Bank Indonesia Clarifies New Foreign Exchange Transaction Rules, Confirming No Limits on US Dollar Purchases Beyond US$50,000 Monthly Threshold
Bank Indonesia has firmly denied that it is restricting US dollar purchases to a maximum of US$50,000 per participant per month. Instead, the new policy set to take effect in April will require certain documentation for US dollar purchases above a newly adjusted threshold.
Ramdan Denny Prakoso, head of Bank Indonesia’s Communications Department, explained that to support rupiah exchange rate stability, the central bank is strengthening foreign exchange market transaction policies by adjusting the documentation requirement threshold for underlying transaction documents. The threshold for mandatory underlying documentation in spot US dollar purchases against rupiah is being lowered from US$100,000 to US$50,000 per participant per month.
He stressed that the application of the underlying documentation threshold requirement represents Bank Indonesia’s effort to ensure that forex purchase transactions are based on genuine economic needs. The policy does not restrict forex purchase transactions, but rather strengthens the obligation to provide underlying documentation.
“To clarify the reporting, it is incorrect to say that Bank Indonesia will limit spot US dollar purchases to a maximum of US$50,000 per participant per month. The adjustment being made is that for spot purchases above US$50,000, transactions can still be conducted but must be accompanied by underlying documentation,” Prakoso said on Wednesday, 18 March 2026.
He explained that the policy was formulated by carefully examining exchange rate movements and patterns of forex transactions in the domestic market, to maintain rupiah stability and ensure that the domestic foreign exchange market continues to operate in a healthy and efficient manner.
“Historically, Bank Indonesia has made several threshold adjustments for forex transactions in line with developments in global and domestic economic conditions,” he added.
According to Prakoso, changes to the threshold over time are part of an adaptive policy approach to respond to the dynamics of the global and domestic economy and financial markets.
The adjustment to the spot US dollar purchase transaction threshold against rupiah will take effect on 1 April 2026, with a transition period until 30 April 2026.