Entering Indonesia as a US Citizen

US citizens need a visa before flying to Indonesia, and the US is not on the visa-free list. You can buy a visa on arrival (VoA) at the immigration counter, or apply online for an electronic visa on arrival (e-VoA) before you leave. Both give you the same B1 visitor visa, which allows a 30-day stay from the date of entry. The government fee is IDR 500,000 (Indonesian rupiah), or roughly USD 32 to 35 depending on the exchange rate. Your passport must be valid for at least six months past your arrival date, and you need a return or onward ticket. You must also submit the free All Indonesia Arrival Card online. These rules are current as of 25 October 2026.

The sections below follow the order you will meet each requirement: the visa, the stay and extension, the passport, the arrival card, questions at the border, and customs limits. A comparison with other passports comes last.

Getting a visa before you fly

Indonesia’s visa policy places the US in the group of countries eligible for VoA and e-VoA, alongside Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, a change that took effect on 7 March 2022. Those eligible for the counter VoA can pay by card or cash at major airports and seaports, which the same source counts as 16 airports, 95 seaports and 11 land posts. Expect a line at the counter after a long-haul landing, which is the main reason many travelers choose the online route.

The e-VoA is applied for through the official portal at evisa.imigrasi.go.id. Use only that portal. Scam sites copy the process and charge extra for the same visa. You will need a recent digital color photo and an address in Indonesia, such as a hotel or a residence. You do not need a sponsor. You pay with a Visa, Mastercard or JCB credit card, and the card does not have to be in your name. The visa is normally not convertible to another visa type, so a traveler who wants to work or study must apply for a different visa category.

Timing works differently for the two channels. The e-VoA advice is to apply at least 48 hours before departure. Plan for up to five working days of processing, because processing times vary. The e-VoA must be used to enter within its validity period. If you do not enter in that window, you need a new visa. Applying a few weeks early avoids processing delays, but applying much earlier gains nothing and uses up the entry window sooner. An approved e-VoA does not guarantee entry. Immigration officers make the final decision at the border.

Holders of non-passport travel documents, such as laissez-passer, emergency passports or alien passports, cannot apply for the e-VoA. Anyone with one of those documents should contact the nearest Indonesian diplomatic post before booking flights.

Fees and payment

The government fee is IDR 500,000, paid once. The fee is non-refundable, even if the application is refused or the trip is canceled. Card payments add a processing charge. One e-VoA payment total is IDR 519,000, which includes a IDR 19,500 card processing fee. Some card payments carry a service fee of about 2.7 percent, so check the total on the portal before you pay. The VoA and e-VoA carry the same government fee.

Some paid services sell help with the arrival card and the visa. Some charge USD 10 to 30 for a card that the government issues free. The official arrival card costs nothing, and the visa fee is the only mandatory charge for the visa itself.

Stay length, extensions and overstays

A US citizen gets a single entry with a stay of 30 days counted from the entry date, not from the issue date. The entry deadline is printed on the visa, and the full 30 days apply even if you enter on the last day that the visa is valid. The visa can be extended once for 30 more days, which brings the maximum to 60 days per visit. You must leave before the 60 days end. A three-week trip fits in the first 30 days with no extension. A five-week trip requires one extension before day 30.

The extension is completed in person at a local immigration office, and officers take your biometric data during the visit. The in-person requirement applies from 29 May 2025, under a Directorate General of Immigration circular letter from 2025. The extension window opens about 14 days before your visa expires. Apply at least 7 days before expiry. Processing takes about one to three working days. Bring your passport, your VoA receipt and your return ticket. Plan to spend part of a day at the office, and build that trip into your schedule.

Overstaying costs IDR 1,000,000 for each day past the limit, and an overstay beyond 60 days can lead to deportation or a blacklist. A short overstay costs money, while a long one can end the trip and restrict future entry. Set the exit date on your calendar on the day you arrive.

Passport and onward ticket rules

Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date. Indonesia’s visa policy also allows an exception for passports with more than three months of validity in special cases or for business travel. Do not plan around that exception. If your passport expires within six months of your trip, renew it before you buy tickets.

You must also show a return or onward ticket. Officers may ask to see it on arrival, and a traveler without one risks being refused entry. Keep a printed copy or a downloaded copy on your phone.

