Moving from France to Indonesia
A long move from France to the islands of Southeast Asia. Here is the honest brief on deep sea shipping from Le Havre to Tanjung Priok, the way your KITAS controls your household goods, and the steps that actually matter when you relocate from France to Indonesia.
Costs are indicative ranges for 2026.
The honest summary of this move.
Moving from France to Indonesia is a long ocean haul and a permit driven customs process at the same time. Your stay permit, the KITAS, is the document that decides whether your household goods clear smoothly, so the immigration step and the shipping step have to be planned as one.
This is deep sea freight. Most goods leave through Le Havre or Marseille, sail south through the Suez Canal, and arrive at Tanjung Priok, the port serving Jakarta, or Tanjung Perak if you are headed for Surabaya. Plan for seven to ten weeks door to door once consolidation and clearance are counted, with a small air shipment for the things you need in the first month.
Cost is driven by your volume and whether you share a container or take a sole use one. For a typical two to three bedroom home a shared container is usually the best value, while a full house or a firm arrival date points to a dedicated twenty or forty foot container. Indonesia adds local delivery, port handling, and clearance fees on top of the ocean rate, so budget for those.
The detail that catches people out is that Indonesian customs generally expect the owner to be in the country, holding a valid KITAS, when the goods are cleared. Relocation rules also favour a single shipment inside a short window after you arrive. Ship before your permit is sorted and the container can sit and accrue charges, so let the KITAS lead the plan.
What it costs, by home size and method.
The numbers below are indicative ranges for France to Indonesia in 2026, expressed in euros. It is a long sea lane, so your volume in cubic metres, your container choice, and the final delivery in Indonesia drive the price more than anything else.
Indicative ranges for 2026 in euros. The main drivers are your volume, whether you share or take a sole use container, the season, and the delivery distance from the port to your home in Indonesia. A binding pre move survey is the only way to get a real figure.
- + Best value for a 2 to 3 bedroom home that does not fill a full box.
- + You pay only for the space your goods occupy on the vessel.
- - Slower, because the load waits for other cargo on the same sailing.
- + A sensible default for most relocations into Indonesia.
- + Faster and more secure, since your goods are sealed and travel alone.
- + Right for a full home or a four plus bedroom move.
- - You pay for the whole box even if you do not fill it.
- + Simpler clearance at Tanjung Priok, as the container is yours end to end.
- + Fastest way to land essentials while your sea load follows.
- + Good for a small, high priority shipment of clothes and documents.
- - Far more expensive per volume than sea freight.
- - Rarely sensible for a whole household.
A sane timeline for this move.
The water time on this lane is long, but the real gate is your KITAS, because Indonesian customs want the owner present at clearance and favour a single shipment soon after arrival. Start the permit early and time the container to land once you are settled.
Secure your sponsor and KITAS
Your Indonesian employer, your company, or a sponsor files for the permit that becomes your KITAS on arrival. This is what lets you clear your goods, so it leads the whole plan.
Get surveys and quotes
Book video or in home surveys with movers who run the France to Indonesia lane and ask for binding or not to exceed quotes so you can compare like for like.
Book and prepare documents
Confirm your mover and sailing, and assemble your passport, your KITAS or evidence it is in process, a detailed inventory, and your proof of address in Indonesia.
Pack and load
The crew packs and inventories your goods and loads the container in France. Keep your documents and a small air or hand carry shipment of essentials separate.
Ocean transit
Your container sails from Le Havre through the Suez Canal to Tanjung Priok, the gateway port for Jakarta, or to Tanjung Perak for Surabaya.
Clear customs and deliver
With your KITAS active and you present in the country, a licensed agent presents your inventory to Bea Cukai, the customs and excise authority. Once cleared, your goods are delivered. Build in extra days, since clearance timing varies.
Bringing your household goods into Indonesia.
Indonesia allows relief on used personal and household effects for people moving in to live, assessed by Bea Cukai, the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. The relief is tied to your KITAS, and the rules favour goods that arrive within a short window after you take up residence.
In practice the owner usually needs a KITAS valid for a year or more, and customs generally expect you to be in the country when the goods are cleared. Relocation rules typically allow one sea shipment and one air shipment inside an arrival window of roughly ninety days, so plan a single consolidated move rather than several parcels over time.
