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For a stay of less than 30 days, French, Belgian, Swiss and Canadian nationals are on a tourist trip without paying a visa. But when they arrive through the main ports and airports of the country (including those of Bali, Lombok, Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta), the visa is mandatory. You will need a passport with at least two blank pages valid for at least six months beyond the date of your arrival in Indonesia.
Warning: Diplomatic or official passport holders cannot apply for Visa-on-Arrival.
However, ASEAN member countries, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Indonesia's neighbors do not need a visa to enter Indonesia.
Indonesia Visa Application Form. You have to complete it and sign it. You can get the form on the Embassy/Consulate website or in their offices, whichever is available.
Your passport. It must be valid for at least another six months from the time you will enter Indonesia.
A copy of your passport.
If you are not a citizen of the country you live in: A copy of your valid Residence Permit/Visa.
Passport-size picture with the following requirements:
Dimensions: 3cm x 4cm or 4cm x 6cm
White background
Taken recently (last three months)
Your face must be fully visible
You must be staring straight ahead
You must stare straight ahead
No headgear allows unless it is for religious purposes. Even them, the face must be fully visible.
If you have prescription eye-glasses, they must not have glare, thick rims, or be too big.
The picture must be attached or glued to the designated spot on the Indonesia Visa Application Form
A copy of your round-trip or onward travel ticket.
Proof of sufficient financial means (bank statements).
If you will visit friends or family in Indonesia: Letter of Invitation from them as well a copy of their ID card or passport
Letter of Invitation from an organization or institution you will visit there (if applicable).
Proof of having paid the Indonesia visa fee.
For Multiple-Entry Visa: Letter of Visa Authorization from the Directorate General of Immigration in Indonesia. Your sponsor in Indonesia must obtain this on your behalf.
If you will apply by mail: A pre-paid self-addressed return envelope (with a stamp attached). The Embassy/Consulate will use the envelope to return your passport and documents after the visa processing.
Please note: If you exceed your limit of stay in this country, you will be required to pay a fine of about 30 USD / day. It is strongly discouraged to exceed a week.
The national currency is the Indonesian rupiah or rupiah (Rps), whose official ISO code is IDR. Given its value, there is no subdivision.
Using a credit card
A travel credit card can be useful when going overseas if you plan on making a large purchase that you’ll want to pay off over a couple of months or for a hotel check-in where a deposit normally is required. Credit cards can also provide you with benefits like complimentary travel insurance when you charge the cost of your travel ticket to your account.
If you go with a travel card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you’ll avoid hefty foreign transaction fees, which can add to your trip’s cost usually in the vein of 3% per transaction.
However, credit cards can be expensive, especially when it comes to withdrawing cash at an ATM. Interest is charged straight away, and you’ll pay a cash advance fee.
complimentary travel insurance when you charge the cost of your travel ticket to your account.
If you go with a travel card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you’ll avoid hefty foreign transaction fees, which can add to your trip’s cost usually in the vein of 3% per transaction.
However, credit cards can be expensive, especially when it comes to withdrawing cash at an ATM. Interest is charged straight away, and you’ll pay a cash advance fee.
Using a prepaid travel card
There are no travel money cards that allow you to load and spend in Indonesian rupiah. These cards should only really be considered if Indonesia is the first leg of your international holiday. However, due to the lack of support for the Indonesian rupiah, the fee structure and exchange rate margin when you load the card with funds make this an expensive option.
Paying with cash in Indonesia
Having cash in Indonesia will prove to be useful as there won’t always be stores and shops that are going to accept credit card payments. In addition to that, many street stands or local vendors will likely be operating a cash-only business. Don’t let yourself get stuck in a rut because you didn’t want to stop at an ATM machine.
Using traveler’s checks
Traveler’s checks have some nice security touches to them, but unfortunately, they’re dated. Traveler’s checks need ID to be cashed, and they can be replaced in a few days if lost or stolen. But, there are fees for purchasing and cashing a check.
Indonesian food culture has the international trend. In the capital Jakarta, there are dishes from all over the world, such as Chinese, European, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean dishes, etc. Indonesian dishes are similar to the dishes of Southeast Asian countries and the taste is strong. Coconut milk, pepper, cloves, ko beans, curry and other spices are usually added to the food. On the tables you can find the spicy sauces.
Among the dishes throughout Indonesia, the most typical is Padang food, which is famous for its spicy and fried taste. Tourists who like spicy food can try it. Due to the hot weather, Indonesians generally do not like hot foods, and they do not drink very hot soups. Indonesians have a habit of drinking coffee or tea after a meal, usually with sugar when they drink.
Indonesians like sweets. There are many types of desserts after meals. The most common are fried plantains and various cakes made with rice flour, glutinous rice flour, flour, tapioca flour, soy flour, coconut, and sugar.
For the western and central Indonesian islands (such as Bali, Java, the Gilis, Lombok and Komodo), the best time to visit Indonesia is during dry season which spans from May to September and this is the most popular time to visit the country. The wet season is between October & April, with rainfall occurring in short, heavy bursts.
However, the eastern islands such as Sulawesi, West Papua, Raja Ampat and the Moluccas Islands drum to a different beat and mostly peak between March and May and again in October.
Temperatures remain fairly constant year round with averages of 28°C throughout the region.
To visit Indonesia with rough roads, means of transport: boat, bemo, ... a small backpack is the most useful. In addition, it is necessary to prepare hiking shoes to climb volcanoes, walking sandals to cross the rivers and get on the boats, ... If you enter the temples, churches and mosques, ... you will have to take a or two sarongs. Loose and long clothes to suit with hot weather. There are different things such as: paper - toilet, meat bag or sleeping bag, waterproof bag, camera, sunglasses, hat and sunscreen, ... You need an international driving license if you want to rent a vehicle and a road map.
