Bringing film equipment to Bali: carnet or temporary import

By Film Permit Bali Editorial Desk

Bringing film equipment to Bali usually means choosing between an ATA Carnet and customs temporary import, with a complete equipment list behind either route. Customs names professional equipment under carnets, while its temporary import examples are exhibitions, research and sport, so confirm that route for film gear. Gear that overstays temporary import draws a duty-value fine.

What does bringing film equipment to Bali involve?

Three pieces of paper do most of the work: a complete equipment list, a customs route for the gear, and Indonesia's national film permit, which supports both. The Bali Film Center says filmmakers must declare equipment to customs and that Indonesia accepts carnets. That leaves film gear at customs with two routes, a carnet or customs temporary import, and this page compares them. Duty on camera equipment is what both are there to deal with. A traveller with one camera and no job is a different case and not the subject here.

For where and how to declare on the day at Ngurah Rai, ask your local partner and customs at the airport before you fly.

Carnet or temporary import: which route?

Indonesian customs describes a carnet as one document that brings goods in temporarily free of duty and tax, under regulation 228/PMK.04/2014, and lists professional equipment among carnet uses. Its temporary import page sets out the alternative: an application made before the goods enter Indonesia, giving details of the goods, port, location, purpose and period, with a guarantee in return for duty relief.

The carnet looks like the simpler file, because customs itself names professional equipment. The temporary import page needs a closer read: its examples are exhibitions, research and sport, and film gear is not among them. Before you budget a guarantee, confirm with customs that the route accepts a camera package. Costs and issuing details are on the ATA Carnet page.

On a carnet, customs also says goods must be easily identified and not substantially changed, apart from normal wear. Gaffer tape over a serial number or a rebuilt camera body works against that at re-export, so keep the kit matching the description.

What must the equipment list show?

The Embassy in Washington wants professional camera equipment listed by item, quantity and value, and expects it to go back out of Indonesia when the assignment ends. The Canberra checklist also asks for an equipment list, and the list details are on the requirements page.

For drones, SNXP Studio advises listing make, model, serial number, quantity, ownership and purpose. Those fields also suit the rest of a professional kit. This layout combines both sources, with our own suggestion in the last column:

Finish it before you file. NEEDaFIXER warns that additions after filing mean amendments and delays. A hired lens confirmed the day before departure is that kind of addition, so lock rentals early.

Drones add a layer. Atlas Film Fixers says a drone may add customs permits, invoices and component lists, beyond the aviation approval and the carnet paperwork. If an aerial unit is in the plan, read commercial drone filming before you finalise the list.

What if you land outside office hours?

Check the arrival time against the customs hours. An ICC country sheet for Indonesia puts carnet handling at customs offices within office hours, given as 7.30 am to 5.00 pm. Its only two 24-hour offices are Tanjung Priok and Soekarno-Hatta, so Bali is not among them. The sheet was last modified in 2020, so confirm with customs at Ngurah Rai before committing to a late flight. If customs cannot confirm your arrival time, ask what happens to the kit until office hours resume.

What happens if gear does not leave?

Under customs temporary import, the permit runs up to one year, extendable up to three years, and goods must leave before it ends. If they do not leave in time, customs requires a fine of 100 percent of the import duty value. Customs also says not to change the use or move goods without permission.

That last line reaches small things. Selling a light to a local crew at wrap, leaving a broken monitor with a repair shop, or sending a case to a second location on another island are all changes or moves to clear first. Decide before you land what happens to anything staying behind, and ask customs how to handle damaged or stolen items on your route. Keep the list current so that you can show each item coming back out.

What are the battery rules on flights?

IATA keeps spare batteries out of checked baggage and ties carriage to configuration and watt-hour rating. An airline can be stricter, so a figure from one carrier does not transfer to another. Look up each battery's rating, then ask every airline on your route what it allows in the cabin, particularly on connecting flights with a different carrier. Pack spares for the cabin and get any approval in writing.

Why does the permit matter for customs?

Because the regulation connects them. Article 9(1) of Regulation 48/2018 says the permit also serves as the basis for arranging temporary import of equipment. If the film permit slips, the customs file can slip with it, which is a reason to start the two together and keep the equipment list identical across both.

Documents from other offices can also feed the file. The embassy in Mexico City lists a recommendation letter from a regional government or relevant ministry, and a conservation area entry letter where needed, among filming visa documents. That checklist is older than Canberra's, but it makes a useful point: a park shoot can change what you need to hold before gear moves.

Will Bali's power supply affect the shoot?

It can, in two ways. Filming in Indonesia, a production company, says the country runs on 220 volts at 50Hz with European-style wall plugs, and that a grounded third terminal is not always available. It warns that small generators may not hold a stable voltage. The second issue is on camera. Because artificial lighting runs at 50Hz, the same company says recording at 30 frames per second, the NTSC rate, shows visible flicker. Our suggestion: test your frame rate against local lamps before the shoot day, and check that chargers and lights accept the local supply. Add any adapters to the equipment list, since late additions cause their own trouble.

What else do crews ask about gear and customs?

How to declare camera gear in Indonesia?

Bali Film Center says filmmakers must declare equipment to customs. Do it on a carnet or through temporary import, using a list of items, quantities and values. Ask your local partner to confirm the counter and timing at Ngurah Rai.

Why does Indonesia require an equipment manifest?

No source states the reason in so many words. The Washington embassy links its list to the expectation that gear leaves at the end of the assignment, and customs relief depends on goods being identifiable.

Can I bring camera equipment to Bali for a photoshoot?

A paid shoot raises visa and permit questions before customs ones. Once those are settled, the same list and carnet or temporary import logic applies, so confirm with customs that your route accepts stills equipment.

What equipment list is needed for filming in Indonesia?

At minimum, Washington asks for items, quantities and values, and Canberra's checklist requires an equipment list. SNXP Studio adds make, model, serial number, ownership and purpose for drones.

Which sources support this page?

• Indonesian Customs: ATA Carnet FAQ
• Indonesian Customs: temporary import
• Bali Film Center: guidelines
• Embassy in Washington: journalistic and film production
• Embassy in Canberra: filming permit document checklist, September 2026
• SNXP Studio: drone rules in Bali
• NEEDaFIXER: filming in Indonesia
• Atlas Film Fixers: Bali
• ICC carnet country sheet for Indonesia
• IATA: lithium batteries
• Regulation 48/2018 on location use by foreign filmmakers
• Embassy in Mexico City: journalistic and filming visa information, 2024
• Filming in Indonesia, production FAQ

How do I reach the desk?

Share your draft equipment list, arrival flight and shoot dates through WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563 or bd@juaraholding.com, and the desk will tell you which questions it can answer. Customs makes the decisions at the border. Because a request can end in a paid booking, we have a commercial interest, covered in the disclaimer; costs and the contracting company appear only in a written offer.