Indonesia : Formalities

Clearance

Fly the Q flag, anchor and wait for customs, immigration and port officials to come to the vessel, during office hours. No one must go ashore or make contact with other vessels until clearance is complete. A small charge may be made for clearance outside of working hours. Arrival on a Friday afternoon should be avoided as many officials are Muslim and normally finish work at 1130 on Fridays.

Having waited on board for a reasonable time, if no official comes to the yacht, the captain should go ashore and contact the authorities. Usually the following offices have to be visited: quarantine, customs, immigration and port authority, in that order. Occasionally quarantine and customs may insist on inspecting the boat personally. This procedure only applies to major ports as in smaller ports, the officials may ignore the boat altogether, especially if it is anchored out of their sight.

In some ports local agents offer to deal with all formalities. Although the use of an agent is not compulsory, their fees vary between $25 and $50, which may be worth the time saved from doing the rounds of all offices oneself.

Under Indonesian law there are no fees for clearing in or out of the country, however, at some ports it may be difficult to avoid having to give "a gift". Be prepared to bargain over how much it needs to be.

Note that in addition the the Q flag, you may be required to fly the N flag also (the reason for this is not known). It is also required that the Indonesian courtesy flag must be larger than the boat's state flag.

The following are companies that have been recommended to noonsite by cruisers for obtaining CAITs. Be aware when selecting a company to secure you a CAIT that there are simple permit brokers, and then there are agencies that provide a package including back up and service throughout your stay in Indonesia, at an inflated fee. See Documents for more information on cruising permits (CAIT and the Green Book).

Last updated June 2010.

Asia Pacific Superyachts Indonesia
Offices in Surabaya, Bali and Lombok but coverage is nationwide
Tel:+62 361 736610
bali@asia-pacific-superyachts.com
Sail and Motor yachts, generally in 20m+ range

PT KartasaJaya
Kustarjono Prodjolaito, Jakarta
cait@indo.net.id
A recommended agent for obtaining an Indonseian Cruising Permit (CAIT). Application and payment can be done via the internet.

Rachel Robertson
Recommended by cruisers
seaspray66@hotmail.com
Agent who deals in CAITS and Sponsor letters via Jakarta.

TC Marine Services Bali
Royal Bali Yacht Club Building, Serangan Island, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
Tel:+62-361 744 6241
office@travelcomarine.com
Alvin Edmond : +62-812 384 7850

Immigration

Passports must be valid for more than six months after date of entry.

The following nationalities will not require a visa for short visits (30 days) to Indonesia: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Philippines, Hong Kong, Macao, Chile, Morocco, Peru and Vietnam.

The citizens of certain countries can obtain a visa on arrival, but these are only issued at a limited number of international ports, such as Benoa (Bali), Batam, Jayapura, etc and at some international airports: Jakarta, Denpasar (Bali), etc. Originally, the visa on arrival was available for one month (US$25 payable on clearance), and non-extendable. However, as off May 2010 it is now possible to make one renewal, giving you two months without having to leave the country. Renewals must be done at a local immigration office, and cost an additional US$25.

There is a $20/day fine for over stays.

Those who plan to spend longer can obtain a Social/Cultural Visa from an Embassy before arrival. This costs approx US$25 in most countries, and gives you 2 months on arrival with the option off extending this monthly for up to 6 months.

Matters are greatly simplified if one arrives with a visa, especially if planning to clear in at a smaller place. A good place to obtain them is at the Indonesian Consulate in Darwin.

For yachts arriving without the compulsory cruising permit (CAIT) and without a visa, the authorities in Benoa (Bali) still allow a 3 day stopover in cases of genuine emergencies. Longer stops can be very difficult to obtain and also quite costly.

Portuguese nationals will be refused entry. Israelis require special permission.

One should carry a large quantity of photocopies of documents, especially the cruising permit and yacht registration document, enough to be given to officials at all ports of call.

Crew wishing to join a boat or to leave Indonesia by air may find that immigration officials may want them to leave by the same means that they arrived. Their intentions should be made clear on the visa application and again on entry into the country. Crew arriving by air should have a copy of the cruising permit so as to avoid the need for a return ticket. It usually simplifies matters, if the skipper intends to temporarily leave the boat, to sign himself on as crew. Crew that needs to be signed off the boat while in Bali, must leave Bali on an international flight. Those who need to fly via Jakarta, thus leaving Bali on a domestic flight, need to be accompanied by an immigration officer, the person who leaves being responsible for the return fare to Bali of the immigration official.