The CDC and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for Indonesia: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza. Shot lasts 2 years.
It is essential to prepare antimalarials for the whole of Indonesia (especially in Lombok), except the big cities and Bali.
For stays outside Bali, especially in case of dengue alert, you must pay attention to mosquitoes.
When traveling to a foreign country, remember that you are a visitor and a representative of your country. It is best to try to understand their culture, adapt to their custom, and abide the laws applied.
The Indonesian people smiles a lot: when they greet, when they agree (or disagree), and even when they do not understand what you mean. Always speak clear and polite, do not shout if they cannot understand you. This, most likely, simply because they do not speak your language or English, as it is not widely spoken. Know some survival phrases will be best, especially if you plan to wander around by yourself. The local are relatively helpful and will try their best to accommodate your doubt.
Note that Indonesians are pretty religious, especially the older generation and people who live in the small cities. Therefore displaying public affections are considered inappropriate.
Always be cautious. Change your money in an authorized money changer even if they rate shown a little lower than the one next door. ATM scammers also arrived in Indonesia, check and make sure the ATM machine is working properly. If your card being swallowed, double check the contact number of the bank is correct. Do not be flashy showing off your money, as eyes are everywhere.
Follow the traffic regulations especially if you plan to drive by yourself. Indonesians drive on the left side. International driving license is required to be able to drive the vehicle here.
Remember to always practice good hygiene. You know why.
Buses and minibuses
Buses are inexpensive, easy to book and leave roughly on time. However, they’re also slow, cramped and often plain terrifying. Tickets are sold a day or more in advance from the point of departure or bus company offices; buy them as early as possible where services are infrequent. Tell the driver your exact destination, as it may be possible to get delivered right to the door.
In cities, colour-coded or numbered minibuses known as angkots (also called bemos, oplets or microlets) run fixed circuits, although routes are often adaptable according to their customers. Once on their way, they’re faster than buses and cheaper; fares are handed over on board.
A more pleasant alternative to big buses and angkots is tourist shuttle buses. Though far more expensive than local services, these air-conditioned vehicles will take you between points as quickly as possible. The longest-established firm on Bali and Lombok is Perama.
Trains
In Java, trains are often more comfortable and reliable than buses, and train stations are generally far more centrally situated. Some convenience stores, such as Indomaret or Alfamart, have self-service ticket machines, or you can book tickets on the railway’s official website or the more user-friendly agent Tiket. Get to the station at least one hour early to exchange booking receipts for boarding passes.
Boats and ferries
Public ferries run regularly between neighbouring islands, such as between Sumatra and Java, Java and Bali, and Bali and Lombok. In more visited areas you’ll find tourist boat services, and combined long-distance bus and boat options.
Check up-to-date route information and buy tickets, available two or three days before departure, at the local Pelni office. Alternatively, pay an agent to reserve tickets as early as possible.
On-board accommodation is usually divided into two or four classes, the most expensive of which come with double bed, washroom, air-conditioning and large luggage lockers. If full, the only option is to sleep in the corridors, stairwells or on deck.
Planes
Flights can be a quicker and cheaper way to travel between the Indonesian islands, especially if you take into account en-route costs aboard long-haul buses and boats. As airlines have competed fiercely for booming business, safety standards have lagged behind. However, in August 2016, foreign air safety regulators upgraded the country’s rating, ending a nine-year ban on entering Europe and the United States. State-operated Garuda is the most reputable, handling a range of international and domestic flights, as does Air Asia. Airlines providing domestic services include Lion, Merpati and Sriwijaya.
Car rental
Car-rental agencies abound in tourist hot spots such as Bali, with rates from around Rp250,000–400,000/day. You’ll need to produce an international drivers’ licence before you rent (in some cases these can be purchased for around Rp200,000). Rental motorbikes start at around Rp50,000 per day without insurance.
Conditions are not suitable for inexperienced drivers, with heavy traffic on major routes. Drivers must always carry an international driving licence and the vehicle registration documents.
Urban transport
In cities, colour-coded or numbered minibuses known as angkots (also called bemos, oplets or microlets) run fixed circuits, although routes are often adaptable according to their customers.
Other standbys include ojek, single-passenger motorbikes, and becak, cycle-rickshaws capable of squeezing in two or three passengers. Jakarta also has motorized becak, called bajaj. Negotiating fares for these vehicles requires a balance of firmness and tact. Taxis are generally cheaper than a bajaj, and in most cities use a meter (argo), though bajaj can prove useful when in a hurry during the peak-hour mess.
Activate the "international" option: it is usually activated by default. On the other hand, if you have taken out a contract for more than 3 years, remember to contact your operator 48h before your departure to subscribe to the (free) option.
Buy a SIM card on the spot (with or without 3G): it is a very advantageous option for certain destinations. Smart and thrifty people will prefer to buy a local SIM card (such as Telkomsel's simPATI, for sale in all small street shops, mini-markets, etc.) rather than using an "international" subscription. You are given a local phone number and a small communication credit.
Before signing the contract and paying, try, if possible, the SIM card of the seller in your phone - previously unlocked - to check if it is compatible.
Several operators, knowing that Telkomsel has the best coverage. Purchase price of a number: from 10,000 Rps. The average price per minute is 1,500 to 4,000 Rps depending on the operator and the distance.
To have 3G buy 100,000 Rps SIM card with a package included, to recharge if necessary, valid for a minimum of one week. Internet or GPS all over the island is quite cheap.