About Indonesia Expat Expertise I am a foreigner from a Western country but have been living in Indonesia for the past 9 years. As a person living and working here, I am able to provide information on transport options and average prices within the country, as well as getting in and out of the country, general hassles people will come up against, visas, recommended homestays, honest and ethical people for legal consultation and private investigation, scams that foreigners should be aware of, safety considerations in certain areas, requirements of living and working here, information regarding leasing houses, apartments, some information on mixed marriages, where to find good medical treatment, jobs, housing, imported foods, cars, restaurants, etc.
Experience I have been living and working here since the beginning of 1999 and have traveled and lived in Lombok, Bali, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Central Java and West Java.
Expert: Indonesia Expat Date: 3/14/2008 Subject: documentation
Question as a visitor or expatriate on business visa I need to know what documents MUST be carried when travelling & MUST they be original or is a photocopy accepted & does it vary in different parts of the country
Answer Hi Anthony,
As far as I know, you're technically supposed to carry originals with you. That being said, very few people I know actually do that. They usually carry copies to safeguard against the loss of these documents in the case of theft, muggings, etc.
Regarding which you have to carry:
* your passport
* other ID you might have from your own country; drivers license (recommended but not essential)
* a copy of your sponsorship letter
There are no hard and fast rules here. A lot of people who work for the government are actually unaware of all the rules and regulations. One may say you MUST have all your original documentation with you while another guy would accept photo copies.
Rules and how they are implemented will also vary throughout the country. I've been in some areas (visiting a friend in her central Java village) where the police have very rudely summoned me to their office and required me to report when I arrive and when I leave their area, questioning me on all sorts of unrelated rubbish for up to 2 hours. They even asked me how much my salary was (none of their damn business, and I told them so). This is even though I have a year long visa that says I have permission to be here and work here and have been here for many years. Other areas I haven't even been asked to see my passport when checking in at hotels/homestays, etc.
If you're really worried about it, carry all originals of your passport, sponsorship letter and ID from your own country. That way nobody can ever say your copies are not good enough and prevents them from making things difficult for you :-)
