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General information for the traveller...

All travellers to Indonesia must be in possession of a passport that is valid for at least six months past the date of arrival, and must and have proof (such as tickets) of onward or return passage. Visas are not required for nationals of many countries, including; Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, The United Kingdom and The United States of America.

For others, tourist visas can be obtained from any Indonesian Embassy or Consulate.

The maximum stay permitted for tourists is two months, and is not extendible. Those intending a longer stay must contact the Indonesian Embassy or Consulate in their home country before leaving.

Entry and exit must be through certain specified gateways: Denpasar airport (the extensively renovated Ngurah Rai International airport), and the seaport of Benoa are valid entry and exit ports for international arrivals.

International health certificates for smallpox and cholera are only required for travelers coming from infected areas.

Indonesian customs allow entry of a maximum of two litres of alcoholic beverages, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 grams of tobacco and a reasonable amount of perfume per adult.

Cars, photographic equipment, typewriters, video and tape recorders must be declared upon entry, and must be re-exported.

TV sets, radios, narcotics, arms and ammunition, printed matter in Chinese characters and Chinese medicines are prohibited from entry. Advance approval has to be acquired for carrying transceivers.

All movie films and video cassettes must be submitted for censorship by the Film Censor Board.

Fresh fruit, plants and animals must have quarantine permits.

There is no restriction on import or export of foreign currencies, however, the export or import of Indonesian currency exceeding Rp50,000 is prohibited.

Dangerous items such as knives must be declared to customs.

Indonesial has strict drug laws, and it is firmly recommended that illegal drugs of any amount or quantity should not be brought into or out of the country. Westerners are not treated lightly by Indonesian law, and all reports indicate that Indonesian prisons are far from pleasant!

All people arriving in Indonesia will be required to complete a customs declaration form and an immagration department form. Normally, these will be provided to travellers to complete as their aircraft approaches Bali.

An exit permit is required only for residents or visitors staying over a period of six months. Airport tax levied on passengers for international travel is about Rp.20,000 while for travel within Indonesia is varies from one region to another with an average of Rp.3,500 for each departure.

Business offices are open either from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a break for lunch between 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. Some offices work half days on Saturday, but quite a few are closed.

Government office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Friday, and till 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Banking hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday and till 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Some bank branches in hotels keep longer hours. Money can also be changed at hotel cashiers, and authorized money changers. Daily exchange rates are published in newspapers.

Credit cards are acceptable at all major hotels, department stores, restaurants and travel agencies, and at many smaller traders around the island. The Australian dollar, US dollar, UK pound, German mark and Japanese yen are the most readily accepted currencies.

Some of the major cities have shopping complexes, supermarkets and department stores where prices are fixed. Shopping hours are usually between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. for department stores and supermarkets in the large cities with shorter hours on Sundays.

-- Click here to view the full size image

Above: A stylised Balinese carving of a pig’s head, set into the steps at Pura Kahen (Bangli).

Bargaining is customary at small shops and markets, the art of which is to start at about half the asking price and going up till a compromise is reached.

Power supply is usually 220 volts, 50 hertz. Normal outlets are European style sockets, accepting plugs with two rounded pins. It is advisable to check that your appliances will operate at 220 volts before using them. In any case, hair dryers are not really needed on a hot tropical island, nor are clothes irons. A blade razor is far lighter than and electric shaver, so it may not be necessary to use any electrical appliances.

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Copyright © 1995, Wayne Reid (wreid@werple.mira.net.au). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the permission of the author.

Last updated: January 5th 1996