Buying a SIM Card or eSIM for Travel in Indonesia

Indonesia is a nation of over 13,000 islands, but it’s one in particular that gets all the attention from tourists. Whatever draws visitors to Bali–the yoga and healthy living in Ubud, the surf at Echo Beach, the unmitigated partying in Kuta–they come in their millions each year.

While Wi-Fi of some sort has long been relatively common in bars, restaurants, and hotels on the island, the speed and reliablity was poor until recently.

Lately, though, the rollout of fiber connections has improved the situation greatly. If your plans don’t extend much further than wandering between the bar and the hotel pool, you’ll probably be able to make do with whatever your accommodation has on offer.

If you want to stay connected everywhere, a local SIM card used to be the way to go. Once a very straightforward process, the government changed the rules a few years ago. It’s now much more frustrating for foreigners to get set up, especially at the airport where long lines and rampant overcharging are common.

There’s still a way to get one without jumping through endless hoops or paying an extortionate amount, but unless you really need the physical SIM card, I’d recommend going with an eSIM instead.

If you only need data, the process couldn’t be easier: just buy a travel eSIM before leaving home and you’ll be connected before you get off the plane.

If you want a local phone number as well, you can get an eSIM that includes it at a good price. It’s just a bit more work, since you need to register it with your personal details and a photo of your passport before it’ll work.

There’s more on all three approaches below, and data speeds are generally good with any of them. However you do it, here’s everything you need to know about getting connected in Bali.

There are four cell service providers in Indonesia, plus a small number of resellers. Telkomsel has the widest coverage, reaching 98% of the country. It’s also the most expensive, although there’s not a lot in it.

XL Axiata, IM3, and Tri have reasonable coverage in populated areas like Jakarta and Bali at somewhat lower prices, and less (in some cases, no service at all) elsewhere.

LTE data is available in Bali and other major population centers with Telkomsel, XL Axiata and IM3, and is being rolled out increasingly widely.

I decided to pick up a Telkomsel SIM in Bali, just to make sure I’d have coverage everywhere I went. While that didn’t prove to always be the case, I’m still happy to recommend it for most travelers who really want a physical SIM card.

Because registering a local SIM card is such a pain in the butt for visitors (more on that below), it makes a lot more sense for most people to just use a travel eSIM instead.

Prices are less than what you’d pay at the airport, but with the big advantage that you can get set up in a few minutes before leaving home, and just sail right past the endless line at the SIM counter in Denpasar.

Of the companies I’ve used and would recommend, Instabridge is the way to go: it only has a handful of packages, but if they fit your needs, it’s easily the cheapest option. If not, both aloSIM and Nomad have a much wider range, including unlimited data for 10 days and extended bundles that last a bit over six weeks.

Both companies, plus a few others that I regularly use around the world, are in the table below. We update the prices and details every week, most recently on 5 Oct 2026.

As with most travel eSIMs, it’s data-only: you don’t get a local number. I’ve never had to make or receive a call on any of my trips to Indonesia, and it’s very unlikely to cause an issue for the vast majority of travelers, but it’s something to know just in case.

New to eSIMs? They offer big benefits to travelers in terms of how quickly, easily, and (often) cheaply you can get connected when you arrive in a new country. Most recent phones support them, and you can read all about them here.

If you’re visiting other countries as well, make sure you check out our worldwide eSIM finder before you go. It has real-world recommendations for every trip, only takes a few seconds, and could save you a lot of money!

If you don’t need to be connected as soon as you arrive, the best way to buy a SIM card in Bali is to not buy a SIM card in Bali.

Rather, if you’re planning to go with my recommended provider, Telkomsel, you’re better off ordering it from a local company beforehand, who’ll then deliver it to your hotel when you get there.

That way you can avoid the lines, overcharging, and registration mess at the airport, but still benefit from having a local phone number and plenty of data. Prices start at under $15 for 13GB, so it’s really pretty good value.

The same company offers an eSIM version for about the same price, and also provides airport transfers if you need them. They’re basically a one-stop shop for people arriving in the country, I guess! You can use the code TMA to get 10% off whatever you buy.

You’ll need to upload a scan or photo of your passport and provide some basic personal information to activate the SIM or eSIM: it’s the same details you’d need to provide in person if you were lining up at the phone store, just without the queues.

The above SIM and eSIM expire after 30 days, but there are 60 or 90 day versions of the eSIM available if you’re staying for longer.

Topping Up

Telkomsel

When topping up, you can either go through a vendor, enter a USSD code, or use the Telkomsel app. The app is the most straightforward of the three options, and the one I’d recommend. Download it from the Google Play store or Apple App store, and sign in with a one-time password received by SMS.

If you prefer to take the USSD approach, dial *363# to get your top-up options. An agent I spoke with recommended checking the “HOT PROMO” section (option #4) for the best rates.

Overall, I’d recommend avoiding agents on the street if possible, both for purchasing your SIM and topping up. The rates vary wildly, and many have no qualms about cheating unsuspecting tourists.

Furthermore, you may not even be getting what you paid for. The agent I referenced earlier who told me about a 35GB package for Rp150,000 was actually being a bit misleading. On further questioning, I realized the package was only 25GB, with 10GB allocated solely for social media and multimedia.

If you do go with an agent, I’d recommend getting a receipt, checking your data balance in your text messages before handing over any money, and, if possible, paying by credit card.

Worst case, if you get cheated and the vendor refuses to refund you, you can contact your credit card company to initiate a chargeback.

I took the photos below outside one official-looking vendor pretending to offer the Prabayar Tourist scheme. According to reviews of the place I read later, they were tricking tourists by selling SIM cards with as little as 3GB and promising upwards of 30GB.

In addition to the above advice, be sure to have your APN settings properly configured. Telkomsel’s APN is “internet” with no username or password. You can enter that APN in both the cellular data and personal hotspot fields.

Instabridge

Topping up with Instabridge (or any of the other travel eSIM companies) is done by logging into the website or app. You just select your Indonesia eSIM, hit the top-up button, and buy the same package again.

The top-up packs have exactly the same pricing and duration as the original eSIMs: there’s little difference between topping up your current eSIM and buying a new one, other than not having to activate it.

Telkomsel LTE data speeds were very fast, and it wasn’t unusual to see downloads approaching 100Mbps in Ubud. Upload speeds were much lower, as is often the case, but still quick enough for video calling or pretty much anything else you’re likely to be doing with your phone.

Instabridge eSIMs also use the Telkomsel network in Indonesia, so you can expect the same sorts of coverage.

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Check out our guides to SIM cards and eSIMs in 65+ other countries here.