SVLK and EUDR: which timber documents should you ask a Jepara supplier for?

If you import furniture from Indonesia into the European Union, two sets of rules meet on every shipment. SVLK is Indonesia's system for proving that timber is legal. The EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) is the EU's rule that wood products must also be free from deforestation, backed by a due diligence statement filed by the importer.

They overlap, but they are not the same thing. This guide is for hotel groups, FF&E firms, interior designers and private-label brands: what each system covers, what changes on 30 December 2026, and which documents to request before you order.

This is general information, checked in October 2026. It is not legal advice. Confirm your own obligations with your customs broker or your national EUDR authority.

What SVLK is

SVLK stands for Sistem Verifikasi Legalitas dan Kelestarian, Indonesia's legality and sustainability verification system for timber. It is run by Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry.

SVLK follows the wood from the forest to the export port. Forest managers, sawmills, furniture factories and exporters are audited by independent, accredited verification bodies. A business that passes receives a legality certificate, called the S-Legalitas.

You can check a supplier's status yourself. The ministry's public information system, SILK (silk.phl.kehutanan.go.id), publishes lists of certificate holders and registered exporters.

Some small makers hold SVLK as a group, sharing one certification with a few other companies. We are certified this way. Whatever the set-up, check that the supplier's name appears on the certificate and matches the export documents.

V-Legal documents and FLEGT licences

Each export shipment of SVLK-verified furniture and other wood products travels with its own document:

Indonesia and the EU signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement on forest trade, in force since 1 May 2014. On 15 November 2016 Indonesia became the first country to issue FLEGT licences. Under the current EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), wood products with a valid FLEGT licence are treated as legally harvested.

A practical point for knock-down furniture: Indonesian guidelines allow flat-packed furniture to be licensed as furniture when it ships with all its fittings and assembly instructions. Indonesian exporters are also told to agree the HS codes with the importer before the licence is issued. Settle the codes for each item early in the project.

What the EUDR requires of EU importers

The EUDR is Regulation (EU) 2023/1115. It replaces the EU Timber Regulation and covers wood among other commodities. Its product list includes wooden furniture (teak furniture included), wooden seats, and wooden statuettes and ornaments. Check your own HS codes against the current list.

A covered product may only be placed on the EU market if it is: 1. deforestation-free: the wood did not come from land deforested after 31 December 2020, and its harvest did not cause forest degradation; 2. legal: produced under the laws of the country of production; 3. covered by a due diligence statement filed in the EU Information System.

The company that first places the product on the EU market (usually the importer) is the "operator". Before customs clearance, it must: - collect information: species (common and scientific name), quantity, supplier, country of production, and the geolocation of the plots of land where the timber was harvested, with the harvest dates; - assess the risk that the product is not compliant; - reduce that risk to negligible, for example by asking for more documents or an audit; - submit the statement and quote its reference number on the customs declaration; - keep the records for five years.

The EU classifies Indonesia as standard risk. That means EU importers must carry out all three steps of due diligence. The simplified procedure for low-risk countries does not apply.

Suppliers outside the EU have no direct EUDR obligations. In practice, your importer cannot file without the supplier's information, so that paperwork decides whether your shipment clears.

When the EUDR applies

Date Who it applies to
Until 29 Dec 2026 The EU Timber Regulation still applies; FLEGT-licensed Indonesian timber is treated as legal under it
30 Dec 2026 Large and medium operators; all downstream operators and traders; micro and small operators for products already covered by the EU Timber Regulation, such as most wooden furniture
30 Jun 2027 Other micro and small operators, for products the EU Timber Regulation did not cover, such as wooden seats and carved statuettes

The EU delayed these dates twice, in December 2024 and December 2025. In October 2026 the European Commission's EUDR page still lists the dates above. Check it again before each order season.

How SVLK relates to EUDR

SVLK helps, but it does not make a product EUDR-compliant by itself.

Indonesia is adding geolocation information to SVLK and is discussing with the EU how the two systems can link up. Until the EU confirms anything more, plan for full due diligence on every EU order.

The documents to ask your Jepara supplier for

Document What it shows When to ask
SVLK certificate (S-Legalitas): number, holder name(s), validity, verification body. The holder name should match the export documents The supplier is audited for timber legality When you shortlist suppliers; check it on SILK
Species list per item, with scientific names (including hidden parts and any panels) What wood is in each product At specification stage
Timber source records Where the logs or sawn timber came from, and who supplied them Before the purchase order
Geolocation of the harvest plots, with harvest dates The data your importer needs for the due diligence statement Before the purchase order for any EU delivery
HS code for each item, agreed in writing The right customs and licence classification Before production
FLEGT licence (EU and UK) or V-Legal document (other countries) Legality of that specific shipment With every shipment
Invoice and packing list with net weights Quantities that match the licence and your statement With every shipment

Geolocation is the step that most often takes longest. A furniture factory usually buys timber from several sources, so ask early whether your supplier can trace each batch back to its plots.

How JeparaSupplier handles timber documents

FAQ

Does a FLEGT licence make my furniture EUDR-compliant? No. It covers the legality part only. Your importer still needs geolocation data, a risk assessment and a due diligence statement.

Who files the due diligence statement? The EU company that first places the goods on the EU market, normally the importer of record. Your supplier provides the information.

Are custom carvings and statues covered? Yes. Wooden statuettes and ornaments are on the EUDR product list. For some micro and small importers the date is 30 June 2027 rather than 30 December 2026.

We ship to the US, Australia or the Middle East. Does any of this apply? The EUDR applies only to the EU market. Shipments to other countries travel with a V-Legal document. Check your own country's timber import rules.

Plan the documents with your project brief

Tell us your destination country, your item list and who will act as importer of record. We will tell you which timber documents we can supply for the project.