See Indonesian website for the latest regulations.

Last updated August 2010.

Customs

Firearms may be left on board if they can be locked and sealed. If not, they will be taken ashore and bonded until the yacht leaves. This can involve Military Intelligence and other problems, so having a sealable locker is advisable.

It is also advisable to declare any alcohol and have Customs seal that in a locker too.

In principle a yacht can stay indefinitely in Indonesia, provided the security clearance is extended.

Import Duty payable by Visiting Yachts
The latest Indonesian Ministry of Finance Regulation PERATURAN MENTERI KEUANGAN NOMOR 140/PMK.04/2007 is very clear and states that many luxury items including yachts are subject to pay a refundable import duty to the Bank of Indonesia when they arrive in the country. The method of determining this value is not clear but may rely on your declared value.

This regulation is now supposed to be enforced Indonesia-wide, however many offices are still using outdated regulations. Compounding the problem, the process for paying this duty and obtaining a refund when the yacht leaves the country is not clear. There is no centralised reporting system and some banks are not able to accept the money that this system demands. Officials in some ports occasionally misuse this difficult situation.

See latest the reports from cruisers.

Last updated January 2010.

Health

Malaria prophylaxis is advised. Cholera is a risk.
Jakarta water should not be drunk so if you fill your tanks here best keep it for washing or dose it with chlorine. Drinking water is much cheaper to buy here than in Singapore.

Documents

Yachts without a cruising permit may stop in Indonesia, for 48 hours only, in a serious emergency and only at one of the ports of entry specified above. This may be extended in case of a genuine emergency.

Otherwise, all yachts must obtain a cruising permit and security clearance in advance. The formalities for this must be done through an approved agent. Agents should be chosen with care as yachts have sometimes not been dealt with fairly. The following details and items are required and should be sent with an application:

Details of the yacht (including photocopies of ship's papers).
The planned itinerary including last port of call before entering Indonesia, ports of call and approximate dates in Indonesia and destination after leaving Indonesia. It is wise to put down all the islands on the intended route as it is very difficult to make any changes later. Restricted areas are East Timor and Irian Jaya. Modifications may be made to the itinerary by the authorities in Jakarta.
Copies of the first few pages of all the crew's passports, which must be valid for six months at the time of applying for a visa.
A copy of a letter of acknowledgement, from the respective embassy in Jakarta or place where the cruising permit is being initiated, as an indication that they are aware that one of their citizens is sailing with his or her yacht in Indonesian waters. The wording of the letter should be approximately the following and addressed to:
i) Department of Foreign Affairs

ii) Department of Tourism

iii) Department of Defence and Security

iv) Department of Sea Communications

To Whom It May Concern

The ....................... Embassy, Jakarta, certifies that ..................holder of...................passport number 000000 is a citizen of........................and his/her passport is valid for travel to that country. Mr/Mrs ................... states he/she is the captain of his/her yacht .................. registered number 000000 and he/she is requesting a sailing permit to enter Indonesian waters.

signed (Consul)

The cruising permit (or C.A.I.T) for Indonesian waters is valid for three months from the date of entry specified. It is important to specify this date of arrival in Indonesian waters fairly accurately on one's application, as the three months begins from this date, not the date the yacht actually arrives. If wishing to stay longer, one must have visas obtained in advance. Once in Indonesia, it may be possible to obtain a three-month extension to the original permit, by applying for a new clearance permit before arrival. The permit can easily be renewed every three months. Once all details have been sent, it is difficult to modify them, whether dates, itinerary or ports. For any substantial changes the initial fee may be charged again.

In recent years, Bali International Marina has been the most reliable source for arranging cruising permits. Tel. +62 361 723 601, Fax. 723 604, email info@balimarina.com Applications can conveniently be made by email except for the application form and money transfer and an email copy of the CAIT will be accepted by officials.

In order to facilitate sailing for Singaporeans, a special multiple entry permit for the Riau Archipelago (The Green Book) can be obtained via the Indonesian embassy in Singapore, valid for up to one year. Alternatively, it is possible to use the (sole) agent, Golden Image Services, in Singapore to obtain a Green Book for you.

Last updated June 2010.