When you Fly into Jakarta and hop off the plane you will first go down a clove cigarette smelling hallway, the visa on arrival booths will be on your right and left (they sort of look like money exchange booths). Try to get off the airplane as fast as possible otherwise you could end up waiting in line for a wile.
You will first pay the visa fee then slide down to the next teller for the actual visa, the visa itself is a sticker that will take up an entire page in your passport. People tend to cut line and shove a bit so stand your ground but keep your cool.
After you have your visa you will continue down the hall to the immigration line, not much you can do here except wait for your turn. If you are traveling with a companion or spouse you each will have to come up one at a time to get stamped (unlike in some countries where a husband and wife can come up at the same time).
If you want to speed up the process then pick a booth with a female immigration officer working in it, they tend to be faster with less chit-chat.
Proof of onward travel:
Indonesian Immigration will sometimes check if you have proof of onward travel (ticket out) when you arrive. That is the law, but it is sporadically enforced. I have entered Indo over 50 times and I have only been asked to show proof of onward travel a few times.
But over the past year showing proof of onward travel is becoming more and more common so be prepared.
If you are asked for an onward ticket (and you don’t have one) you have 4 ways to get out of it:
-Buy an onward ticket (SOL if its after 8pm, sleep on a dirty floor until morning), also you will pay full fare if forced to buy a ticket in the airport.
-Ask to speak to the supervisor (in a white shirt) and be very polite, be respectful to his “high” position and say something like “The onward ticket is too expensive if I buy one here at the airport sir, I would really be thankful it if you could help me, maybe we could speak in your office sir?” You will stand around until everyone else has gone through immigration, then they will take you to an office and give you some song and dance about how expensive it is to buy a ticket in the airport. Don’t pay more than 50K Rupiah, 20Krp is the norm (That’s about 20 to 50 USD).
-Be the “Angry, Arrogant Westerner” and Demand to see the supervisor, and then speak down to him because you are more important than him. Also say things like “This is Bull Shit” and “I am an important person”. Enjoy your flight home idiot.
After you get through immigration you will head to the baggage carousel, as soon as you get there grab a porter (they are wearing jumpsuits) and give him your baggage claim tickets. Indonesia is probably the only country in Southeast Asia where using a porter at the airport is suggested and safe.
He will get your bags for you, don’t worry if you don’t see him for a few minutes (he wont steal your bags). After he grabs your bags he will lead you through a small customs area (usually two customs guys and an x-ray machine). Hand the customs form to the customs officer (the yellow bordered one you got on the plane), your bags may or may not get scanned.
Once you clear customs the porter may or may not stay with you, if he does stay with you go outside and grab a cab and have him load your bags into the trunk. Tip him 10 to 20Krp.
ONLY use a Bluebird or Silverbird cab (Silverbird costs about 20% more than Bluebird). A cab into the city should cost less than 100K Rupiah, you will also have to pay a small airport surcharge and for tolls. So if the amount he asks you to pay is 10 or 20Krp more than the meter its ok. Tip 5 to 10Krp.
Throughout your stay in Jakarta if possible only use Bluebird or Silverbird cabs, they always run the meter (without having to ask), are well trained, honest drivers that generally won’t try to scam you.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Ive been asked for the onward ticket almost every time and after paied 50k rp for the first few times I discovered that a fake booking works good.
Basically either you make and print a booking of a flight out from indonesia for a date earlier then the Visa expire (28 days is the Visa valid). Inthat case better you put a date of 15 days after your entry because if you put more they got suspicious (you will get the 28 visa anyway so…no problem).
OR….you ask your agency to make a booking for a fly out and get a print proof.
Yo can get it from online airline aslo (never tried this one though).
I assure you….it worked 100% everytime
PS: I forgot…You nmust say to the officer that you will pick up it in indonesia at a local agency.
Yep – I used to use a fake Singapore Air e-ticket (a friend of mine made one in illustrator with a date you can change)
But now I always have on onward ticket anyway so I don’t worry about it
January was the first time in 16 trips that I have been asked for an onward ticket. I just showed him my iterinary, (word doc from work) and he was happy. I can not emphasis enough how helpful it can be to be smiling and polite to the immigration officer. Works wonders. Funny thing was on departure the immigration guy quizzed my why I only stayed a week when I had a twenty eight day visa? It’s not like I wanted to leave.