Driving in Indonesia: licence, roads and tolls

An International Driving Permit is required and is genuinely checked, particularly in Bali.

• It must be the 1968-Convention permit. The UK government lists Indonesia as a 1968 country, so the older 1949-Convention IDP that some countries still issue is not the one to bring.
• Roadside checks in Bali are routine and a permit is what is asked for. Without one the fine is small; the uninsured accident afterwards is not.
• A car licence does not cover a scooter. Hiring one without the right licence class voids travel insurance, and scooter accidents are the leading cause of large medical claims among visitors here.
• The alcohol limit is effectively zero and alcohol is heavily restricted in much of the country.
• Traffic drives on the left and Jakarta's traffic is among the worst in the world; toll roads charge through the e-money card.
• Drivers with cars are cheap - a day with a driver in Bali costs less than a day's car hire in Europe - and solve the parking, the language and the traffic at once.