Here's How To Buy Cell Phones From Abroad So That IMEI Is Legal

smartphone illustration (Jonah Petrich / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The regulation on blocking black market (BM) cellphones which has been officially in effect since Tuesday, September 15 at 22.00 WIB. This rule will also apply to mobile phones purchased or shipped from abroad.

Based on official information from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo), people who buy cellphones, handheld computers, and tablets (HKT) from abroad are required to pay state taxes. With a note that the value of the goods should not exceed 500 US dollars.

If you exceed the limit for the value of the price and the number of device units carried or shipped, the public is required to pay 10 percent VAT and 7.5 percent PPh of the price of the goods.

"If a passenger buys two cell phones, a permit from the relevant institution must be included, such as the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag)," said Deni Surjantoro, Head of the Sub-Directorate of Communications and Publications at the Customs and Excise Directorate General, Wednesday, September 16.

Guide to paying taxes and IMEI from devices purchased from abroad (Customs)

For the procedure for registering IMEI numbers for mobile phones from abroad, the Director General of Customs and Excise has prepared a mobile application that can be downloaded through the Play Store. Includes a special site https://www.beacukai.go.id/register-imei.html . Here's how you can follow the guide below:

1. Cellphone buyers can download the Mobile Beacukai application on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Or you can directly access the website www.beacukai.go.id .

2. Look for the "IMEI Registration" section. Where the public will be asked to fill out a form in the form of personal data, complete with flight number, NPWP, and specifications for the cellphone brought or purchased along with the value of the price of the item.

3. Once filled in completely, the buyer will get a QR code and registration ID, to be inspected for Customs.

4. If the cellphone carried exceeds the value of 500 US dollars, the buyer must pay the import tax in accordance with applicable regulations.

5. After all dealing with taxes and inspections, the buyer will get approval by the Customs official.

6. Later, the IMEI number of cellphone units purchased from abroad will be automatically registered, and can be used with cellular operators in Indonesia after 2x24 hours.

For purchases of mobile phones or devices from abroad via delivery, they will be registered automatically by the postal operator or the expeditioner. Mobile phones sent from abroad also follow the rule of a maximum of two units and the maximum price for shipping goods subject to import duty is US $ 75 per shipment.