What to Expect When Shipping From Bali: A Simple Guide for First-Time Exporters

Shipping from Bali is exciting, but it can feel overwhelming if you’re new to exporting. Bali’s supply chain is unique because many buyers purchase goods from several different art shops, workshops, and vendors. This creates a mix of beautiful products, but it also adds extra steps to packing, documentation, and coordination.

This post offers a clear overview of how shipping from Bali works, what methods are available, and which documents you should expect in a typical export.

1. Shipping Methods Available From Bali

There are three common options depending on your budget, urgency, and volume:

• Sea Freight – LCL (Less than Container Load)

  Suitable if your total volume is below one full container. Your goods are combined with cargo from other shippers.

• Sea Freight – FCL (Full Container Load)

  Best for larger shipments or buyers who need full control. A 20ft or 40ft container can be packed exclusively with your goods.

• Air Freight

  Fastest method, ideal for urgent or lightweight shipments. Costs are higher but transit time is short. Options are Airport to Airport (IATA) or Door to Door (Express)

• Inland Trucking / House Moving (Relocation)

  We also cater for domestic trucking in Indonesia or overseas, this includes house moving services!

  
  

Each method has its own process for packing, documentation, and transit. Sea freight is the most popular option for Bali’s handcrafted goods as more goods means cheaper shipping.

2. How Bali Shipments Are Unique

Unlike factory-based sourcing, Bali buyers often collect items from multiple art shops, wood workshops, stone carvers, painters, and home decor producers. A single shipment can easily involve:

• 5–30 different vendors

• different packing standards

• different payment schedules

• varying lead times

  
  

This is why coordination becomes important. Each pickup must be scheduled, counted, inspected, and packed safely to ensure the final container is accurate and well-protected.

Many customers also prefer a consolidated financial process, where one trusted logistics company receives the payments, checks the goods, and settles the balances with vendors. This removes confusion and helps prevent mistakes, overpayment, or missing items.

3. Documents You Should Expect

Depending on your shipment type and destination, you will typically receive:

• Commercial Invoice – details prices and item.

• Packing List – lists quantities, dimensions, and weights.

• Bill of Lading (BL) – the main sea freight document issued by the shipping line.

• Air Waybill (AWB) – if shipping by air.

• Fumigation/ISPM Certificate – for wooden items, depending on requirements.

• Phytosanitary Certificate – only required by certain countries for natural materials.

• Certificate of Origin (COO) – sometimes needed for customs or tax benefits.

We will advise which documents apply to your shipment after a consultation meeting.

4. What to Expect From the Process

A standard Bali export usually includes:

1. Visiting or ordering from multiple shops

2. Scheduling pickups

3. Quality and quantity checks

4. Safe packing or repacking

5. Preparing documents

6. Loading and sealing the container or delivering cargo to the air freight warehouse

7. Receiving your shipping documents

8. Coordinating with your customs broker at destination

Because each vendor works independently, the coordination and verification stages are the most important. A reliable logistics team helps ensure everything is smooth from start to finish.

5. How We Support This Process

At PT Intai Rainbow, we handle the full workflow—from pickup planning to packing, documentation, and vendor payment management. Many customers find it easier when we collect payments into our company account, check the goods, and distribute the balances to each shop after final verification. This keeps the process clear and avoids confusion when dealing with multiple vendors.

Shipping from Bali doesn’t need to be complicated. With the right structure and consistent communication, the process becomes predictable, safe, and transparent.