Alcohol regulations in Indonesia

Licences needed

Business Identification Number (NIB), Industrial Business License / Standard Certificate (PB-UMKU via OSS), Excise Identification Number (NPPBKC) from DJBC, BPOM MD (domestic marketing authorization).

Authority

Ministry of Investment/BKPM, Ministry of Industry, Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC), BPOM

Documents

Company legal deed, Tax ID (NPWP), environmental impact assessment (AMDAL/UKL-UPL), factory location permit in designated industrial zones, building approvals (PBG/SLF), production layout, customs excise bond/security guarantees.

Fees

Statutory OSS registration is nominal; NPPBKC issuance is free of statutory charge, but mandatory security bonds and technical compliance costs apply.

Time to obtain

Moratorium in force for new distilleries under Perpres 49/2021; existing/grandfathered facility approvals typically take 6 to 12 months.

Who can import

Only registered Indonesian companies appointed as Registered Importers of Alcoholic Beverages (IT-MB - Importir Terdaftar Minuman Beralkohol) by the Ministry of Trade; duty-free shop importation is restricted to designated state-owned enterprises (e.g., PT Sarinah). Foreign companies cannot import directly.

Licences or registrations

NIB with General Import Identification Number (API-U), IT-MB decree, Persetujuan Impor (PI - Import Approval / quota allocation) from the Ministry of Trade, NPPBKC from DJBC, BPOM SKI (Surat Keterangan Impor) per shipment.

Authority

Ministry of Trade (Kemendag), Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC), BPOM

Documents

Letter of appointment from brand owners certified by a public notary and Indonesian Trade Attaché/Embassy abroad (must represent at least 20 foreign brands from at least 5 countries), company legal records, BPOM ML registration certificate, prior import realization reports.

Fees

Nominal government administrative fees (PNBP) via INATRADE/OSS; substantial compliance and quota maintenance costs.

Time to obtain

3 to 6 months to secure IT-MB and annual Persetujuan Impor (PI) quota allocation.

Required

yes

Process

Mandatory pre-market product evaluation and marketing authorization via BPOM's e-Registration system to obtain a 12-digit 'ML' (Makanan Luar) registration number (Izin Edar / NIE). Includes comprehensive laboratory safety evaluation and label approval.

Authority

Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan (BPOM)

Documents and samples

Certificate of Free Sale (CFS) or Health Certificate from country of origin, Certificate of Analysis (CoA) testing ethanol, methanol, heavy metals, and microbes, manufacturing process flowchart, finished product specifications, Letter of Appointment/Authorization (LoA), original and proposed Indonesian labels, physical product samples for BPOM testing.

Fees

Official PNBP evaluation fee approximately IDR 3,000,000 to IDR 5,000,000 per SKU (excluding external testing fees).

Renewal

Valid for 5 years; renewable through BPOM e-Registration.

Time to obtain

3 to 6 months.

Imports can only be executed by IT-MB license holders possessing an active Persetujuan Impor (PI) quota allocation. Products must enter exclusively through designated international seaports (such as Tanjung Priok Jakarta, Tanjung Perak Surabaya, Belawan Medan, and Benoa Bali). Each shipment requires a BPOM Import Entry Permit (SKI Border/Post Border), Certificate of Origin (COO), and Certificate of Analysis (CoA). Physical tax excise stamps (Pita Cukai MMEA) must be affixed to every bottle prior to customs release. Maximum permissible alcohol strength for import and distribution is capped at 55% ABV.

150% ad valorem on CIF value for spirits and liqueurs (HS 2208) under Ministry of Finance Regulation No. 132/PMK.010/2015 and the Indonesian Customs Tariff (BTKI).

Under PMK No. 160/2023 (effective January 1, 2024), specific excise duty (Cukai MMEA) on Group C spirits (>20% to 55% ABV) is IDR 152,000 per litre for imported spirits (IDR 101,000 per litre for domestic spirits). In addition: Value Added Tax (PPN) of 11% applied on import value (CIF + duty + excise), and Article 22 Import Income Tax (PPh 22) of 2.5% (with API) or 7.5%.

