| Indonesia at a Glance | |
| (I) Population, Geography, and Climate | Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world, consist of five major islands (Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua) and 30 island groups. overall there are about 17,508 large and small islands, therefore it is called "Negara Kepulauan (Archipelago States)." Its total area is around 1,919,443 square kilometers (53 times the size of Taiwan). Indonesia is located at 6 degrees North latitude to 11 degrees south latitude and between 95 degrees east longitude to 141 degrees east longitude. The entire country is crossed by the equator, extending 5,150 kilometers from east to west and 1,930 kilometers from north to south. It is located between the Asia Continent and Australia Continent, as well as the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Indonesia’s location is very strategic and important, and it has extensive numbers of natural resources, including crude oil, natural gas, timber, rubber, palm oil, coal, iron, brass and tin, and minerals. Climate: Lying along the equator, Indonesia’s climate is tropical, terefore it is warm and sunny throughout the year. The dry season lasts from April to October, affected by the air flow from Australia which makes low rainfall with hot and dry climate. November to March is the rainy season with a mild climate affected by the air flow from the Asia and the Pacific Ocean. The average temperature in Indonesia varies because of the topography. For coastal areas, the temperature ranges between 28-34 degrees Celsius. Temperature in inland mountain is around 26-28 degrees Celsius and high mountain areas around 23-25 degrees Celsius. Average humidity ranges between 70 to 90 percent.Population: The population of Indonesia is around 279 million people (2023); comprising of 45% Javanese ethnic group and of 5% Chinese ethnic group of about 12 million people. Its official language is Indonesian, some people are also proficient in English. For Chinese Indonesians, they are also adept in using Mandarin, Taiwanese or Hakka.Religion: The people of Indonesia have freedom of religion stipulated by the Constitution. Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country. 86.1% of its people are Muslim. Christian made up 5.7% of the population, 3.3% were Catholic, 1.8% were Hindu (most Indonesian Hindus are Balinese), and 1% were Buddhist.Income per capita: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of Indonesia is about USD 5,108 (2023). |
| (II) Political System | Indonesia declared its independence on August 17, 1945 and administratively consists of 34 provinces (including Aceh, Yogyakarta Special Region and Special Capital Region of Jakarta). Indonesia is a republic with a democratic multi-party presidential system. With reference to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia as the government constitution, the executive branch is headed by the president. The president is the head of state and head of government, assisted by a vice president. The legislative branch is comprises of two houses. One is the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), namely the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD). The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court (MA), the Judicial Commission (KY) and the Constitutional Court (MK), which jointly hold judicial power.General Elections are held every five years to elect members of the DPR, DPD and DPRD. Election for legislators is called legislative elections (Pileg) and election for the President and Vice-President is called presidential elections (Pilpres). The administrative system includes 4 Coordinating Ministers, 30 Ministers and 1 Secretary of the Cabinet. General Elections of DPR, DPD and DPRD 2004 held simultaneously on April 5 to elect members of the DPR, DPD and DPRD all over Indonesia for 2004 – 2009 periods. Then on July 5, 2004 the first Presidential Election was held where participants can directly choose the president and vice president. The second Presidential Election was held in July 2009, the third Presidential Election was held in 2014 and the fifth was held in 2024. Indonesia’s current president is Joko Widodo and vice president is Jusuf Kalla. |
