First time in Indonesia: visa, money, phones and port rules for Komodo

Start with the passport. It must be valid for at least 6 months after arrival, with 2 blank pages. A proof of return or onward ticket is required for a visa on arrival.

The visa on arrival is a 30-day single-entry visa open to nationals of 97 listed countries. You can apply online beforehand as an e-VoA. The table below lists the price and the validity.

Fees can change, so check the official immigration site before you fly. We do not give visa advice and we do not sell visas.

You must also fill in the free All Indonesia arrival card within 72 hours before arrival. Most visitors enter through Bali, Jakarta or Surabaya and reach Labuan Bajo on a domestic flight.

Everything in the table is a fact checked on 11 October 2026. Fees can change, so check the official sites before you travel.

Komodo International Airport, code LBJ, sits 2 to 3 km from the harbor. Bali, Jakarta and Surabaya are the usual connections. The table gives flight times and the airlines that serve the routes.

Time your arrival the night before the trip. Charter pickups are 05.00 for the one-day tour and 10.00 for the overnight routes, and for an open trip we confirm the meeting point when you book.

We advise on routes and we do not sell tickets. Schedules change, so check the airline before you pay.

Take cash before you board. ATMs sit near the harbor and at the airport, and none stands in the national park or on the islands. Withdrawal limits are modest, a few million rupiah at a time, so plan more than one visit.

Cards work at hotels, dive centers, boat companies and larger restaurants. Expect a surcharge of 2 to 4 percent. Small eateries, markets and taxis take cash.

Tips are not in the boat fare. The table lists a common range for a boat crew per guest per day, and a tip is never compulsory.

Park tickets are paid online in advance. The fees page lists them.

Phone signal comes and goes between the islands, so download maps and music before you board. Telkomsel has the widest network around Labuan Bajo and offshore, and signal can drop between the islands.

An eSIM installed before you fly activates on landing. Every SIM must be registered with a passport. Plugs in Indonesia are types C and F, at 230 V.

Download maps, tickets and the park e-ticket before you board. Tell your family that your phone will go quiet for hours.

Travel insurance with medical cover and evacuation is strongly recommended. Add dive cover if you dive. Siloam Hospitals Labuan Bajo has a hyperbaric chamber, and the public hospital RSUD Komodo has an emergency unit.

Tap water is not safe to drink. Use bottled or filtered water. Dengue, chikungunya and malaria are present, so protect yourself against mosquito bites, especially on the beach at dusk.

Bring prescription medicines and sunscreen from home. Pharmacies in town have a limited range.

The harbor master's office issues each boat's sailing permit, and the park office controls access to the park. Passengers need an electronic boarding pass, and the name on it must match the passenger list.

That's why we ask for names exactly as they appear in your passport. A mismatch can stop a guest at the pier.

Closures happen. The harbor master can close sailings at a day's notice, most often in the wet season. If a boat can't sail, our replacement-boat guarantee applies.