Can I build a private shelter in Indonesia?

Short answer. Indonesia publishes no official rules on private shelters. No specific permit, declaration or legal obligation was found. Any structure falls under ordinary building permits, and anything underground or load-bearing needs a structural engineer. Official household guidance focuses on the 72-hour bag and on evacuation to high ground ¹.

Is there a law on private shelters in Indonesia?

No. No law, regulation or official guidance on private blast or fallout shelters was found. No obligation for households to have one and no public funding were found.

Do I need a permit?

No permit exists specifically for shelters. A shelter is a structure, so ordinary building permits apply. Phaenyx has not reviewed how those permits apply to underground or reinforced structures, so this page does not say what a given project requires. Ask your local government before any work.

Who should design it?

A structural engineer. Underground and load-bearing work is structural, and Phaenyx gives no construction instructions; see /guides/reinforce-container and /guides/buried-container for why.

Is there an Indonesian shelter standard?

No standard or approval scheme for civilian shelters was found. Tsunami evacuation buildings (TES) are reported to follow BNPB technical designs, which could not be confirmed. The Ministry of Public Works issued a 2023 guideline on planning tsunami evacuation routes, Pedoman Perencanaan Jalur Evakuasi Bencana Alam Tsunami (10/P/BM/2023) ². That document could not be opened on 2026-10-20, so its content is not described here.

What does the government ask households to do instead?

BNPB's 2026 family guide asks households to keep a 72-hour bag by the exit, to agree on a main and a backup assembly point outside the home, and, on the coast, to reach high ground within the first 10 minutes after an earthquake without waiting for official instructions ¹. See emergency supplies and public shelters.

What should I think about first?

1. Your hazards. Check your address on BNPB's inaRISK portal (https://inarisk.bnpb.go.id/). In a tsunami zone, evacuation to high ground is the official advice ¹.
2. Ground water and air. Read /guides/shelter-humidity-mold, /guides/radon-underground and /guides/shelter-ventilation.
3. What protection means. See /guides/protection-factor, /guides/nbc-filtration and /guides/safe-room-standards.
4. Supplies first. A shelter does not replace the BNPB 72-hour bag ¹; see the kit.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to build a bunker in Indonesia?

No law specifically covers private shelters. Ordinary building permits apply.

Is there an Indonesian shelter standard?

No standard or approval scheme for civilian shelters was found.

Can a tsunami evacuation building replace a private shelter?

TES are built for tsunami evacuation, not for blast or radiation protection. See public shelters.

Is a basement a good idea near the coast?

In a tsunami zone, the official advice is to go to high ground ¹.

Sources

1. BNPB (Pusat Data, Informasi dan Komunikasi Kebencanaan) — Keluarga Siaga Bencana – Panduan Anti Panik Saat Gempa, Banjir & Krisis Darurat — https://perpustakaan.bnpb.go.id/inlislite/uploaded_files/temporary/DigitalCollection/OThjMzRiZDFlMDU2OWYzNzQ5ZjliYWI0Nzg3ODkxMTQxNTE0NDIzNg==.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Direktorat Jenderal Bina Marga, Kementerian Pekerjaan Umum — Pedoman Perencanaan Jalur Evakuasi Bencana Alam Tsunami (10/P/BM/2023) — https://binamarga.pu.go.id/uploads/files/1954/10pbm2023-pedoman-perencanaan-jalur-evakuasi-bencana-alam-tsunami-.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)