| (III) Taiwan – Indonesia Relations | In 1971, Taiwanese government initially established the " Chinese Chamber of Commerce to Jakarta" in Jakarta. In 1989, the name was changed to "Taipei Economic and Trade Office(TETO) in Indonesia". At the end of 2015, another representative office was opened in Surabaya with the name of "Taipei Economic and Trade Office(TETO) in Surabaya".Taiwan is ranked as Indonesia’s 11th largest trading partner and the 14th largest investor, creating more than one million job opportunities in Indonesia. Indonesia is Taiwan’s 14th largest trading partner, is the 10th largest source of imports for Taiwan and the 16th largest export market for Taiwan. Economy of Taiwan and Indonesia toare mutually complemented.Until the end of December 2017, Taiwan investment in Indonesia has reached USD 15.5 billion, strengthens the position of Taiwan as the 19th largest investor in Indonesia. Taiwan’s large companies, including Bao Cheng footwear enterprise, Acer Inc., CTBC Bank Indonesia, Uni President Corporation, RSEA Engineering Corporation, Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, all had branches in Indonesia.Taiwanese Indonesian society widely spread in Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Semarang, Cirebon, Manado and Batam. Every year, there are around 200,000 Taiwanese tourists visit Bali.Indonesian government has listed Taiwan as the 4th most recommended country for government scholarship holders. Currently, there are more than 6,811 Indonesian students in Taiwan. Indonesia ranks third as the number of foreign students studying in Taiwan, after Malaysia and Japan.In addition, there are around 250,000 Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) in Taiwan. Indonesia is the largest source of foreign workers for Taiwan. TKI get the same minimum wage as Taiwanese and are entitled to equal health insurance. This strengthens the relations between both countries. |
| (IV) Language | Official language is Indonesian. |
| (V) Time Differences with Taiwan | Indonesia is divided into three time zones namely Western Indonesia Time (WIB), Central Indonesia Time (WITA), and East Indonesia Time (WIT). The same time zone with Taipei is located in Bali which is included in the Central Indonesian Time (WITA). Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta, located in the zone of Western Indonesia Time (WIB), is an hour later than Taipei. |
| (VI) Flight to Taiwan | Direct flights between Taiwan and Indonesia are served by two Taiwanese airline companies, China Airlines and EVA Air. Jakarta – Taipei / Bali - Taipei economy class ticket is currently around USD 400-500, and for business class is around USD 800-900 .Below is the contact number for ticket reservation and confirmation: China AirlinesAddress: Intiland Building, M1 Floor, Jalan Jenderal Sudirman Kav. 32, Jakarta 10220Phone: 021-251-0788Fax: 021-251-0786 EVA AirwaysAddress: Price Waterhouse Coopers Building, 10th Floor, Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. C-3, Jakarta 12920
Phone: 021-520-5363, 021-526-4186 Fax: 021-521-2630 |
| (VII) Hygiene and Infectious Disease in Indonesia | Since the outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) or better known as Flu Burung in Indonesia, foreign tourists coming to Indonesia has to be more careful with personal hygiene and the environment.Prevention efforts that can be done are to avoid contact with poultry, prevent mosquito bites, clean and healthy living. Symptons for Avian Influenza include high fever, cough and sore throat. It is advisable to perform hepatitis vaccine and rabies vaccine as an act of self-protection. |
| (VIII) Currency (the value of trading between Rupiah and US Dollar) | Indonesian currency is Rupiah, abbreviated as Rp. Currently the exchange rate of Rupiah to US dollar (USD) is around Rp 16,000 per USD(April of 2024). Referring to Bank Indonesia regulations regarding the “Obligation to Use Rupiah in the Territory of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia”, effective July 1, 2015, the entire ticket purchases and other transactions required to use Rupiah. |
| (IX) Security and Safety in Indonesia | Indonesian National Police and Army have influence in the political field, because they safeguard national security, and is the force to maintain social stability. Security throughout Indonesia considered good. Because of the large populations coming into the capital city of Jakarta, the homeless become so much more, resulting in complexity. Safety conditions in KALIDERES, SENEN, GROGOL, TOMANG, STASIUN KOTA and TANAH ABANG area are worse than the other areas, and crime such as robbery, murder, and drugs occurs occasionally.Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police announced several downtown area that are prone to crime, in the southern part (there are seven locations in Tebet Casablanca area), in the western part (there are seven locations in Cengkareng crossroads), in the northern part (there are nine locations in Tanjung Priok bus station), in the central part (there are eighteen locations in Senen bus station and Senen market) and in the eastern part (there are seven locations in Kampung Melayu bus station). Please dial 110 for police assistance and in case of accident please dial 118 for ambulance assistance. In addition, in case of emergency, please contact TETO for assistance (emergency assistance contact number at 0811-984676). |
| General Living Information | |
