Contact us today to jump start your move, and begin the preparations with our free relocation checklist. For most people, Indonesia evokes images of white beaches and stunning scenery. Although this is true, the country has a lot more to offer. Moving to Indonesia will enable you to delve into a very rich and ancient cultural tradition. With a population of over million, Indonesia is also the fourth most populous country in the world. Many people are unaware that Indonesia is an archipelago made up of thousands of islands.
Moving to Indonesia offers many opportunities and generally speaking it is a well-liked destination among expats.
Along with the aforementioned beautiful landscape and beaches, a move to Indonesia gives you the opportunity to submerge yourself in a traditional and yet increasingly modernized culture. Its cities are densely populated; yet if you are moving to Indonesia with the goal of leading a more laidback life on a less inhabited island, there is plenty to choose from.
Keep in mind that regardless of what your precise destination is — be it a city or a village — it make take you some time to get used to the local weather.
Indonesia has a tropical climate — in short, it is typically very hot and very humid. You should also be especially aware of the monsoon seasons. There are two monsoons, the eastern monsoon from June to September, which is the driest season, and the western one from December to March, which brings the heavy rains.
It would be less than optimal for you to move to Indonesia during the rainy season. Check out the website of the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics in Bahasa Indonesian only for more information on weather conditions in Indonesia. Alternatively, AccuWeather provides information in English. As with all overseas moves, it is best if you find at least temporary accommodation before moving to Indonesia.
This not only ensures that you will have a place to stay once you enter the country, but it will also facilitate your finding something more permanent. Temporary accommodation is available in the form of serviced apartments run by upscale companies like Silverdoor , Oakwood , or Fraser or suites in big hotels e. As in most countries, major cities offer the most modern and advanced lifestyle possibilities, therefore if you do not wish to be confronted with too big of a cultural shock, it is wise to choose accommodation and housing in one of these.
In the capital Jakarta, for instance, all modern conveniences are readily available. Ask your new employer to recommend several reputable real estate agencies to you to assist you in the apartment search.
Always make sure to explore the neighborhood your new apartment is located in, both with the help of a street atlas and on several personal visits. After all, when looking for an apartment, it would be good to keep in mind the safety of the area and whether or not it has good transportation links.
Contrary to what you may be used to in your home country, Indonesian landlords are not responsible for fixing things in the house. This means that if you rent an apartment or house, do not necessarily expect the landlord to fix a leaky faucet. In more luxurious complexes, this may be different. Due in part to the very low property taxes paid by homeowners in Indonesia, many neighborhoods even join forces to fix up the streets and sidewalks themselves.
There are incredible accommodations that you can find either through word-of-mouth with other expats in these towns, or by simply exploring and asking around with locals. The more affordable places will be locally-offered and often are not listed anywhere online. Good luck! This is worth reading for. All the information I need to know was here. Getting ready for the finances though.
So glad that you found it helpful! And congrats on the pending move to Bali. I think you totally misunderstand responsible pet ownership.
You are not exactly right, and spreading that information could prove challenging for pet owners. Bali is among the parts of Indonesia fighting rabies and they have at times in the very recent past forbidden the entry or exit of pets from the island.
Also, the US is NOT a rabies-free country, meaning your pet is facing even more scrutiny than if it arrives from Australia or other rabies-free countries. If you are just moving over there for a bit and my website caters to digital nomads more than retirees, so many leave after a few years , then I stand by the assertion that you should reconsider Bali, either for you, your pet, or both. If you have family or friends back home willing to take in your pet, that could be far better for the pet than trying to rehome it locally months later when you decide to leave Indonesia.
Hi Good Morning! I absolutely adore this page and appreciate it. I am looking to visit and stay in Bali for approximately 3 months. Many thanks for creating this page and I am definitely looking and excited to hear back with recommendations.
I live in Barbados and want to getaway for a bit. Good question! It really depends on the ratio of housing to food. If you are content with a small bungalow, then most anywhere will suit and you can spend the rest on good eats and exploring. I encourage you to use the sample budgets I provided and links to their breakdowns to see where your own spending priorities and quality of life might best align.
Then there are lots of links providing future research! It comes down to calculating for the average lifestyle of expats. As you can see from some of the examples, some expats live much closer to the average local wage, but for that to happen you often have to chose the right spots probably not the heart of Seminyak , learn the local language, and eat local food.
Most expats net out somewhere on the cost and life spectrum between local and fully Western lifestyles, so the cost of living is higher. Hi, I enjoyed this article. I notice that you mention its difficult to live in Bali prior to retirement. Is this a possibility and, if so, can you tell me what the differences are as opposed to living them after you retire. Any info you can provide would be great. If you could advise me where I can read up on this find info I would be very grateful. Thanks, Nicole.
Hi Nicole, the difficulty is really in the visa. Many countries do not have policies and visas yet designed for digital nomads, so the visa requirements usually account for SS checks as a primary source of vetting and income.
