Getting to Indonesia

Am I familiar with the visa and immigration policies of Indonesia?

Before departing on your exciting adventure across the various wonders of Indonesia, be sure you have all the necessary travel documents that you will need to bring along on your trip. It will also be wise if you are well aware of all the information regarding immigration and visas to Indonesia from your home country to avoid all the unnecessary inconveniences.

Please refer to our Visa and Immigration information page to learn about the entry information to Indonesia and other related information.

1 | What are the easiest ways for me to get to Indonesia by air?

The principal gateways for entry to Indonesia are Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang (just at the outskirt of Jakarta) and Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport. Both have undergone massive expansion and are now equipped with the latest and most convenient facilities. Other Airports that also serve international flights include Juanda Airport in Surabaya, Hasanudin Airport in Makassar, and Kuala Namu in Medan. The recently established West Java International Airport in Majalengka, West Java Province about 68Km from Bandung also serves numerous international flights.

Travel to Indonesia from the Americas can take as little as 20 hours and requires at least a transit in East Asia, Europe or the Middle East. Travel from most of Europe will take less than 20 hours. While there are direct flights to Jakarta from Amsterdam, London and Istanbul, for other cities a transit is required. Australia, though, is just 4–7 hours away. There are several flights from various cities in the Middle East to Indonesia. There are also short flights from Indonesian cities to nearby Malaysian cities, such as from Pontianak to Kuching, Tarakan to Tawau, and Pekanbaru to Malacca.

Garuda Indonesia, the flag carrier of Indonesia, serves flights to several cities in Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Amsterdam, and London. The airline also has extensive code-sharing agreements (Sky Team) and this assists in providing good flight frequencies from airports in countries near Indonesia.

Other international airlines that serve to and from Indonesia include AirAsia. Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, Emirates, Eva Air, Firefly, Japan Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, Lion Air, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, and Qantas/Jetstar Airways.
 

2 | What is the best route available by sea?

Ferries

Ferries connect Indonesia with the neighboring countries of Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Most connections are between ports in Sumatra and Riau Islands Province and those in Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. The close proximity between Batam Island and Bintan Island in Riau Islands Province to Singapore and Malaysia has made the twin-island the third and fourth main entrance to the country. There is also a ferry service between Malaysia's Sabah state and East Kalimantan. Onward boat connections to Jakarta and other Indonesian islands are available from these ports. Meanwhile, Roll On Roll Off (RoRo) ships connect General Santos and Davao in the Philippines with Bitung, in North Sulawesi.

Frequent ferries connect Singapore to various ports in Batam, as well as Tanjung Pinang and Bandar Bintan Telani Lagoi (Bintan Resorts) in Bintan. There are also daily ferries that connect Singapore with Tanjung Balai on Karimun Island. In Peninsular Malaysia, daily and frequent ferries depart from various ports including Johor Bahru and Port Kland Near Kuala Lumpur to Batam, Bintan, Tanjung Balai, as well as Dumai and Pekanbaru in Riau Province, and Tanjung Balai Asahan in North Sumatra.

Cruise Ships and Yachts

Cruise ships call at 5 ports: Tanjung Priok (North Jakarta), Tanjung Perak (Surabaya), Belawan (near Medan), Makassar and Tanjung Benoa (Bali). There are 24 schedules of regular cruise ships from Singapore, visiting Java and Bali, whereas irregular schedule cruise ships visiting Bali and Nusa Tenggara. You may take a cruise and stop at specific locations along the way with everyone else, in which case Immigration will be handled on your ship. It may be possible to end your cruise here, in which case you'll need to visit an Immigration office after disembarking.

Committed to making it easier for yachters and cruise ships to enter the waters, the Indonesian government has implemented a number of policies that simplify procedures. These include the waiver of cabotage so that cruise ships are able to embark and disembark passengers at the appointed ports. The government has also eased the CIQP (customs, immigration, quarantine, and port authorities) procedures and simplified the sailing permit application from one month to just one day.

Furthermore, the Clearance and Approval for Indonesian Territory (CAIT) policy has been abolished, which means that yachters can now register online via http://yachters-indonesia.id.
 

3 | How will I manage traveling overland if I’m on the border?

Indonesia shares land borders with three countries: Timor Leste in Timor Island, Malaysia in Borneo, and Papua New Guinea in Papua. From Timor Leste, The border crossing to Indonesia is located at the town of Atambua with the main border post of Mota’ain. In Atambua, there are also the border posts of Matamauk and Napan.

From Malaysia, Regular buses between Kuching (Sarawak, eastern Malaysia) and Pontianak (West Kalimantan) pass through the border post at Entikong. The Aruk Border Post in Sambas Regency, connect West Kalimantan Province in Indonesia to Sarawak, Malaysia. The Nanga Badau Sanggau Border Post also connects West Kalimantan and the State of Sarawak in Malaysia.

The only land crossing that connects the Indonesian province of Papua and Papua New Guinea is the Skouw Border Post situated at Muaratami District which is about 60Km from Jayapura, the capital city of Papua Province.