| (I) Food and Beverage | Do not drink water from the faucet. Daily needs, whether it is local brands or imported products, can all be easily purchased. However, the price in supermarket is higher than price in Taiwan. Chinese restaurants are available everywhere. Chinese food and dried goods can be easily found in Kota (China town in Jakarta). Rice is Indonesian’s staple food. Indonesian food is usually spicy and deep fried. When drinking cold beverage, be careful whether the ice is hygiene. Avoid buying and eating street food because it is usually not clean. Do not drink tap water from everywhere. If you cannot avoid drinking tap water, make sure it is boiled first. If you are travelling outside of city, bringing mineral water/bottled water is recommended. |
| (II) Electricity | In Indonesia the standard voltage is 220 volt, the shape of appliance’s power socket is round. |
| (III) Telephone | Generally every house has a landline telephone. Indonesia’s international phoneline use underwater cable and can access the world easily. The use of cell phone is also very common. All new released cell phone is available and Sim Card can be ealisy purchased without a complex application procedures. |
| (IV) Medical Facility | The standard of medical equipment and personnel in Indonesia varied from region to region. Huge and major hospitals usually located in the city. Here are some hospitals which usually used by foreigners in Jakarta:SOS Medika First Aid (Tel: 750-5973), Cardiac Center (Tel: 568-4085), Metropolitan Medical Center (Tel: 527-3473), Pondok Indah Hospital (Tel: 750-2322), Cikini Hospital (Tel: 310-7792), etc. |
| (V) Financial Services | 1. Indonesia does not adopt controlled foreign exchange; transaction of foreign currency can be done in the bank at the airport, CTBC Indonesia or money changer. Rupiah (Rp), or also called Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) is the country’s currency. The current exchange rate of USD to IDR is Rp 14,800. Since July 2015, Indonesian government imposed a policy that a remittance and all transactions in Indonesia cannot be done in US Dollar and must be done in Rupiah. Popular foreign currency such as USD, Euro, Yen, AUD, SGD can be exchanged at foreign bank, local bank, money changer in Jakarta. There are more places to exchange NTD compared to few years ago. When exchanging USD to Rupiah, please pay attention to the condition of the note. The notes should not have stains, fold marks, scratches and other condition.2. Credit card can be used in Indonesia, but please keep your credit cards in a safe place, otherwise it can be stolen and used without your authorization. Major credit cards, such as American Express, Visa, Master, etc. can be used in the urban area, but some stores may add some fees in a credit card transaction.3. Address, telephone number, and fax number of CTBC Indonesia:WISMA TAMARA Building 16th floor, Jalan Jenderal Sudirman Kav. 24. Telp: (021) 520-7878, Fax (021) 520-6767.This bank provides service in Mandarin. |
| Public Transportation | |
| (I) Public transportation, fare and service hours | 1. In Indonesia, both drivers and pedestrian use the left side; please pay attention on the traffic signs when you drive. Generally traffic condition in Jakarta is very congested, especially in the rush hour when people go for work and after working hours. During raining season, heavy rain often causes a puddle in the street and makes driver and pedestrian difficult to access the street.2. Tourists who visit Jakarta are recommended not to use big or small bus (eg. Kopaja, metro mimi, etc.). Most of theese vehicles are old bus with inadequate standard. The fare is Rp 4,000 to Rp 8,000. The service hour starts from 4 or 5 AM to 10 PM. Even though bus stops are available along the street, Indonesian people usually do not follow the signs and the bus just pick up and drop off passengers anywhere. If you need to take a Taxi, please request a help from the hotel to order a trusted Taxi company (in Jakarta you can use Blue Bird and Silver Bird), if you use other Taxi company, there is a chance that they may detour. If you travel by train, it is safer to use Executive Class. It is not recommended to use Bajaj or Ojek. Please keep your cellphone, camera, wallet, bag and other belongings with you at all times, and avoid revealing yout valuable belongings such as jewelry in public areas. |
| (II) Taxi | It is very easy to use taxi in Indonesia, but please be noted when you travel at night, it is advised to have someone accompany you. Right now metered taxi only available in Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, and other big cities, in small places you usually have to negotiate the fare first to the driver. For a business trip it is recommended to charter a driver, avoid driving alone because you may not know the route, it will cause you more troubles if you encounter problems at the road.The distance from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to the city centre of Jakarta is 23 km. you can drive a car or use a taxi to go to the airport. Commonly used taxi is Blue Bird Group, it has the best reputation, this group consists of high-end taxi Silver Bird (Telp: (021) 798-1234) and regular Blue Bird (Telp: (021) 798-1001).It will cost you Rp 150,000 (about 12 USD) to go to airport from the city centre. Traffic condition in Jakarta is extremely congested, more time is needed when travelling at rush hour. Please do keep the traffic condition in mind when you visit Jakarta. |