You will need your passport, your KITAS, a packing list with values, the bill of lading, and a proof of address. A licensed clearing agent almost always handles the entry at Tanjung Priok or Tanjung Perak, and engaging one early is the norm. Keep your inventory honest and consistent with the bill of lading, because mismatches are the main cause of inspection and delay.
Some items need separate thought. Alcohol is tightly controlled, and certain printed and recorded media can be screened. New goods, anything commercial in quantity, and high value electronics may attract duty and tax outside the personal effects relief. Importing a car is heavily restricted and usually impractical for a private move, so most people sell the vehicle before they leave France.
Verify before you move. The KITAS conditions, the arrival window, the single shipment rule, the documents required, and the list of restricted items change and are applied case by case. Confirm the current position with Bea Cukai in Indonesia, or a licensed clearing agent, before your goods ship.The realistic routes for this corridor.
Almost everyone moving from France to Indonesia does so on a KITAS, the limited stay permit, sponsored by an employer, a company, a spouse, or under a retirement or investment route. The KITAS is also what unlocks your household goods, so it leads the plan. These are summaries, not advice.
Your Indonesian employer sponsors a work permit and the matching KITAS. This makes you a legal resident, lets you work, and is the permit customs want to see when your household goods are cleared.
Founders and shareholders in an Indonesian company can hold an investor KITAS linked to the business, often without a separate work permit, subject to the capital and shareholding conditions in force.
Applicants who meet the minimum age, usually fifty five and over, and the income or pension conditions can apply for a retirement KITAS, typically with a local agent handling the file.
Indonesia has introduced second home and longer stay routes aimed at higher income and remote applicants. Rules and thresholds shift, so treat these as options to confirm case by case before you rely on them.
How to choose a mover for France to Indonesia.
We never name, rank, or recommend a moving company. Instead, here is the neutral checklist that matters on this exact lane. Apply it to any quote, then request comparable quotes through the form below.
FIDI or IAM affiliation
Membership of the FIDI Global Alliance or the International Association of Movers signals audited financial stability and a complaints process you can lean on if something goes wrong.
Real corridor experience
Ask how many households the company has shipped from France to Indonesia in the past year. A mover that runs the lane often knows the ports, the customs broker, and the paperwork by heart.
A binding pre move survey
Insist on a video or in home survey and a binding or not to exceed quote. A price built from a real volume estimate is the only quote you can compare like for like.
Clear insurance terms
Read how transit cover is calculated, what the deductible is, and whether valuation is by replacement value. Vague cover is the most common regret on an international move.
Verifiable reviews
Look for recent, specific reviews that name the destination, not just star ratings. Patterns in how a company handles claims tell you more than any single glowing note.
Written scope and timeline
Everything that matters belongs in writing: packing, customs clearance, delivery, unpacking, and debris removal, with who pays destination charges spelled out.
Get moving quotes for France to Indonesia.
One short form, shared with vetted international movers who run this exact lane from France into Indonesia and work with clearing agents at Tanjung Priok. No call centre roulette and no obligation.
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Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from France to Indonesia?
For a 2 to 3 bedroom home a shared container typically costs from about 4,500 to 9,500 euros in 2026, with a sole use container more for larger homes. Your volume, container choice, season, and delivery distance from the port drive the number. A binding pre move survey is the only way to get a firm figure.
How long does shipping from France to Indonesia take?
Plan for seven to ten weeks door to door. The ocean leg from Le Havre or Marseille sails through the Suez Canal to Tanjung Priok, and booking, consolidation for a shared load, and customs clearance add to the time on the water.
Can I bring my household goods into Indonesia duty free?
Used personal and household effects can qualify for relief when you move in to live, assessed by Bea Cukai. You normally need a KITAS valid for a year or more, you usually must be in the country at clearance, and the goods should arrive within the arrival window. Verify the current rules before you ship.
Do I need to be in Indonesia when my goods arrive?
Usually yes. Indonesian customs generally expect the owner to be present, holding a valid KITAS, when household goods are cleared. Plan your travel so you are in the country for the clearance rather than arriving weeks later.
Can I import my car from France to Indonesia?
For a private move it is rarely worth it. Importing a vehicle into Indonesia is heavily restricted and the duties and rules make it impractical for most people, so selling the car in France is the usual choice.