Importing Adobe Illustrator graphics
How you import Illustrator graphics depends on how much editing the graphics require after you import them. You can import Illustrator graphics into InDesign in their native (.ai) format.
If you want to adjust layer visibility in InDesign...
Import the graphic using the Place command, and when you want to edit it, choose Edit > Edit Original to open the graphic in Illustrator. For example, for a multilanguage publication, you can create a single illustration that includes one text layer for each language. You can transform the illustration as a single object in InDesign but you cannot edit the paths, objects, or text within the illustration.
If you want to edit objects and paths in InDesign...
Copy the art from Illustrator and paste it into your InDesign document. For example, in a magazine, you might use the same design element in each issue, but change its color every month. By pasting a graphic into InDesign, you can change objects’ color, path, and transparency using the InDesign tools designed for that purpose.