| Others | |
| (I) Clothing | Throughout the year, climate in Indonesia is warm, the temperature is around 24 - 32 Celsius degree. In summer, the temperature in Taiwan is relatively lower than in Indonesia, the hottest temperature will not exceed 34 Celsius degree. Therefore most of people wear lightweight clothes and short sleeve shirts. Batik is the traditional cloth of Indonesia, it is made from silk or cotton, with vivid color, beautiful pattern, national characteristic. People mostly wear Batik in a formal event or a dinner party. Public servant also wears short sleeve batik. |
| (II) Custom | Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population. Muslem has to pray everyday in several determined times. Indonesian people are more flexible about time, coming late in half or an hour in a meeting or dinner party is a usual thing. In Indonesia it is considered rude and offensive to hand someone with your left hand, especially food and drink, or shake hand with your left hand. Therefore it is strongly advised to use your right hand when giving business card, tips, and receiving goods. |
| (III) Visa and Immigration Information | 1. Indonesia visa-free entryThanks to the efforts of Taiwanese government and civil community, since 8 October 2015, Indonesian government gave a visa-free status for Taiwanese tourists. Taiwan passport holders who visit Indonesia for vacation, will be granted a free 30 days visa with the below requirements:(1) Maximum stay is 30 days, non-extendable(2) This visa cannot be converted into other type of visa(3) It is limited to some airports and seaports. Airports and seaport that you can arrive and depart on free visa are as below:Airports:1. Hang Nadim, Batam2. Juanda, Surabaya3. Kualanamu, Medan4. Ngurah Rai, Bali5. Soekarno Hatta, Tangerang (Jakarta)Seaports:1. Bandar Bentan Telani Lagoi, Tanjung Uban (Kepulauan Bintan)
2. Bandar Seri Udana Lobam, TanjungUban (Kepulauan Bintan) 3. Batam Center, Batam 4. Citra Tri Tunas, Batam 5. Marina Teluk Senimba, Batam 6. Nongsa Terminal Bahari, Batam 7. Sekupang, Batam 8. Sri Bintan Pura, Tanjung Pinang (Kepulauan Bintan) 9. Tanjung Balai Karimum, Tanjung Balai Karimun (Pulau Karimun, Kepulauan Riau) Visa-free status can be used for vacation in Indonesia. If for other purposes, it is determined upon the immigration officer’s consideration. You may be suggested to use visa on arrival. When entering Indonesia, it is suggested to prepare a proof of your return flight ticket in 30 days period, place of stay, itinerary. For a diplomat passport holders and Taiwan’s public servant, free visa entry is not applicable, it is suggested to apply visa according to the purposes. Taiwan tourists can also apply for a Visa On Arrival at the airport or seaport which has been designated by Indonesian government. The maximum stay is 30 days (the day of arrival counts as day one), the cost is 35 USD. It can be extended in any immigration office in Indonesia, and it can only be extended one time, the cost is Rp 355.000, passport must be in a good form and with 1-2 empty pages to avoid a rejection. Business visa is limited to 60 days, and is used for a business meeting, signing an agreement, etc. In the past, there were people arrested for working at the office, they were considered as illegal worker, the light punishment is a maximum of USD 50.000 and confiscating a document, a heavy punishment are deportation and banned to enter Indonesia for 6 months to a year, and the company or factory where the worker works will be under surveillanced by the immigration. There are two types of long term visa; 90 days single visa (211) and 1 year multiple visa (212). Visa index 211 will grant a 60 days length of stay, and it can be extended 4 times every 30 days, the maximum total length of stay is 180 days. Visa index 212 will grant 60 days length of stay, but it cannot be extended. You are advised to prepare the documents to meet the requirements of Indonesian government, passport must be valid for a minimum of six months, you may contact KANTOR DAGANG DAN EKONOMI INDONESIA DI TAIPEI (INDONESIA ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE TO TAIPEI) to arrange it. Address: Taipei City, Neihu District, Rui Guang Road No. 550 2nd floor Telp: (02) 8752-6170 Fax: (02) 8752-3706 Website: www.kdei-taipei.org E-mail: ieto@ms8.hinet.net For those who come to Indonesia to work, you must apply stay permit and working permit. You are not allowed to work in a place not written in the working visa, otherwise you will be considered as an illegal worker and arrested by immigration