Know before you go: Indonesia

Quick answer: Most nationalities need a paid Visa on Arrival (IDR 500,000, about US$35, valid 30 days, extendable once) or an e-Visa, while only about a dozen countries (mostly ASEAN) get visa-free 30-day entry — always verify your specific nationality on the official Immigration e-Visa portal before flying. Bring a mix of rupiah cash and an internationally-enabled debit/credit card, dial 112 for any emergency, and aim for the May–September dry season for the best weather across most of the archipelago.

Visa & entry

Indonesia’s entry rules have tightened and been restructured several times in recent years, so treat any list of “visa-free countries” as a starting point, not gospel.

• Visa-free entry (Bebas Visa Kunjungan): As of the July 2026 update, visa-free entry is available to citizens of all ASEAN member states: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, plus a small number of other countries such as Hong Kong, Suriname, Colombia, Brazil and Peru. This entry is for tourism only — sightseeing, visiting friends or family, leisure travel — and the stay is limited to 30 days and cannot be extended.
• Visa on Arrival (VOA): Travelers from most other countries (US, UK, EU, Australia, etc.) qualify for a VOA. Most visitors pay the Visa on Arrival at Rp 500,000 (about US$35), which covers 30 days and can be extended once for another 30 at a further Rp 500,000. It can be arranged in advance as an e-VOA or paid on the spot; VOA is available only at designated international airports and seaports, including Jakarta and Bali.
• e-Visa / Visitor Visa: For nationalities or purposes not covered by VOA, apply through the official e-Visa system. The Visitor Visa is a single-entry visa valid for a 30-day stay in Indonesia for tourism, government visits, business meetings, goods purchasing, or transit only.
• Passport & document rules: Visitors must hold a passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival and may be asked to present proof of onward or return travel.
• Arrival Card: Regardless of visa type, all travellers are required to submit an arrival card within three days prior to arrival in Indonesia, via the official e-Visa portal.
• Overstays are taken seriously: If you overstay your visa, you might be asked to pay fines of IDR 1,000,000 per day, or be detained, deported, or banned from future travel to Indonesia for a specific period.
• Policy is actively evolving — as of mid-2026, lawmakers were even formally requesting that the Directorate General of Immigration reconsider granting Visa-Free Visit status to nationals from countries including China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India and New Zealand, but this had not been finalized. Always double-check your exact nationality’s rules on the official Immigration and e-Visa websites shortly before you travel.

Getting around

Indonesia is a vast archipelago, so transport strategy differs sharply between cities and islands.

• Jakarta: The capital has an increasingly integrated public transport network. Jakarta’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is the city’s most modern transport option, connecting the southern and central parts of Jakarta, running on the North–South line from Lebak Bulus to Bundaran HI, operating 5:00 AM to 12:00 AM daily. TransJakarta buses and LRT complete the network, and these services work on TransJakarta buses, MRT Jakarta, LRT, and JakLingko integrated transport, making it much easier to move between different parts of the city. Get a JakLingko card — it costs 50,000 IDR (including 15,000 IDR of initial credit), is non-transferable, and is available at MRT and LRT stations and certain stores like Indomaret. Note that you should plan on electronic payment rather than cash on Transjakarta — use a supported card, JakLingko option, or official digital payment method where accepted.
• Ride-hailing apps: Grab and Gojek operate island-wide and are the easiest way to get around for most tourists, especially in Bali, Yogyakarta, and smaller cities where formal transit is limited.
• Inter-city travel on Java: Java has a well-developed train network connecting Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya and other major cities — a comfortable and scenic alternative to flying or driving.
• Inter-island travel: Domestic flights (Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Citilink, etc.) are the standard way to hop between islands such as Bali, Lombok, and beyond; ferries connect nearby islands but can be slow.
• On Bali and other tourist islands: Scooters and private drivers hired by the day are common; public transit is minimal outside Denpasar, so plan on ride-hailing apps or a hired driver for sightseeing.

