lesson learnt, Indonesian Customs office does scan your bags and when they mark your bags for inspection, you need to be ready for it. Don’t bring metallic things that look suspicious.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

Have travelled to Indonesia a number of times with camera gear, rebreather, DPV etc no issues.

 

[PatW]

I flew into Bali. The first time, they ignored us. The second time was perfunctory. Nobody looked at anything on anyone that I could see. It does not mean that things cannot change in an instant.