Body Armour → 🇮🇩 Indonesia

Full details

Body Armour import prohibited. Enforcement in Indonesia carries fines from IDR 100,000,000 to IDR 5,000,000,000 and imprisonment up to 10 years in aggravated cases under Customs Law No. 17/2006 Art. 102; Narcotics Law No. 35/2009. Because body armour is prohibited rather than restricted, there is no permit route for an ordinary traveller — attempted import is treated as smuggling regardless of intent. Arrival checks are carried out by Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DGCE / Bea Cukai); when in doubt use the declare (red) channel — declared goods at worst attract duty or surrender, while undeclared goods attract penalties. Leaving Indonesia with body armour is a separate question: restricted — Body armour is a dual-use controlled good; export from Indonesia above civilian protection levels requires authorisation.

ENFORCEMENT

Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.

Leaving Indonesia with body armour

Ballistic vests and plates appear on dual-use export-control lists in every covered jurisdiction — typically controlled above NIJ Level IIIA / soft-armour civilian grades, with military-grade hard plates requiring an export licence from Indonesia. Several destinations also restrict body-armour import or civilian possession outright. Travellers carrying armour for legitimate work (journalism, NGO, security) should carry employer documentation and verify both export-licence requirements and destination-side possession rules before travel.

OFFICIAL SOURCES · VERIFIED 2026-08-22