Jakarta at a Glance

Expat Info Jakarta – Visa and More

Despite its overpopulation, Jakarta offers its residents many green spaces.

Moving to Jakarta will take you to a bustling city, complete with skyscrapers and traffic jams. Indeed, Jakarta is often considered to be the Big Apple of Southeast Asia. Our guide on moving to Jakarta will help you with your move by providing you with advice on housing, education, visa and more.

Education

Expats moving to Jakarta with children will be pleased to discover that Jakarta has a number of international schools available. In Indonesia, school is compulsory for a total of nine years. After that, children must choose whether or not they would like to continue their education, or start working.

The traditional Indonesian school year is divided into two semesters, one from July to December and the other from January to June. Schools typically have grades from early education to senior high school, in other words from ages 2 to 18. It is important to note that there are two different types of senior high schools (ages 14 to 18). The SMA (Sekolah Menengah Atas) prepares students for university, while the SMK (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan) prepares them for the workplace, i.e. acts as vocational training.

Two international schools that come highly recommended by expats in Jakarta are the British International School and the Jakarta International School. They both provide the International Baccalaureate program as well as other college prep courses. Although tuition in both is clearly pricier than a public education in Jakarta, it will certainly benefit your child’s future life abroad. Both of these schools are located in the outer suburbs of Jakarta, which, depending on which neighborhood you live in, may cost your child a daily commute of up to 3-4 hours.

Leisure Activities

Due to its location, Jakarta is an ideal spot for taking weekend trips. If you have a car, which may not be a bad investment, especially considering the difficulties with public transport, you can simply drive out of the city and head to a nice secluded beach or hike along the rice paddies and visit one of the numerous temples scattered throughout Indonesia.

Within its city walls, Jakarta has several performing arts centers featuring traditional Indonesian dance and music shows. There are also several arts and culture festivals which are internationally renowned, such as the Jakarta International Film Festival, the Jakarta International Jazz Festival or the Film Festival. In fact, Indonesia as a whole is a very festival-intense country, hosting traditional festivities almost every month.

For those intellectuals among you, Jakarta also has a number of museums. These are located around the Jakarta Old Town and the Merdaka Square area. If you prefer conventional leisure activities such as shopping, mini golfing, or ice skating, the Taman Anggrek Mall in West Jakarta is the place to go!

Visa Information

Foreign nationals are required to have a valid visa when entering Indonesia. There are several visas which can be applied for in Indonesia, depending on the purpose of your visit. First and foremost, it is important that you have a valid passport and have several passport photos taken for your visa. It is best to either directly contact the Indonesian embassy or consulate nearest to you, or to visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Indonesia in order to receive up-to-date and more elaborate information.

The following are visas available for Indonesia:

The tourist visa is probably the most popular visa. It is valid only for either 60 days or 1 year. You will need copies of your roundtrip itinerary and proof that you have sufficient funds to cover you financially during your stay in Jakarta,.
The other common visa for Indonesia is the business visa. The name is misleading, however, because it does not act as a work permit, but only allows foreign nationals to conduct business in Jakarta for a maximum of 60 days. You must provide an invitation by a company or business partner in Jakarta, as well as identify an Indonesian citizen as your warrantor. In addition to the usual paperwork, you are also required to show proof that you dispose of sufficient funds for your 60-day stay.

Regardless of which visa you will be applying for, be sure to do so well in advance of your intended departure date, as the application process may take more time than expected.