Money & costs

• Currency: The Indonesian rupiah (IDR). The rupiah is a currency of many zeros, and through 2026 the exchange rate has sat in the region of Rp 16,500 to Rp 17,000 to one US dollar — a rough shortcut is to drop four zeros and multiply by about 0.6 for a dollar estimate.
• Cash vs. cards: Indonesia is still largely a cash economy outside the tourist cores; cards and QRIS payments work in Bali’s main areas, Jakarta and mid-to-upper hotels, but warungs, homestays, drivers, boat captains and ticket booths want rupiah. QRIS (Indonesia’s unified QR payment system) is increasingly common in cities and tourist areas for cashless payment via local e-wallets.
• ATMs: ATMs charge a fixed fee of around Rp 25,000 to Rp 50,000 per withdrawal, so it’s wise to take out larger amounts less often. Fees vary by bank — for example, Bank Mandiri charges a Rp50,000 Access Fee for foreign Visa and Mastercard cards as of 22 February 2026, while other banks like BCA still allow foreign card withdrawals without an extra local surcharge (though your home bank may add its own fee). Use ATMs inside bank branches or malls for safety and reliability.
• Visa/entry costs to budget for: the VOA fee (IDR 500,000) and, if visiting Bali specifically, the Rp 150,000 (about US$10) Bali tourist levy, paid once per visit through the official Love Bali platform.
• Daily budgets vary widely by style: budget travelers manage on $30-40 daily, mid-range travelers spend $70-100 daily, while luxury experiences cost $200-400+ daily.

Best time to visit

Indonesia straddles the equator, so “seasons” are really wet vs. dry rather than hot vs. cold. For most of the archipelago (Java, Bali, Lombok, and the eastern islands), the May–September dry season offers ideal weather, while April and October provide shoulder-season value with lower accommodation costs. The wet season (roughly November–March) brings heavier, more frequent downpours, especially in the afternoons, though showers are often short and destinations remain accessible. If your trip includes Jakarta specifically, during the rainy season it’s worth choosing hotels with covered access to shopping malls or MRT stations to minimize exposure to sudden downpours. Note that Indonesia’s geography is huge — Sumatra, Kalimantan and parts of eastern Indonesia can have somewhat different rainfall patterns, so check region-specific forecasts if traveling outside Java/Bali.

Emergencies & safety

• Universal emergency number: Dial 112 — this is available for the public to reach first responders from various units, including health centers or regional hospitals, the transportation agency, fire departments, disaster mitigation agencies, and sectoral police. It’s free to call and works nationwide from mobile phones, though Jakarta and Bali have the most reliable response, while outer islands can be much slower.
• Other direct-dial numbers you may hear used locally: Police 110, Ambulance 118, Fire 113, and Tourist Police 155 (Bali). Nationally, Basarnas (search and rescue) is 115, BNPB (National Disaster Management Agency) is 117, and ambulance services can also be reached on 118 and 119.
• Tourist Police: In Bali specifically, it’s highly recommended to call the Tourist Police hotline first for disputes, lost items, or wayfinding help, as they tend to be more empathetic toward foreign visitors and have better English.
• Practical safety tips: Save your embassy’s 24-hour emergency consular number before you arrive, keep photocopies/digital scans of your passport and visa, and be aware that due to traffic and infrastructure challenges, it might be faster to use local transportation to get to the nearest medical facility rather than waiting for an ambulance in congested cities.
• General safety: Indonesia is generally safe for tourists, but standard precautions apply — watch for petty theft in crowded tourist areas, be cautious with scooter rentals (many travel insurance policies exclude scooter accidents without a valid motorcycle license), and check government travel advisories for any region-specific alerts (e.g., volcanic activity, which is monitored closely across the archipelago).

Official sources

• Directorate General of Immigration – Official e-Visa Portal
• Indonesian Immigration (Imigrasi) – Main Site
• Wonderful Indonesia – Official Tourism Board
• JakLingko – Jakarta Integrated Transport
• TransJakarta – Official Bus Rapid Transit
• Bank Indonesia – Central Bank (currency & exchange info)
• Kominfo Emergency Call Center 112