Indonesian Marketplace Sellers Must Hold a Business ID: The 6-Month Grace Status Explained

Indonesia's Trade Minister Regulation (Permendag) 19 of 2026 on trading through electronic systems, signed on 8 June 2026, requires marketplaces to refuse registration to sellers who hold no business licence. The minimum licence is a Business Identification Number, known as an NIB (Nomor Induk Berusaha). A seller without one may only hold a status called "Dalam Proses Legalisasi", meaning legalisation in process, for six months at most, after which their transactions are stopped.

Katadata reported the rule on 9 June 2026 and Fortune Indonesia on 11 June 2026. Five months have passed since signing, and the year-end shopping season is close. For home-based sellers who have traded with no licence at all, now is a sensible time to sort out the Indonesia online seller licence question.

What the regulation says

Fortune Indonesia notes that Regulation 19/2026 replaces Regulation 31/2023 and that licences are obtained through OSS, the government's online licensing system. Katadata sets out the articles:

• Article 4(4): a marketplace must refuse registration to a seller who has no business licence.
• Article 4(5): the minimum licence is a trade-sector NIB, plus compliance with technical standards for the goods or services.
• Article 17(3) and (4): a marketplace may accept an unlicensed seller under the "Dalam Proses Legalisasi" status, and the seller must complete the licence within six months of registering.
• Article 17(5): if the licence is not obtained, the marketplace must restrict access by stopping trading transactions.

Katadata also wrote that sellers already registered without a licence can be blocked.

Dates: what is certain and what is not

Care is needed here. According to Katadata, the six months run from when the seller registers. The sources name no single national deadline for sellers who have been trading for a long time.

By our count, six months from the signing date of 8 June 2026 falls in early December 2026. That is our own calendar arithmetic, not a date from the sources, and it should be confirmed against official announcements from the government or each platform. We have also not read any report of blocking being carried out. So there is no basis for saying your store will stop on a particular day.

What can be said: the licence duty is written down, the grace period is limited, and each platform may apply it on its own schedule. Waiting for a notice in the dashboard means arranging a licence in a hurry, possibly in the busiest week of the year.

Check your status on each platform

The steps below are our advice.

1. Open the seller dashboard on every marketplace where you have a store. Look for a verification, legality or business documents menu.
2. See whether your account carries a status label, including "Dalam Proses Legalisasi", and whether a date is shown.
3. Read platform announcements and messages since June. Important notices are easily lost among promotions.
4. If you find nothing, ask through the seller help centre and keep the answer.
5. Record the result per platform in one table: status, any date mentioned, and documents requested.

Getting the NIB and meeting product standards

According to Fortune Indonesia, licences are handled through OSS. The sources do not detail the form, so follow the guidance on the official OSS site. Things worth having ready before you start:

• Personal details matching your identity card, and your taxpayer number (NPWP) if you have one.
• The correct business address, including when the business runs from home.
• A clear description of what you sell, so the business field you choose is in the trade sector and matches what you do.
• An email address and mobile number that are active and under your own control.

Do not forget the second half of Article 4(5): compliance with technical standards for the goods or services. An NIB alone may not be enough. Which standards apply depends on your product, and the sources do not list them by product type. Check the requirements for your category on the platform and with the relevant authority, especially if you sell food, cosmetics, children's toys or electronics.

Once the NIB is issued:

• Upload it to every marketplace, not only the busiest.
• Make sure the name and address on the NIB match the store profile.
• Keep a digital copy where the staff who manage the store can open it.

Prepare a backup channel

A stop on transactions, if it happens, means orders from that platform end at once. A business whose entire sales come from one store on one marketplace is the most exposed. A backup channel is not a way around the licence duty. Get the licence. The backup only ensures that an administrative problem does not mean zero income.

Sensible things to prepare:

• A list of repeat customers who have actually given you their contact details, with notes on what they usually buy.
• One business WhatsApp number printed on packaging and thank-you cards, used in line with each marketplace's terms.
• A simple catalogue you can send by chat: photos, prices and how to order.
• A way to take payment and ship outside the marketplace that you have already tried, not one you think up in an emergency.
• Stores on more than one platform, each with complete documents.

This week's work in brief

• Check legality status on all platforms and write down the results.
• If you have no NIB, start the OSS application now.
• Find out which technical standards apply to your products.
• Upload the documents to every store once issued.
• Tidy your list of repeat customers.

If you serve customers over chat, Polynusa offers a shared WhatsApp inbox on the business number that several staff can work, with notes and follow-up tasks per customer.

Note: this article summarises news reports and is not legal advice. Confirm the licence duties for your business and products with the local trade office, the OSS service or a consultant.

Sources

• Katadata, 9 June 2026: New e-commerce rule: sellers must hold an NIB or be blocked
• Fortune Indonesia, 11 June 2026: What the latest e-commerce trade regulation contains

FAQ

Must marketplace sellers in Indonesia hold an NIB?

According to Katadata, Trade Minister Regulation 19/2026 requires marketplaces to refuse sellers without a business licence, and the minimum licence is a trade-sector NIB plus compliance with technical standards for the goods or services.

How long does the in-process status last?

Sellers must complete their licence within six months of registering. If the licence is not obtained, the marketplace must stop their trading transactions.

What is the exact deadline for existing sellers?

The sources give no single national deadline. By our count, six months from 8 June 2026 falls in early December 2026, to be confirmed against official announcements from each platform.