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travel information

Information for travellers to Indonesia, Indonesian visa regulations, Indonesian money and banking, electricity and water.

visa regulations

As of the first of February 2004 Indonesia has new entry visa regulations for holiday visitors as follows. Please check your visa on arrival status carefully as people have been turned away at the airport since the new regulations came into force.

tourist visa on arrival

Citizens of the following countries will receive 30 days entry visa free of charge, these are generally countries offering visa free entry to Indonesian citizens.

Citizens of the following countries can obtain an entry visa upon arrival in Indonesia by paying a fee of USD $25 for a thirty day stay and USD$10 for a five day stay. Payment is made upon arrival in Indonesia in cash or by credit card. You can also obtain a visa prior to arrival from any Indonesian Embassy or Consulate.

Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia (YAP, TKK, PNI, KSA), Palau (ROR) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (MAJ & KWA) must pay USD $50 in addition to the regular visa fee.

Citizens of all other countries must apply for a visa prior to arrival.

extensions & overstay payments

A visa extension of 15 days is allowed upon payment of an additional fee, please note that the application for extension must be made prior to expiry of your visa.

Visitors that stay beyond their visa expiry date will be charged a fine of USD20.00 per day of overstay upon departure.

embassies & consulates

Please visit the Indonesian Foreign Affairs web site [new window] for more information and a list of Indonesian consulates and embassies world wide.

money & banking

The Indonesian currency is called the Rupiah, is denominated in the thousands and the exchange rate fluctuates regularly. Please check the online currency converter [new window] for current offical exchange rates.

Visa cards, travelers cheques and cash in major currencies are widely accepted at banks, money changers and hotels in major cities and tourist destinations. ATM machines are also widespread in these areas and accept major credit cards plus bank debit cards such as Cirrus and Maestro.

The ATM machines generally offer the best exchange rates, followed by cash in large denominations, then small denominations and travellers cheques. The small note denomination issue mostly affects the US dollar.

We suggest that you bring some US dollars in cash for remote areas, it is best to bring $100 notes in good condition printed after 1999. Old or bad condition bank notes are hard to change and US dollars printed in 1996 just about impossible.

Western Union has offices in major cities and tourist destinations, recomended for cash transfers as the banks can be unreliable.

electricity & water

electricity

The Indonesian electricity supply is 220 Volts, 50 Hz and reasonably reliable but is subject to voltage fluctuation and surges. The power points are of the two pin (round) variety so bring an adapter for use in hotel rooms, etc. Laptop computers usually have their own current regulators but other equipment may need protecting.

The Kararu liveaboard is fully equipped with all required adapters for charging equipment at either 220 or 110 Volts AC via stabalizers.

water

The tap water in Indonesia is definately not safe to drink unless well boiled, bottled drinking water is cheap and widely available.