When do I need a visa to transit through Indonesia?
Passengers transiting through
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for less than 24 hours, or other airports for less than 8 hours, do not require a visa. However, those who are switching terminals in
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, or those transiting through
Ngurah Rai International Airport require a visa unless they are from a visa-exempt jurisdiction. Please note that, if you'd like to go through custom, a visa would be required even if your layover is shorter than 24 hours. It could be a transit visa or other types of visa such as
Visa on Arrival.
Then, when can I transit through Indonesia without a visa?
If you meet all of the following conditions, you can transit through Indonesia without visa. The conditions are:
• Layover time less than 24 hours though
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport as determined by scheduled arrival and departure times;
• Staying in the specific Transit Area (means no clearing immigration, no re-checking your luggage).
However, the problem is often you will need to leave the transit area and clear custom, for one reason or another. For example, you have to re-check your luggage to the final destination since the airline does not do it for you, or simply because your connecting flight does not leave on the same day and you want to spend the night in a hotel outside the area, etc.
In all these cases, you officially enter the Indonesia, you must apply in advance for an entry or get a Visa on Arrival in order to transit through Indonesia.