There are many expats who have sorted it out, however, so I recommended looking in forums and asking around in Facebook groups for expats in Bali a quick FB search and you will easily find them! Best of luck! Hey dear…. I am from India. I Have got a job in Bali. My salary would be around US Dollar. Can I live with my wife by renting a property in Bali in this salary…..????
I am confused please suggest…. Hi Rohit! Thanks for getting in touch. Your salary is definitely enough to cover you in many situations, but it all depends on your lifestyle. Some locals live on half of that salary, other expats spend more.
If you have some funds to help you get set up in a place, then I think for many people USD is enough to make a nice but lowkey life there. Anyway, had far better internet in Ubub that I get most of the time in Melbourne!
Just have to check before you rent. Some tasks just need to be done immediately and that requires a certain degree of reliability. I think the internet in Bali could really change in the next year, so I may give it another try at some point : But yeah, for now, gotta get some work done in a place w good internet! I second you though on the random connections — the smallest towns will have surprisingly great wifi, others — nada! I sometimes feel guilty when someone asks me about a place and I comment on how good or bad the internet infrastructure is.
I appreciate the honest write-up — thank you. Your question last month inspired this post : I figured other people might be wondering too! Are you heading to Asia soon? This is really valuable advice for would-be digital nomads, though! Thanks Kate — I get pangs of wishing I was still over there instead of the states…or I at least wish I was bumming around Thailand with you right now! I guess is all comes down to expectations. People travelling NZ do complain about Internet connection and residents too.
Personally I find it part of what makes NZ different and I love it, but I take it might be due to the fact I had enough of high-speed Internet rush in the days I worked in the IT industry. From your description it sounds like Bali is better off then some areas in NZ… But if you rely on good-reasonably-priced Internet connection you need to be located in a place where you can find one and not be frustrated about it on a daily basis. Thanks for the tips about NZ though, I really hope to make it there in the next year or two!
I enjoyed your post a lot. I recently wrote on the topic. I am all about going with the flow and taking life as it comes…once my work is done! Thanks for weighing in OmDick; I think if I had stayed longer I might have embraced that attitude a bit more, but it really and truly was tough to get work done while I was there…not only would it slow down, but when I came back from a walk it would then be randomly turned off! That being said, no worries, I definitely recommend a visit and have far more positive things to say about Bali than negative; I loved my brief stay there and hope to make it back there very soon :.
Nice write up, Shannon. It is a little peculiar the way the internet is randomly shut off…and I think if I had stayed there longer I would have developed a system for getting things uploaded, seeking out the good wifi and the such.
I was on a really tight deadline for an SEO client that week so I had a hard time relaxing when it would slow down and shut off! I have always wanted to visit Bali. Guess now I would just have to go cold turkey on the internet. Not cold turkey!
Thanks for stopping in Natalie :. Excellent write up! Sorry to hear about your experience, but as someone who has run an internet -based business out of Bali for the last two years, the above does strike me as a little off the money. As for residents, the need for satellite access passed a year or so back, most now get it either down the phoneline ADSL or via a wireless provider like Blueline.
Thanks for weighing in Stuart! I do recognize that you have far more experience in this arena, for me, as a budget traveler landing there and looking for a reasonably priced rental with wifi it was hard! Our guesthouse in Ubud would shut down the internet randomly throughout the day and night as well. I agree that internet is definitely accessible everywhere but not always convenient.
It caused me so much anxiety when it would go off like that in the middle of conversations! Sorry that you had the same troubles as well, and still eternally sad I left before you got there! Never been myself though. Thanks for this Shannon! How about a sim card for an unlocked iPhone? Any chance at getting data for the week from my phone?
You will be totally fine for that week, just go with some posts pre-written with the photos uploaded, internet is easy to find, but not really to upload a lot of data.
I have the name of a lovely guesthouse that had great breakfasts and wifi! Good information to have. Thanks Gray — I am definitely going to give Bali another shot at some point, when I can get back there and it may just need a year or so for the internet situation to mature! Driving On the left side. International removals to Indonesia with Eurosender With Eurosender, you can take advantage of affordable shipping services for expats with lower than the average cost of moving to Indonesia.
Send passports, visa applications and other personal documents to an Indonesian embassy and get them delivered in less than 72 hours. Send my documents express. Pre-school education Age: Compulsory: No. Primary school Age: Compulsory: Yes. Secondary school Age: Compulsory: Yes. Have your driving licence sent with the express service , and it will be delivered in the shortest time possible! What else to expect when living in Indonesia as an expat There are substantial income gaps between certain parts of the population, with many people living in Indonesia in poverty.
Traffic is one of the worst in the world and is also one of the causes of air pollution, which is widespread in urban areas. When moving to Indonesia, be prepared that punctuality is not something that is often adhered to locals. Expats immigrating to Indonesia admit a vibrant nightlife with karaoke , live bands and discos. Food is cheap and Indonesian cuisine offers a wide range of flavours, so there is something for everyone to like.