The All Indonesia Arrival Card

The All Indonesia Arrival Card is a single online declaration that combines immigration, customs, health and quarantine information. It has been mandatory nationwide since 1 October 2025, after a pilot at select airports in August 2025. Both foreign visitors and returning Indonesian citizens submit it. You can complete it on the web portal or the mobile app up to three days before arrival, or on arrival. Once you submit, the system generates a QR code. Present that code at the airport or seaport, either on your phone or on paper. A printed or phone copy works for the customs check.

The card does not replace the visa. It does replace the separate SATUSEHAT health declaration and the e-CD customs declaration, as set out in the new entry rules. Travelers who arrive by air, sea or land face the same requirement. The arrival card has no exemption for any entry route.

The form asks for your nationality, full name, date of birth, passport number and expiry date, phone number and email address. It also asks for your arrival airport or port, flight or ship number, and your hotel or address in Indonesia. The health section asks about symptoms and countries you visited in the 21 days before arrival. The quarantine section asks about plants and food. It also covers animals and animal products. Some items require a phytosanitary certificate, which is an official plant health document from your country. Answer the quarantine section truthfully, even if your answer is "none," because officers check your bags against the declaration.

Questions border officers may ask

Officers usually check the QR code from the arrival card, your passport and your visa or e-VoA. They may also ask for a hotel reservation, proof that you have enough money for the trip, and your return or onward ticket. A printed copy of your hotel booking and access to your bank card or statement covers those questions. Answer plainly. Say you are a tourist, and name the places you plan to visit.

The customs part of the card asks how many pieces of luggage you carry and whether you bring goods above the duty-free limits. The list includes alcohol, tobacco, medicines and electronics. If you bring a large amount of any of those items, say so on the form. An accurate declaration takes less time at the counter than an unplanned explanation.

Customs limits on arrival

Indonesia’s customs rules are published by the Ministry of Finance’s customs guidance. Personal goods with a customs value up to USD 500 FOB (free on board, which means the value of the goods at the port of departure, not their shipping cost) per person per arrival are exempt from import duty and tax. The value is in US dollars, so convert your receipts at the rate you use for the purchase. Goods above that value pay duty and tax on the excess only. Indonesian rules set the duty on the excess at 10 percent, with VAT and luxury tax applied at their current rates. Keep your receipts for anything expensive, because officers may ask for them.

Tobacco and alcohol follow a separate allowance for each adult. The allowance is 200 cigarettes, or 25 cigars. Alternatively, the allowance is 100 grams of cut tobacco or other tobacco products, or one liter of alcoholic drink. If you bring several tobacco types, the allowance is split between them in proportion. Customs destroy any amount above the limit. You cannot pay duty to keep it. The one-liter limit applies even to bottles bought as souvenirs. The alcohol allowance applies to travelers aged 21 and over, as reported in March 2026. Use 21 as the minimum age when you plan your alcohol allowance.

Electronic cigarettes have their own limits for adults. The allowance is 140 solid-type sticks or 40 capsules, 30 milliliters of open-system liquid, or 12 milliliters of closed-system liquid. Phones and other devices you plan to use with a local SIM card need IMEI registration. The IMEI is the unique number that identifies a phone. Cash and cash equivalents above IDR 100,000,000 must also be declared, according to the same guide.

How other passports compare

The US does not appear on Indonesia’s list of visa-exempt countries, which the visa policy summary puts at 19 countries. Visa-exempt travelers enter without a visa for a stay that cannot be extended. Travelers who are not on the list must apply for a visa, through the e-VoA or the counter VoA. Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom follow the same VoA and e-VoA route as the US, so their travelers face the same fee and stay limits.

ASEAN nationals, from the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, receive a free 30-day visa that cannot be extended. Some nationalities must obtain a calling visa before they travel, which is a separate visa that the traveler arranges before departure. The six-month passport validity rule applies to all visitors, regardless of nationality. Travelers from other countries should check the rules for their own passport on the official portal before they book.

Key Takeaways

• Apply for the e-VoA early: Apply at least 48 hours before departure, allow up to five working days for processing, and use the visa within its validity period.
• Count the 30 days from entry: Book the one extension in person before day 30 if you plan to stay longer, and apply at least 7 days before the visa expires. Every day you overstay costs IDR 1,000,000.
• Check your passport date before booking flights: Your passport must be valid for at least six months past your arrival date, and you need a return or onward ticket.
• Submit the arrival card up to three days before landing: The card is free and mandatory, and you need the QR code at the airport or seaport.
• Declare goods above USD 500 and any excess tobacco or alcohol: Duty applies to goods above the USD 500 limit, and customs destroy any tobacco or alcohol beyond the allowance.