Group C spirits (>20% to 55% ABV) may strictly only be sold for on-premise consumption at licensed 3-, 4-, and 5-star hotels, certified tourism restaurants, bars, and nightclubs holding a Direct Retailer Trading License for Alcoholic Beverages (SIUP-MB). Off-premise retail is restricted to specialized licensed liquor stores and duty-free shops; sales in supermarkets and minimarkets are prohibited nationwide. Operating hours and municipal zoning are set by local government regulations (Perda).

banned; direct-to-consumer online sales, e-commerce listings, telemarketing, and postal/courier deliveries of alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited nationwide under BPOM Regulation No. 8/2020 (Article 29) and Ministry of Trade regulations.

Mandatory Indonesian language (Bahasa Indonesia) labeling affixed prior to customs entry: product name, brand, net volume, percentage of ethyl alcohol (% ABV), BPOM ML registration number, full ingredients, production code/lot number, expiration/best before date, importer name and address, country of origin manufacturer details, clear non-halal notice under BPJPH regulations, the mandatory health warning 'DIBAWAH UMUR 21 TAHUN ATAU WANITA HAMIL DILARANG MINUM' (Under 21 years old or pregnant women prohibited from drinking), and an official physical excise stamp (Pita Cukai) over the bottle closure.

Commercial advertising and promotions of alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited in all broadcast and print mass media (Law No. 32/2002 on Broadcasting and MOT Regulation No. 20/2014, Article 30). Digital marketing, public outdoor billboards, and brand sponsorships targeting the general public or minors are banned.

Governed by BPOM Regulation No. 5/2021 and Indonesian National Standards (SNI). Group C covers spirits with 20% to 55% ABV. Standards define whisky (distilled from fermented cereal mash, aged in wooden barrels), vodka (rectified neutral spirit treated with charcoal), gin (spirit flavored with juniper berries and botanicals), rum (fermented and distilled sugarcane juice or molasses), and food-grade ethanol (minimum 94.9% ABV). The maximum legal cap for any marketed alcoholic beverage is 55% ABV; products exceeding 55% cannot be licensed.

Aceh province enforces complete alcohol prohibition under Islamic Sharia law (Qanun Aceh No. 6/2014 on Jinayat Law), punishable by public caning. Papua province maintains strict provincial prohibitions on production, distribution, and sale. Several regional regencies and municipalities across West Java, South Sulawesi, and West Sumatra enforce local zero-alcohol bylaws (Peraturan Daerah / Perda).

• Implementation of Ministry of Finance Regulation (PMK) No. 160/2023 effective January 1, 2024, raising specific excise duty on imported Group C spirits from IDR 139,000 to IDR 152,000 per litre and capping the maximum allowable ethyl alcohol level for Group C at 55% ABV.
• Ministry of Trade implemented updated import management framework (Permendag No. 16/2025 and amendments) reinforcing strict Import Approval (Persetujuan Impor - PI) quotas and IT-MB requirements for alcoholic beverages.
• Mandatory non-halal labeling and declaration requirements under BPJPH regulations phased into full enforcement for food and beverage products starting late 2024.

Commercial opportunities for spirits exporters are concentrated in the premium and super-premium segments serving international tourism destinations like Bali and high-end hospitality venues in major urban centers. Success requires partnering with an established, licensed Indonesian importer holding an active IT-MB allocation and navigating BPOM ML registration.

• Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan (BPOM)
• Kementerian Perdagangan Republik Indonesia (Kemendag)
• Direktorat Jenderal Bea dan Cukai (DJBC) - Kementerian Keuangan
• Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal (BPJPH)

1. Kementerian Keuangan RI - Peraturan Menteri Keuangan Nomor 160 Tahun 2023 tentang Tarif Cukai Etil Alkohol, Minuman Mengandung Etil Alkohol, dan Konsentrat Mengandung Etil Alkohol
2. Peraturan Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan Nomor 5 Tahun 2021 tentang Standar Keamanan dan Mutu Minuman Beralkohol
3. Peraturan Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan Nomor 8 Tahun 2020 tentang Pengawasan Obat dan Makanan yang Diedarkan Secara Daring
4. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service - Indonesia: Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Country Report
5. Kementerian Perdagangan RI - Regulasi Pengendalian dan Pengawasan Minuman Beralkohol