Rules for overlanding in Indonesia

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 18 August 2026.

Which licence you need

Car — An International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna model) is required. Check what applies to the licence you hold.
Motorcycle — The permit must also cover two-wheelers if you plan to hire a motorbike, which is very common practice on Bali.

An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.

At the wheel

Which side, what's compulsory — Drive on the left and overtake on the right. Helmets for motorcyclists and seatbelts are compulsory equipment. No blood alcohol limit has been set so far, because alcohol consumption is not widespread.
Insurance — Insurance is not compulsory in Indonesia, though for hire cars it is generally included in the price. Short-term cover for one or two months can be taken out.
Temporary import — A Carnet de Passage en Douane is required for a vehicle brought in temporarily.
Fuel supply — Difficulties getting hold of fuel are possible. Factor that into the planning of any journey by car.
Riding on Bali — Accidents involving mopeds and motorcycles have risen sharply on Bali, some of them fatal, with Italians among those involved. Always use a helmet in good condition when riding or as a passenger, on a moped, a motorcycle or a bicycle, and avoid riding at night where possible.
Extortion after an incident — Foreigners caught in traffic offences or accidents can end up being extorted. Some multinationals do not let their expatriate staff drive in Indonesia at all, and the ministry suggests weighing up hiring a car with a driver. If you are in an accident, wait for the police to arrive at the scene.
Disputes with locals — There is a growing tendency for the authorities to take their own citizens' side against foreigners when a dispute arises with the local population.
Night driving and convoys — Check the doors and windows of the vehicle you are travelling in are closed, and avoid driving alone at night. Before a journey by road, tell someone you trust your route, departure time and expected arrival time, travel in convoy where possible, and always carry a working phone.

What catches travellers out

Drugs: capital punishment — The law is extremely severe for users and traffickers alike, with no distinction between soft drugs, cannabis included, and hard ones, and executions of foreigners convicted of trafficking resumed in 2015. Anyone found in possession risks immediate arrest, seizure of the passport and very heavy sentences up to the death penalty, with no room for a plea bargain; airports have excellent detection technology, also used on transit passengers' baggage. Police frequently raid nightclubs known to be frequented by foreigners and can order blood and urine tests, with arrest if the result is positive, and in some Jakarta and Bali venues drugs are handed out as free samples.
Aceh applies sharia law — Aceh is the only province in Indonesia applying sharia law, and it applies to non-Muslims as well as Muslims. Consuming, producing and distributing alcohol is illegal there, as are gambling and extra-marital relations, and the sharia court's penalty is public flogging. Islamic law can also be applied in some villages on Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi.
Passport condition — You need at least six months' validity and at least two blank unstamped pages; the requirement is absolute and no exceptions are made. Italian tourists have been refused entry over the physical state of the booklet, so check there are no tears or cuts, no loose bindings especially near the cover, a perfectly legible photo and data page, no marks on the photo or barcode and no removed pages. Carry the passport, or at least a copy, at all times: people without identity documents have been held in a cell until identified.
Overstaying and exit points — Staying longer than your visa allows is a serious immigration offence, punished with heavy fines and up to five years in prison, plus IDR 1,000,000 in cash for every day of illegal stay. There are also cases of travellers admitted at one airport or port then refused exit from one that was not on the approved list, so plan your itinerary to leave through one of the listed crossings.
No pets into Bali — Animals cannot be brought into Bali at all — not from abroad and not from the rest of Indonesia. Elsewhere in the country animals enter under a quarantine regime.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 18 August 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Indonesia before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 18 August 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.