Indonesia

Entry requirements depend on your nationality, so always check the rules for your own passport before you book. Most visitors — including citizens of the US, UK, EU countries, Canada, Australia and Japan — use the electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VOA), which permits a 30-day tourist stay. You apply online before you fly through the official Indonesian immigration portal; a traditional Visa on Arrival can still be bought in cash at the airport.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your date of arrival, with at least one blank page. The e-VOA's 30-day stay can be extended once for a further 30 days, but extensions now require an in-person visit to a local immigration office. Be careful with web searches — many unofficial lookalike sites mimic the government portal and overcharge.

Separately, all travellers must complete the 'All Indonesia' digital arrival card — a combined immigration, customs and health declaration — online within three days before arrival, and present the resulting QR code on arrival. It does not replace your visa; it is an additional step.

The currency is the Indonesian rupiah (IDR), which comes in very large denominations — prices have a lot of zeros. Indonesia remains a heavily cash-based country: Bali and Jakarta are increasingly card- and QR-friendly, but markets, warungs (local eateries), drivers and rural areas are cash only.

ATMs are widespread in cities and tourist areas — use machines attached to bank branches, and note that per-transaction withdrawal limits are often low and many ATMs charge a foreign-card fee. Decline the ATM's offer to convert to your home currency.

Tipping is not deeply ingrained but is appreciated and increasingly expected in tourist zones. Mid-range and upmarket restaurants often add a service charge of around 5–10% — check the bill before adding more; where none applies, rounding up or leaving roughly 5–10% is generous. A small note for hotel porters and housekeeping is standard.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, and conduct norms are warm but conservative. Greetings are gentle — a soft handshake, often followed by touching the hand to the chest. Use your right hand for giving, receiving and eating, avoid public displays of affection, and never touch someone's head.

Religious-site etiquette matters. For Bali's Hindu temples a sarong and sash are required (often available to rent at the entrance), and by tradition menstruating women are asked not to enter. At mosques, remove your shoes, cover up, and women should cover their hair.

Norms are far more conservative outside Bali — Bali's relaxed, beach-resort atmosphere is the exception, not the rule, and revealing clothing or public drinking elsewhere can cause genuine offence. Aceh province operates under sharia law, with stricter rules that apply to visitors too.

The two main international gateways are Soekarno-Hatta (CGK) near Jakarta — the country's busiest — and I Gusti Ngurah Rai (DPS) in Bali. Because Indonesia is so spread out, domestic flights are the practical way to cover long distances and hop between islands.

Between nearby islands, ferries and fast boats are common — choose reputable operators, as overcrowding and rough seas have caused accidents; don't be afraid to skip a sailing in bad weather. The ride-hailing apps Gojek and Grab are inexpensive, reliable and widely used, offering both cars and motorbike taxis, though they require an Indonesian phone number to register.

Many visitors rent scooters, especially in Bali, but driving is on the left, traffic is chaotic, helmets are mandatory, and an International Driving Permit plus your home licence is legally required — road accidents are a leading cause of injury to tourists, and many insurance policies won't cover unlicensed riders.

A local SIM or eSIM is the easiest way to stay connected. Telkomsel has by far the widest coverage — the only network reliably reaching smaller islands — while Indosat and XL Axiata are competitive in cities and often cheaper. Physical SIMs require passport registration; buy from official outlets.

An eSIM bought before you arrive is convenient — you land already connected. If you plan to use Gojek or Grab, choose a plan that includes an Indonesian (+62) phone number, since those apps need it to verify your account. Wifi is reliable in hotels and cafés in tourist hubs but thins out on remote islands.

Indonesia is generally welcoming to travellers, and the major advisories place it at a moderate caution level for terrorism and natural disasters rather than a 'do not travel' rating. Some regions, notably parts of Papua, carry higher warnings, but popular destinations including Bali, Java and Lombok do not.

Petty crime is the most common issue — bag-snatching by passing motorbike, pickpocketing and card fraud, especially in busy parts of Bali. Watch for drink-spiking and methanol-tainted alcohol — stick to sealed, reputable brands. Critically, Indonesia has extremely severe drug laws: trafficking offences can carry the death penalty, so never carry or use illegal drugs.

Do not drink tap water — use bottled or properly filtered water. Rabies and dengue are present, so avoid stray animals and use mosquito repellent. Indonesia sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', so earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic activity are genuine hazards — heed local warnings. The national emergency number is 112.

Power: Indonesia runs on 230V, 50Hz, with Type C and Type F plugs (the round two-pin European style). Travellers from the US, UK and elsewhere will need an adapter.

Language: the official language is Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), with hundreds of regional languages also spoken. English is widely understood in tourist areas and among younger Indonesians, less so in rural regions.

Best time to visit: Indonesia is tropical and hot year-round. The dry season, roughly May to September, is the most reliable time for Bali, Java, Lombok and Komodo; the wettest months fall October to April.

Time zone: Indonesia spans three time zones — Western (UTC+7, covering Jakarta and Java), Central (UTC+8, covering Bali and Lombok) and Eastern (UTC+9).