How to Register Your Mobile Phone IMEI Number in Indonesia (Update 2023)

On April 18, 2020, Indonesia implemented a new regulation to restrict circulation of black-market mobile phones and consequently, mobile phones purchased abroad may stop working with SIM cards from Indonesian mobile phone carriers.

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Mobile Phone IMEI Registration in Indonesia

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In this article, we show step by step on how to register the IMEI of your mobile phone to be able to use it in Indonesia.

Can I still use my mobile phone in Indonesia without registering the IMEI?

The answer is yes, tourists who are going to stay less than 3 months in Indonesia, will be able to acquire a SIM card called Telkomsel PraBayar or Telkomsel Tourist Card, which will work for 3 months and the same company of the telephone company will be able to register the IMEI of your phone

It is important to take into account that these cards must be bought/registered in the official stores of the mobile phone operator that you can find at the airport or in the city, and not in street stalls (because they often will not know how to register it correctly and you will end up acquiring a card that does not work). To register, you need your passport and your mobile phone.

The prices of these cards are around Rs 200,000 / 300,000 depending on the number of gigabytes of data you have. The registration is valid for 90 days, but the data will only be valid for 30 days, if the data runs out you can buy more without any problem.

What should I do to use my mobile phone in Indonesia if I plan to stay more than 3 months in the country?

For all those who are going to stay more than three months in Indonesia and want to continue using the phone (purchased abroad) with an Indonesian SIM card, they must register the IMEI at the Customs office in Jakarta or Bali.

Information to Register the IMEI of a Mobile Phone in Indonesia

To register the IMEI in Indonesia, and also get a discount on the fees, you must carry out the registration procedures during the 24 hours following your arrival in Indonesia. Things to consider before registering:

• IMEI registration of mobile phone and tablets values less than 500 USD will be free of charge.
• Only 2 phones or tablets per person will be allowed.
• IMEI registration of mobile phone values greater than 500 USD will have a cost of 40% of the remaining value after being discounted of 500 USD. For example: If a mobile phone costs 900 USD, you will have to pay 40% of 400 USD (900 minus 500 USD) and that is, about 160 USD for Customs to register your mobile phone.
• For all those who have KITAS (residence permit) and an Indonesian tax number ID (NPWP) they would have to pay 30% instead of 40%.
• People who do not register the phone in those first 5 days, will lose the opportunity to get the discount of 500 USD and must pay 30-40% of the original price of the mobile.

Steps to Follow to Register IMEI of Your Mobile Phone in Indonesia

1- Fill out a form that you will find on this Indonesian Customs website.

There, you will be asked for personal data of the phone owner, details of the flight of arrival in the country, NPWP number (for residents), technical data and price of the phones as well as invoice of the phone purchase if any. Once everything is registered and sent, you will get an image of a QR code (save it on your mobile phone) and you will also receive an email with the same.

2- Now you must go in person to the Customs office (CUSTOMS – BEA CUKAI)

In Jakarta, the office is located in the International Departures Terminal (T3), on the second floor behind the zone 1 counters, at the end of the hall on the left. Keep in mind that there are usually queues, so if you have to take a flight, leave enough time. (I only had 9 people in front of me, and I took almost an hour between my wait and the process, plus another 20 minutes to get to Terminal 2 by shuttle bus for my flight to Bali.)

In Bali, the office is located just in front of the Customs X-Ray area, before leaving the airport. You can also go to the Bali Customs office which is outside the airport.

3- When it is your turn, you must go to the window and they will ask you to show:

• Mobile phone
• QR Code Image
• Passport
• Boarding pass of the flight with which you arrived in the country – Do not throw it away when you arrive in Indonesia!
• Phone purchase invoice if any

Then, they will do all the registration and you will receive a confirmation via email. (It usually takes about two or three hours to activate.)

Watch this short explanatory video made by Customs.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mobile Phone Restrictions in Indonesia

I bought my phone in Indonesia, will I have any problems?

No, if you have purchased your phone in Indonesia, you will have your IMEI already active and you will be able to use it without problems. Really, this is a solution to not have to pay the fees of a very expensive phone, being able to use a cheap phone bought in Indonesia to install the most common applications in the country such as; GoJek, Grab, and share internet using Wifi Hotspot to your other phone.

I bought my phone abroad, but I lived in Indonesia and used it in the country before March 2020, will I have to register it?

Not necessary by principles, because it should have been activated only at the time, but you must verify it on this website.

How do I know if my mobile phone is already registered in Indonesia?

If you live in Indonesia since before March 2020, you should have received an SMS saying that your phone has been registered, you can also verify this by putting the IMEI of your phone on this website.

Where can I see the IMEI on my mobile phone?

• ANDROID: Simply enter *#06# in the phone dialer app, and you’ll automatically be shown your device’s IMEI number on the screen.
• IPHONE: Go to General Settings > About. Find the serial number. You may need to scroll down to find the IMEI/MEID and ICCID.

Can I use my foreign phone with a foreign SIM card in Indonesia?

You may still be able to use your foreign SIM card, but note that roaming price for calls or data may be quite high.

Can I use my phone with only WIFI without having to register the IMEI?

Yes, you can continue to connect to different free or paid Wifi of hotels and restaurants.

My phone is second-hand/old, how do I consider its value when registering IMEI?

If your phone has recently been purchased second-hand and you still keep the invoice, you must show the invoice so that Customs can consider depending on the value of the invoice.

If you do not have the invoice, the Customs staff will look at the approximate price on the Internet that is in second-hand markets of the model of your phone and charge you based on that price. They will ask you for data such as storage capacity, RAM size, screen size, etc.

Can I register my phone IMEI anywhere other than Bali or Jakarta?

In theory and as I was told in Jakarta, yes you can. It should be possible to do it in any Indonesian Customs office, but the reality is that there are cases of many Customs offices that “do not want” to know about the subject, and tell you that you should have done it in Jakarta or Bali. So my advice is that if you have time, do it in Bali or Jakarta when your entry into the country.

What is an IMEI number?

IMEI number is a unique code used to identify a particular device through the input of a SIM card. It consists of 15 digits number and is assigned to each phone anywhere in the world. There are many use of IMEI number and one of which is to allow the police or network operator to block the device in case of stolen, and may sometimes allow you to locate the phone.

Main source of this article: Ministry of Economy, General Directorate of Customs, Regulation Indonesia. Number: SE-12/BC/2020