Moving from Italy to Indonesia
A practical guide to shipping a home from Italy to Indonesia by sea, the realistic Genoa to Tanjung Priok timeline, the KITAS and customs window that decides whether your goods clear cleanly, and the visa routes that fit this move.
Italy to Indonesia is a long sea move that lives or dies on your KITAS.
Moving a household from Italy to Indonesia is an ocean shipment of around twelve thousand nautical miles, routed from Genoa or La Spezia through the Suez Canal to Jakarta or Surabaya. As an indicative range for 2026, a two to three bedroom home runs about €6,800 to €16,000 depending on whether you share a container or take a sole use 40ft box, and door to door it is realistically nine to thirteen weeks once you add booking, packing, sea transit, customs clearance and delivery.
The thing that surprises people on this route is not the distance or the cost. It is that Indonesian customs relief on your used household goods hangs entirely on holding a valid limited stay permit, the KITAS, in your own name, and on your shipment arriving inside the window that permit allows. Get the KITAS and the timing right and your personal effects are admitted with the duty treatment for people transferring residence. Ship before your permit is settled and the same boxes can face import duty and tax that easily exceeds the freight bill.
So the order of operations matters more here than on a European move. Secure the visa first, line the shipping date up behind it, and treat the packing list and paperwork as part of the customs process rather than an afterthought. The rest of this page walks through the cost, the timeline, the customs rules and the visa routes for this specific corridor.
What shipping a household from Italy to Indonesia costs in 2026.
Indicative ranges in euros for 2026. Sea freight on this lane is priced by the volume you ship and the container you book, so the single biggest lever on your final number is how much you decide to bring.
Indicative ranges for 2026, in euros. Real quotes depend on volume, the exact destination city, season, port access and the delivery distance beyond the port. A binding survey is the only way to a firm price.
- +Your goods share a 40ft box with other loads, so you pay only for the space you use
- +The economical choice for a studio or a part load
- −Consolidation and deconsolidation add time at both ends
- −Less control over the exact sailing
- +A container to yourself, sealed at your door in Italy and opened at your home in Indonesia
- +The right balance of cost and security for a one to two bedroom household
- +Fewer hands on your goods means lower damage risk
- −You pay for the whole container even if you do not fill it
- +Right for a suitcase of essentials you need before the sea shipment lands
- +Days rather than weeks in transit
- −Several times the cost of sea per cubic metre
- −Not realistic for a full household
Get moving quotes for Italy to Indonesia.
Tell us your size and timing. We pass your request to vetted international movers who run the Italy to Indonesia lane, and you compare them on your own terms.
A realistic schedule for this route.
A conservative schedule for an Italy to Indonesia move. The fixed point is your sailing date, so book early and let everything else hang off it.
Book the move and take a survey
Get a binding in home or video survey of your volume from movers who run the Italy to Indonesia lane, and confirm your sailing from Genoa or La Spezia. Booking early protects you from the summer premium and secures container space.
Settle your KITAS
Confirm your limited stay permit is in process or in hand before you ship, because customs relief depends on it. Align your shipping date so the container arrives inside the window your permit allows.
Pack, load and document
The crew packs and loads the container at your Italian address and seals it. Your detailed packing list in English becomes the basis for customs, so make sure it is accurate and complete.
Ocean transit through Suez
The vessel sails from the Ligurian coast through the Suez Canal and across the Indian Ocean to Tanjung Priok in Jakarta or Tanjung Perak in Surabaya. Expect five to seven weeks at sea on this routing.
Customs clearance
Your appointed agent lodges the import declaration with the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, presenting your passport with the valid KITAS, the packing list and supporting documents. Clearance takes days to a couple of weeks depending on inspection.
Delivery and unpack
Once cleared, the container moves to your home for unloading. Confirm in advance whether your quote includes unpacking and the removal of packing materials, and check for any long carry or access charges.
Bringing used household goods into Indonesia.
