Indonesia SIM Card for Tourists: Your 2026 Options
You land at Soekarno-Hatta in Jakarta, clear immigration, and your phone shows no bars. Your hotel is an hour away, your ride is booked in an app, and the free airport Wi-Fi wants a login page that will not load. You have three ways to fix this: a local SIM from an Indonesian operator, a travel eSIM you set up before the flight, or roaming on your US plan.
For most trips, a local tourist plan gives you the most data for the money. The catch is that you must hand over your passport and your phone's IMEI number to register it. A travel eSIM costs more per GB but skips all of that, so you are online the second you land.
In short:
- Telkomsel's own FAQ lists a Tourist prepaid card at Rp150,000 (about $8) for 25 GB and 25 minutes of calls, checked 2026-11-02. The page does not say how many days it lasts, so ask.
- XL's site lists five tourist eSIM plans, all valid 30 days, from 14 GB at Rp46,000 (about $2.50) to 150 GB at Rp168,000 (about $9.30), checked 2026-11-02.
- Every local plan needs your passport and your phone's IMEI to register. A travel eSIM roams, so none of that happens.
- Our Indonesia eSIM runs on Telkomsel, XL, and Indosat, with 5 GB for 30 days at $10.50 on 2026-11-02.
Indonesia eSIM from $4Install at home, connect when you land.See plans
Local SIM, eSIM, or roaming
The dollar figures use 18,148 rupiah to $1, the reference rate on 2026-10-30.
| Option | Cost | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local tourist SIM | Rp46,000 to Rp150,000 (about $2.50 to $8) | 14 GB to 25 GB, a local number, calls | The most data, if you register with a passport |
| Moosetrip eSIM, 5 GB | $10.50, valid 30 days, on 2026-11-02 | Data only, set up at home | Being online the moment you land |
| US carrier day pass | About $12 a day per line, typical 2026 price | Your US number, talk, text, and data | A day or two |
Check your carrier app before you fly. If your US plan already includes enough high-speed data in Indonesia, keep it. You do not need anything else.
Indonesia operator prices for tourists in 2026
Prices below come straight from the operators' own pages, checked 2026-11-02. Blogs and SIM resellers quote figures all over the map, so we use only what the carriers publish.
Telkomsel
Telkomsel is the biggest network in Indonesia. Its support FAQ says: a Tourist prepaid card can be had for Rp150,000 (about $8) with 25 GB of data on all networks and 25 minutes of voice calls. The page carries a 2026 copyright but does not state how many days the plan lasts, so ask at the point of sale and get it in writing.
XL Axiata
XL publishes a full tourist eSIM price list. All five plans last 30 days and include 5 minutes of calls to any operator.
| Plan | Data | Price | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xtra Combo Flex M | 14 GB | Rp46,000 | $2.50 |
| Xtra Combo Flex L | 30 GB | Rp70,000 | $3.90 |
| Xtra Combo Flex XL | 55 GB | Rp100,000 | $5.50 |
| Xtra Combo Flex XXL | 80 GB | Rp140,000 | $7.70 |
| Xtra Combo Flex XXXL | 150 GB | Rp168,000 | $9.30 |
That is a lot of data for the money if you are willing to register and your phone takes an eSIM.
Indosat and Smartfren
We could not confirm a current tourist price for either on their own sites on 2026-11-02. Indosat (IM3) sells prepaid starter packs, but we found no official foreign-tourist price to quote. Smartfren's tourist page would not load its plan list for us. So we will not put a number on them. Ask in a store, or stick with Telkomsel, XL, or an eSIM.
A note on value: the local eSIM plans above are cheaper per GB than our own eSIM. We think that is worth saying plainly. You pay us more for a setup with no passport, no IMEI step, and no store visit, and for keeping your US number live. If price per GB is all that matters and you are fine registering, a local plan wins.
Passport and IMEI: the registration rules
Indonesia does not let you just pop in a SIM and go. Two things are tied to you.
Your passport. Every Indonesian prepaid plan has to be registered to an ID. For visitors that is your passport. XL's tourist eSIM page says to prepare your passport and email, and it is sold to foreign passports only. You do not need an Indonesian tax ID for a short visit.