Alcohol is allowed but is not to be sold to Muslims. Moving to Indonesia from the UK Foreigners who plan to immigrate to Indonesia from the United Kingdom, benefit from affordable solutions to move their personal belongings, furniture, and household goods with Eurosender.
Moving to Indonesia from Canada International courier services powered by Eurosender are the best option for moving to Indonesia from Canada.
Disclaimer: All information on this page is true and correct as of Eurosender is not responsible for any updates or changes to any information on this page or actions taken by parties as a result of outdated information. Nevertheless, we do our best to keep all information across our website as current as possible. Useful links Immigrate to Bali. Get Ready for Moving to Bali. Moving to Turkey. Get Ready to Immigrate to Turkey. She was only 17 at the time and had just moved to Jakarta from her village.
Her aunt was also a maid for the school, which is how she got hired. When we left that school, we took her with us. We wanted to give him the opportunity at a better life, so we hired him too.
She does a deep cleaning every single day— including scrubbing the bathtub and everything— and changes our bedding every three days or so. We have a machine, but she often opts to wash the clothes by hand. Cook dinner. Or go out to dinner with us. Watch more TV. Talk on the phone with her friends. Dishes never sit in the sink for more than 10 minutes. Nothing is ever dirty or unorganized. Most maids work seven days a week. He lives in a boarding house with some of his friends.
He comes to our house each day at am and stays until pm. What he does during that time depends on what we need him to do. He tends to the garden and yard every day and he manages the household— does all of the repairs, pays all of the bills, does all of the shopping. He just manages that on his own. For other things, I just leave to-do lists for him in his office. I forgot to mention that Uda also takes care of our dog— she feeds him, gives him his medicine, etc….
Did you adopt your dog in Indonesia or bring him with from the US? That would be the biggest obstacle for me—we have two chihuahuas and a cat. Does Indonesia have isolation periods and such? We adopted our dog here, from an animal rescue organization. My husband and I are in the process of moving overseas and doing what so many of you seem inspired to do.
What has helped us immensely in the blog Married with Luggage. They saved like maniacs, sold their whole life, and started travelling full time. On the blog and in some of their e-books, they address how to do this even with debt too. Hi Sam, nice to hear from another expat! Visa regulations have been getting tougher in recent years and the job market for teaching has suffered as a result of the influx of new teachers from the economy.
Research your destination first and make sure you talk to local expats about the job market and visa situation for your nationality before you buy a plane ticket. I saw SO MANY people have to leave Europe and go back home because they arrived in April, when no one is hiring, or failed to bring the right documentation to get their visa. My fiance and I looked at positions in Jakarta and were even offered a couple but the regulations had changed and the school that offered us jobs was shady as hell.
If I include my email address, would you be willing to chat with me privately about non-teaching job opportunities for English-speaking expats over there? We loved the idea of living in Indonesia, but the options we had while looking were just too shady to make the leap. Generally speaking, your employer has to apply for your visa while you are OUTSIDE of the country and you need to enter on the proper visa.
Most of that could be avoided through a little research. There are tons of expat teacher message boards, forums, and websites. Before you accept a job with anyone, research it. Try to talk to another expat who worked for them. Also, you need to familiarize yourself with the laws— especially regarding immigration. Knowledge is power! I mean, who really wants to hear about how our first two months in a country were spent living in a crappy little apartment 45 minutes away from anything and eating instant noodles because we were so broke from the visa process and deposits and adjusting to life in a new place?
Rather than posting my email, how about you find me on the Indonesian expat forum and send me a private message through that site? My handle is the same, SamanthaB. Last month we resigned from our jobs and formed our own creative services agency. The expats that are here in non-teaching positions were usually sent here by their companies mining, oil, etc… or are corporate giants that were headhunted CEOs for telcoms, etc… or are diplomats. There are two English-language newspapers that hire expats as copy editors, but the pay sucks and so does the schedule— teaching is a better option than working for them.
I already found you over there I had a good browse around on the site and posted in the Newbie Nook as lizopolis , so I will shoot you a message. I really want to do this, but I have a cat that I will not leave behind. Is it possible to teach and live abroad with a pet? Indonesia has strict quarantine policies, but there are lots of expats who bring their dogs and cats here with them.
Apa kabar, Sandy! Tinggal dimana? Kami tinggal di PIK — orang2 selalu mau tahu kenapa kami tidak tinggal di Kemang atau tempat lain di Selatan. What a wonderful and inspiring story. My husband worked in the jungles of Indonesia for the first 10 years of our marriage. He rotated 28 days on and 28 days off between Jakarta and San Fransisco. We were all set to move to Jakarta in Aug. A few weeks ago my husband was offered a two year job working in Jakarta. The kids and I are so excited and hope we actually get to move this time.
They are still in the process of working out the pay and benefits, so far things are looking good. There is so much work to do. So, did you guys make the move? Give me an update! This is beautiful, thanks so much for sharing.
I love this article, I love how long this comments section is, I love all you inspiring, whole hearted, adventurous offbeaties. Consider me crazy inspired. We want to do something big and exciting.
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