Indonesia generally admits used personal effects and household goods for people relocating on a limited stay permit, the KITAS, with relief from import duty, provided the goods are yours, were owned and used before the move, and arrive within the period your permit allows. The clearance is handled through the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, known locally as Bea Cukai, and is far smoother with a licensed customs agent who runs this lane.
You will typically need your original passport showing the valid KITAS, a detailed packing list in English, the bill of lading or air waybill, and a declaration of the goods. New items, anything still in commercial packaging, and goods bought close to the move can attract duty and tax, so keep receipts and be ready to explain.
Several categories are restricted or prohibited. Alcohol is tightly controlled and is usually best left out of a household shipment. Used motor vehicles are effectively not importable as personal effects for most movers. Weapons, narcotics, certain medicines, and materials judged offensive to public or religious sensibilities are prohibited. Drones, radio equipment and some electronics can need separate permits.
The routes in for this corridor.
Most people moving from Italy to Indonesia arrive on a limited stay permit, the KITAS, sponsored for a specific purpose. The right route depends on why you are moving. These summaries are a starting point, not immigration advice.
For employees sponsored by an Indonesian company, which arranges the foreign worker plan and the supporting permits. Your employer is the sponsor and the KITAS is tied to that role.
For older applicants who can meet the income or pension and health insurance requirements and use an approved agent as sponsor. It does not permit work.
Routes for investors in an Indonesian company, and the second home permit for applicants who place a qualifying deposit in a state bank or own qualifying property. Useful for the financially independent.
For the foreign spouse or child of an Indonesian citizen or a KITAS holder, sponsored by the family member. A spouse KITAS can lead toward longer term status over time.
How to pick a mover for this route, without the guesswork.
We do not rank or recommend individual companies. We teach you the criteria that separate a safe international move from an expensive mistake, then put your request in front of vetted movers who run this lane.
Check the trade affiliation. Membership of FIDI or IAM is the clearest signal a mover is financially screened and bound to industry standards for international household goods. In Italy, look for movers affiliated with FIDI or IAM and ask directly about their recent shipments into Tanjung Priok or Tanjung Perak and their customs agent in Indonesia.
Insist on a binding pre move survey. A real video or in home survey of your volume is the only honest basis for a price. A quote given without one is a guess that tends to grow on moving day.
Compare like for like. Read what each quote includes: packing, materials, customs clearance, destination delivery, stair or long carry charges, and insurance. The cheapest headline number is rarely the cheapest move.
Understand the insurance terms. Ask whether cover is full replacement value or depreciated, what the excess is, and how claims are handled. Read the valuation clause before you sign.
Read recent reviews for this corridor. A mover can be excellent locally and weak on international shipments. Look for verified reviews that mention the actual route and customs experience.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Italy to Indonesia?
As an indicative range for 2026, a one bedroom move runs about €3,200 to €9,500 depending on shared or sole use shipping, while a two to three bedroom household sits around €6,800 to €16,000. Volume, the destination city, season and access drive the final figure, so get a binding survey.
How long does shipping take from Italy to Indonesia?
Sea transit from Genoa or La Spezia to Jakarta or Surabaya is typically five to seven weeks through the Suez Canal. A realistic door to door window, once you add booking, packing, customs clearance and delivery, is around nine to thirteen weeks.
Can I bring my car from Italy to Indonesia?
For most movers, no. Indonesia heavily restricts the import of used motor vehicles as personal effects, and the duty, tax and homologation hurdles make it impractical. Confirm the current rules with the Directorate General of Customs and Excise before you plan around it.
Do I pay duty on my furniture moving to Indonesia?
Used household goods are commonly relieved of import duty for people relocating on a valid limited stay permit, the KITAS, provided the shipment arrives within the permitted window. Without a valid KITAS in your name the same goods can be taxed. Verify with customs and a licensed agent first.
Which port does my shipment arrive at in Indonesia?
Most household shipments arrive at Tanjung Priok, the main container port serving Jakarta, or at Tanjung Perak in Surabaya for eastern Java. Your agent clears the goods there before they move on to your home.
Last reviewed: 7 May 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.