Your phone's IMEI. The IMEI is your device's serial number. XL asks for the device IMEI at sign-up, and says the phone must be an official model, not a counterfeit. This operator step is separate from the customs IMEI rules and the 90-day limit that apply to phones brought into the country. We cover those customs rules in our Bali SIM card guide, so we will not repeat them here.
A travel eSIM bought outside Indonesia works differently. It roams on the local networks, so no Indonesian passport or IMEI registration happens during setup. That is the main reason some travelers pick one even though the price per GB is higher.
Where to buy in Jakarta and across Indonesia
At Soekarno-Hatta (CGK). Telkomsel's own outlet directory lists a GraPARI at Terminal 3, at arrivals gate 2 on the ground floor, open 07:00 to 21:00 every day, checked 2026-11-02. The directory asks visitors to check for the latest change of location and hours before going. If you land after 9 p.m., that counter is closed, so have a backup like an eSIM or a US day pass ready.
Online, before you fly. XL sells its tourist eSIM online only. You buy on its site, pay there, and get a QR code by email. Its help page says plainly there is no need to visit a store to get a physical SIM. After you scan the code, wait about an hour and watch for a confirmation text from the number 4444. If it does not arrive, you contact support.
Around the country. Operator outlets and official stores sell starter packs in cities and malls. Convenience stores carry SIMs too, but staff still register the SIM to your passport, and a counter clerk may not speak much English. A US phone locked to your carrier can refuse an Indonesian SIM, so check your phone at home first.
Our Indonesia eSIM
Our Indonesia plans run on Telkomsel, XL, and Indosat. Prices on 2026-11-02:
| Data | Valid for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 days | $4 |
| 3 GB | 30 days | $7.50 |
| 5 GB | 30 days | $10.50 |
| 10 GB | 30 days | $17 |
| 20 GB | 30 days | $28 |
It is data only, with no phone number, so you call through apps. Your phone must support eSIM and must not be locked to your carrier.
Install it at home over Wi-Fi with the QR code. Days count from your first connection in Indonesia, so you can set it up well before the flight. Your US number stays on as a second line. After you land:
- In your cellular settings, pick the eSIM for mobile data.
- Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line.
- Turn off data roaming on your US line, so a daily pass does not start by accident.
How much data do you need
Our cautious rule: 1 GB covers about 5 hours of maps and taxi apps, or about 1.5 hours of video calls.
| Trip | Daily use | Total | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days, light | 30 minutes of maps | About 0.7 GB | 1 GB, or 3 GB to be safe |
| 10 days | 1 hour of maps, short video call | About 3.7 GB | 5 GB |
| 14 days | 1 hour of maps, 20-minute call | About 5.9 GB | 10 GB |
Save streaming and big uploads for hotel Wi-Fi. If you run low, you can add data to the same eSIM. All plans and networks are on our Indonesia eSIM page.
Questions
Can I buy a SIM card at Jakarta airport?
Yes. Telkomsel's directory lists a GraPARI at Terminal 3 arrivals, open 07:00 to 21:00 daily as of 2026-11-02. Bring your passport. If you land late at night, that counter is closed, so set up an eSIM before you fly as a backup.
Do tourists have to register a SIM in Indonesia?
Yes, for any local plan. You register with your passport, and operators like XL also ask for your phone's IMEI. A travel eSIM from outside Indonesia roams instead, so it skips that step.
How much is a tourist SIM in Indonesia in 2026?
Telkomsel's FAQ lists a Tourist prepaid card at Rp150,000 (about $8) for 25 GB and 25 minutes of calls. XL's tourist eSIM plans run from Rp46,000 (about $2.50) for 14 GB to Rp168,000 (about $9.30) for 150 GB, all for 30 days. Both checked 2026-11-02.
Sources
- Telkomsel, tourist prepaid card price and quota FAQ, checked 2026-11-02
- XL, tourist eSIM plans and requirements, checked 2026-11-02
- XL, what is an eSIM and how to activate it, checked 2026-11-02
- Telkomsel, GraPARI outlet directory, checked 2026-11-02
- Frankfurter, USD to IDR reference rate, 2026-10-30