Just Landed in Indonesia? Your First 7 Days

Prepaid mobile data is cheap, fast in cities and the default way most people get online, so most expats never bother with a home fibre line for months. Coverage is excellent across Jakarta and Bali, 4G is near-universal in populated areas and 5G is expanding in major urban centres, though rural and remote islands can drop to patchy 3G. Every SIM must be registered to your passport at the point of purchase, which is why buying from an official counter matters.

Typical cost: A starter pack with 15 to 30GB valid for a month costs around IDR 100,000 to 200,000. Telkomsel is the priciest but has the best reach outside cities, while by.U and IM3 are cheaper and popular with budget-conscious residents. Home fibre from IndiHome or Biznet runs roughly IDR 300,000 to 500,000 a month for a solid connection.

Indonesia is a cash-heavy society where QR-code e-wallets have leapfrogged plastic entirely. Cards work in malls, hotels, chain supermarkets and mid-range restaurants, but warungs, markets, ojek drivers, parking attendants and small shops expect cash or a QRIS scan. Keep a stock of small denominations, because breaking a IDR 100,000 note for a IDR 15,000 meal is a daily frustration.

Opening an account: Opening an account at BCA, Mandiri, BNI or Permata generally requires a KITAS residence permit and frequently a local tax number (NPWP), so a tourist visa alone is not enough. BCA is the most widely used and its mobile app is excellent, while foreigner-friendly branches in Jakarta's CBD and Bali's Seminyak and Sanur are used to expat paperwork. Bring your KITAS, passport, sponsor letter and a local address to open one.

Cash: Cash is still king for street food, transport, wet markets, tips and rural travel. The national QRIS system now lets any e-wallet scan any registered merchant QR code and is accepted almost everywhere, from big malls down to tiny food stalls. Between physical rupiah and a topped-up GoPay or OVO wallet, you can cover almost every situation without a card.

Tipping: Tipping is not obligatory and locals rarely tip. Upmarket restaurants add a service charge of around 5 to 10 percent plus 11 percent tax, shown as plus-plus on menus, so check before adding more. Elsewhere, rounding up the fare or leaving small change for good service is appreciated but never expected, and spa and salon staff welcome a modest tip.

Foreigners holding a KITAS or KITAP residence permit are legally required to report their address and register with the local civil registry (Disdukcapil) to obtain an SKTT (Surat Keterangan Tempat Tinggal), the resident card that carries your NIK identity number. In parallel there is the neighbourhood-level lapor diri, where you notify the local RT/RW head that you have moved in, usually arranged through your landlord within days. Short-stay visa and visa-on-arrival holders do not register, and hotels report their guests to immigration automatically. Skipping registration can bring administrative fines and blocks access to banking, utilities and BPJS healthcare, so most people use their visa agent to handle it.

Deadline: Registration is tied to KITAS issuance and should be done promptly: neighbourhood lapor diri within a few days of moving in, and Disdukcapil SKTT registration typically within 14 days of your permit being issued.

Where: The local immigration office (Kantor Imigrasi) for the residence permit and address reporting, the Disdukcapil civil registry office for the SKTT and NIK, and the neighbourhood RT/RW head for local lapor diri, usually coordinated by your landlord or visa agent.

Ride-hailing motorbikes (ojek) and cars dominate everyday travel and are cheap, fast and fully metered through the apps, so most newcomers never buy a vehicle. Jakarta has a growing rail network of the MRT, LRT, KRL commuter trains and the TransJakarta busway, all tapped with the JakLingko card or QRIS. Bali, by contrast, has almost no public transport, so residents rent a scooter for around IDR 800,000 to 1,500,000 a month or lean on Gojek and Grab.

From the airport: From Soekarno-Hatta the Railink airport train reaches central Jakarta stations such as BNI City in about 45 minutes for roughly IDR 70,000, while a metered Bluebird taxi runs IDR 150,000 to 250,000 depending on the notorious traffic. From Bali's Ngurah Rai, use the fixed-price airport taxi counter or the designated Grab and Gojek pickup zone just outside the terminal; a ride to Canggu or Seminyak is around IDR 150,000 to 300,000 and can take 45 to 90 minutes in traffic.

Most expats rent furnished apartments, condos or villas, and paying 6 or 12 months upfront is standard and completely normal here rather than a red flag. Jakarta favours serviced apartments and high-rise condos with pools and gyms; Bali is dominated by private villas and guesthouses. Facebook groups, local agents and word of mouth are the usual way to find places, and viewing in person before committing is essential.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom in central Jakarta runs roughly IDR 6,000,000 to 12,000,000 a month, while a modest Bali villa is IDR 8,000,000 to 20,000,000 depending on area and pool. Paying a full year upfront can cut the effective monthly cost by 20 to 40 percent, which is why longer commitments are common.

Deposit norm: Landlords commonly ask for the full lease term (6 or 12 months) paid in advance rather than a small monthly deposit. A one-to-two month deposit applies mainly to short monthly rentals, and you should always get a written contract, check who pays for utilities and internet, and inspect the water pressure and air-conditioning before signing.

Public hospitals are cheap but often crowded, and language can be a real barrier, so expats and wealthier locals rely on private hospitals and clinics. Quality is good in Jakarta and Bali, but serious or complex cases are frequently referred abroad, most often to Singapore, which is why evacuation cover matters. Pharmacies (apotek) such as Kimia Farma and Guardian are plentiful and can supply many medicines over the counter without a prescription.

How to access it: Walk into a private hospital or clinic and pay per visit; a private GP consultation typically costs IDR 200,000 to 500,000. Reliable options include Siloam, Mayapada and RS Pondok Indah in Jakarta, and BIMC, Siloam and Kasih Ibu in Bali. For anything serious or an emergency, go straight to a private hospital emergency department rather than a local puskesmas community clinic.

Insurance: Comprehensive international private health insurance with medical evacuation cover is strongly advised, since a serious evacuation to Singapore can cost tens of thousands of dollars. KITAS holders are technically required to enrol in the national BPJS Kesehatan scheme, which is very cheap, but its network and waiting times mean most expats keep private cover for private hospitals, dengue treatment and evacuation.

• Use your right hand to give, receive, eat and point; the left hand is traditionally considered unclean.
• Dress modestly, especially at mosques and temples, and remove your shoes before entering homes and places of worship.
• Keep your cool: raising your voice or showing visible anger in public causes loss of face and rarely gets results.
• A slight nod or a soft handshake followed by touching your hand to your chest is a warm, respectful greeting.
• Greet with a smile and small talk before getting to business; direct, transactional bluntness feels rude here.
• Point with your thumb or an open hand rather than a single finger, and avoid touching people's heads, which are considered sacred.
• In Bali, never step on the small daily offerings (canang sari) placed on pavements and doorsteps.

• Drug offences carry extremely severe penalties, including long prison terms and the death penalty, with genuine zero tolerance.
• Public displays of affection and any criticism of religion are frowned upon and can cause real offence or legal trouble.
• Traffic is chaotic and pavements are poor, so take great care as a pedestrian and always wear a helmet on a scooter.
• Respect Ramadan: during the fasting month, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight in more conservative areas.
• Be cautious about photographing people, military sites or religious ceremonies without asking permission first.