office, police or other related agency. The light punishment is fine, deportation and included in the blacklist, the heavy punishment is you will face a lawsuit, and might go to jail. Immigration office will always monitor foreigner who stays up to 60 days and who often travel to Indonesia, and will be included in the list of suspicious people. For any kind of visa, if you overstay you will have to pay a penalty of Rp 300.000 per day, you will be allowed to leave Indonesia after pay the penalty. If you hold a valid passport and overstay less than 60 days, you can pay the penalty in the immigration office at the airport. If the passport is no longer valid or overstay over 60 days, you must pay the penalty at the local immigration office. For those who want to stay for a long period in Indonesia, after enter Indonesia, you must apply for “izin tinggal” or stay permit (KITAS) at local immigration office within one week. You can include your spouse and children who are under 18 years old when you apply it. Children over 18 years old must apply their own KITAS with a purpose of study or work, you must include recommendation letter from the school or company. Based on Indonesian law, Indonesian citizen or foreigner who provide place to stay for a foreigner must report to police or village headman to avoid a punishment. If you still have questions regarding visa information, you can contact INDONESIA ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE in Taipei. If passport was lost accidentally, please report to the police and request a letter of losing passport from the local police. Afterward, please go to TAIPEI ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE in Indonesia (TETO) at Gedung Artha Graha 12th floor, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 52-53, Jakarta Selatan or TAIPEI ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE in SURABAYA to apply “Surat Perjalanan Laksana Paspor”, and after that you must apply Exit Permit Only (EPO) at Directorate General of Immigration Indonesia at Jakarta (Directorate General of Immigration 9th floor, Jl. H.R.Rasuna Said Kav. 8-9, Jakarta Selatan). After completing those procedures, you are allowed to leave Indonesia but limited to only depart from Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali. Because of complex procedures, it is advised to keep your passport safely and prepare a copy of your passport. |
| Culture and Recreation | |
| (I) Culture | 1. 250 million of Indonesian people are influenced by archipelago, tropical climate and Islamic tradition. They are enthusiastic and optimistic people, and show talents in music, dance, painting, sculpture, carving, weaving (tenun). The colonization of Netherlands, Chinese descent, Indian immigrant, and western culture, all form the diverse culture of Indonesia.2. To attract foreign tourist, Indonesian government oblige local government of every 33 provinces to develop cultural events, every year there are 400 cultural events, religion events, etc. The most famous culture is from Aceh, a welcome dance called Saman, and a dance from Bali called “Janger Kecak” to welcome planting season, and those events often held in Jakarta. |
| (II) Recreation and Entertainment Facilities | 1. Recreation and Entertainment Facilities: Five star hotels in Jakarta and several recreation club offer swimming pool, gymnasium, squash court, tennis court, and sauna. These facilities can be paid per visit or you can join the membership.2. Museum: Some museums in Jakarta are National Museum, Military Museum, History Museum, Textile Museum, Doll Museum, and Maritime Museum.3. Movie Theatre: There are lot of small movie theatres equipped with air conditioner, it show foreign, Indian, and Indonesian movies, the ticket price is around 200-300 NTD.4. Shopping Centre: You can find Malls in almost every area of Jakarta. Famous malls are Pacific Place, Grand Indonesia, Plaza Senayan, Plaza Indonesia, Blok M, Taman Anggrek, and Carrefour. Branded clothes, leather goods, and jewelries are mostly imported, but you can haggle in some stores. Electricity voltage is 220V, Television use PAL system, not NTSC. Special Product from Indonesia besides Batik are coffee, prawn cracker, oil painting, carving, and wood furniture.5. Recreation: Indonesia has a world class resort in Bali Island. Yogyakarta has the largest Bhuddism temple in the world called Borobudur Temple and a Hindi temple build in 10th century Prambanan Temple.Tourist attractions in Jakarta include 132 meters National Monument (Monumen Nasional, Monas), Mesjid Agung (Great Mosque), Gereja Katolik Katerdal Perawan Maria (Saint Virgin Mary Cathedral). Monas is combined by the shape of Olympic’s fire and Washington monument. A 50 kg of gold in a shape of fire is at the top of the monument. In outer Jakarta, there are about 40 golf courses, and the cost is lower compared to Taiwan. For a better golf course, the cost is around USD 120-150. |
