A local SIM is dramatically cheaper here than an international eSIM - XL's tourist eSIM is 30 GB for 70,000 IDR against Saily's 3 GB for USD 8.99 - and both are bought online before you land. Telkomsel has the widest coverage outside the tourist strips. Any local SIM needs your passport.
- A local tourist eSIM is far better value than an international one. XL sells 30 GB for 70,000 IDR over 30 days; the international eSIMs charge several times that per gigabyte.
- XL's tourist eSIM is bought online before you fly - passport, email and your device IMEI, and the QR arrives by email.
- Telkomsel has the widest coverage, which matters in Ubud, the north of Bali, on boat transfers and away from the tourist strips. Its foreigner SIM is 100,000 IDR for 25 GB over 30 days, but pick-up is only in Bali and Mandalika, Lombok.
- Saily is the fallback if you want nothing local: 3 GB/30 days for USD 8.99, 5 GB for 13.99, 10 GB for 21.99, or 1 GB/7 days for 4.79.
- Registration with a passport is required for every Indonesian SIM, physical or eSIM. That is the law, not a shop policy.
- Buying at the airport buys convenience, not price. The same product costs noticeably less in town.
- You need data from the moment you land - the ride apps, the maps and your accommodation all depend on it - so arrange the eSIM before departure rather than queueing at a kiosk.
The local options are much cheaper - and you can buy them before you land
This is unusual: in Indonesia the local tourist eSIM beats the international ones outright, and you do not have to be in the country to buy it.
| Option | Data | Validity | Price | Passport needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XL tourist eSIM - M | 14 GB | 30 days | 46,000 IDR | yes |
| XL tourist eSIM - L | 30 GB | 30 days | 70,000 IDR | yes |
| XL tourist eSIM - XL | 55 GB | 30 days | 100,000 IDR | yes |
| XL tourist eSIM - XXL | 80 GB | 30 days | 140,000 IDR | yes |
| XL tourist eSIM - XXXL | 150 GB | 30 days | 168,000 IDR | yes |
| Telkomsel foreigner SIM (physical) | 25 GB + 25 min local + 25 min international | 30 days | 100,000 IDR | yes |
XL's eSIM is ordered online: pick the plan, enter the details Indonesian law requires - passport, email address and your device's IMEI - pay, and the profile activates within about an hour. All the packages include five minutes of calls.
Telkomsel is the coverage choice. If your trip goes beyond the main tourist areas - Ubud, northern Bali, boat crossings, the smaller islands - it is the network that keeps working. The catch is collection: the foreigner pre-order SIM can currently only be picked up in Bali and in Mandalika, Lombok, so it does not help you land somewhere else.
Saily, if you want nothing local at all
| Plan | Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed data | 1 GB | 7 days | 4.79 USD |
| Fixed data | 3 GB | 30 days | 8.99 USD |
| Fixed data | 5 GB | 30 days | 13.99 USD |
| Fixed data | 10 GB | 30 days | 21.99 USD |
| Fixed data | 20 GB | 30 days | 35.99 USD |
It costs several times more per gigabyte than XL, and the reason to choose it anyway is that it needs no Indonesian registration, no passport upload and no local product at all - install it, land, and it works. For a three-day stop that is a fair trade; for two weeks it is not.
Registering, and where not to buy
- Every SIM sold in Indonesia is registered against a passport. This is a legal requirement, so a seller asking for your passport is following the rules, not running a scam.
- Airport kiosks charge a premium. The same operator's product is cheaper in town or at an official store. Buy the eSIM before you fly and the question does not arise.
- You want data in the first ten minutes, not the first hour. Grab, Gojek, the map and the message to your accommodation all need it before you have left the terminal.
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