Buying a used phone in Indonesia: IMEI registration, prices and checks
4 min ·
The IMEI rule: why an imported phone may not work
Since 2020 Indonesia blocks phones whose IMEI is not registered with the customs and industry ministries: an unregistered phone gets no local SIM signal, only Wi-Fi. Phones bought in an Indonesian shop are registered; phones brought from abroad must be declared at customs (and taxed) within a deadline, otherwise they stay blocked.
Before paying, dial *#06# to read the IMEI and check it on the official Indonesian IMEI database. If the seller says "Wi-Fi only" or "ex-inter", that is exactly this problem — the price should be much lower and you should know you may never get a local signal.
Locks, battery and originality
On an iPhone, the seller must sign out of iCloud in front of you (Find My off) and you must be able to set the phone up as new. On Android, check the Google account is removed. Look at Battery Health on iPhone (below 80 % means a replacement soon) and check that Face ID or the fingerprint sensor works.
Compare the model number in Settings with the box, check that the camera, speakers, microphone and charging port work, and insert your own SIM to test calls and data.
What used phones cost
Indonesian phone prices are set by import duty and the local launch price, so used iPhones lose value slower than in Europe or the US. Our market price page gives the live median and typical range for phones on BaliMarket, refreshed every six hours — use it before you make an offer.
Buy from sellers who accept a meeting in a mall or a café, test everything on the spot, and keep the chat as a record of the deal.