Indonesia on GuideMeet

Is Indonesia safe to travel?

Updated October 2026

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 28 September 2026.

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Safety

• Papua: travel advised against — Papuan separatist groups continue to claim independence and acts of violence have risen steadily since 2018. Armed clashes between the TPNPB-OPM and government forces happen regularly, mainly in Highland Papua and Central Papua, and have killed civilians, some foreign nationals among them, and in 2023 the group declared that foreigners would be targeted across the region; separatists have also attacked commercial aircraft serving remote communities from small local airports. Travel to the area is advised against, and before going you have to ask the Indonesian police whether special permits are required.
• Papua and Aceh: ask about permits — For visits to particular regions such as Papua or Aceh, on top of the visa you need to ask the Indonesian embassy for up-to-date information on obtaining any special authorisations needed to enter them.
• Volcano exclusion zones — Indonesia has over 120 active volcanoes, graded on a four-level alert scale. The Indonesian authorities advise against any activity within 7 km of the crater of Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores, any excursion within 7 km of the crater of Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi, travel within 7 km of the crater of Mount Ibu in the North Moluccas, and any travel within 5 km of Sinabung and within 3 km of Marapi. For Semeru they advise against any activity within 5 km of the crater, along the Besuk Kobokan river in the south-east sector (about 13 km from the crater) and within 500 m of any point on its banks. Lewotobi Laki-Laki and Semeru are at the maximum alert level 4, with lava, mud and debris flows possible at the first and pyroclastic and lava flows along the rivers, tributaries and valleys near the second. Mount Agung on Bali, which erupted in 2018 and closed Bali airport and several neighbouring regional airports for a time, still shows signs of activity, and hikers are advised to limit activity around the crater because an alert could be issued at short notice. Check the official volcanic activity reports before heading into these areas and follow local instructions, evacuation orders included.
• Sulawesi and the Moluccas — Interreligious and intercommunal tension periodically resurfaces in the southern Moluccas, on the islands of Ambon and Haruku, and in Central Sulawesi, where the political situation is unstable and conflict continues between security forces and terrorist groups, mainly concentrated around Sigi, Parigi Moutong and Poso; take particular care in Palu, Poso and Tentena. Renewed terrorist activity also makes South Sulawesi a risk area for travellers, and there is a risk of religiously motivated attacks around Manado in North Sulawesi.
• Aceh and West Timor — Aceh has emerged from a long period of internal conflict. Violence against foreigners is rare, but there have been several past episodes that targeted them: be alert to politically motivated violence, take particular care in remote areas and avoid large gatherings, political rallies above all. In West Timor, refugees from East Timor and pro-Indonesian paramilitary groups are still present and cyclically make the public order situation turbulent.
• Protests and terrorism — The political situation is stable for now, but developments in domestic and foreign politics can bring sudden protests and disorder. Avoid any protest, demonstration, student gathering or political rally, which can turn violent suddenly and unexpectedly; violent protests in Jakarta in August and September 2025 caused casualties. The terrorist threat is present across the country and the authorities remain strictly vigilant, with numerous arrests of suspected terrorists at an advanced stage of preparing attacks. Government and law-enforcement interests and places of worship may be targeted by Islamist extremists, and attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places foreigners frequent: seaside resorts, hotels, bars, restaurants, markets, shopping centres, tourist attractions, foreign diplomatic and consular missions, polling stations, ferry terminals and airports. The risk is higher around Christmas, Easter, New Year, Chinese New Year, Nyepi, Islamic festivals such as Ramadan, national and local elections and the presidential inauguration, so take particular care in crowded places.
• Rainy season landslides — From October to April floods, landslides and slips are frequent, including in urban areas and the capital, often leaving parts of Jakarta and stretches of Java and Sumatra impassable. Intense tropical storms are common. The Indonesian authorities' emergency response capacity can be uneven, and consular assistance for foreigners can be very limited when basic infrastructure is damaged or events happen in remote or hard-to-reach places.
• Earthquakes and tsunamis — The whole country is highly seismic, because the archipelago sits near the Pacific Ring of Fire. Earthquakes are frequent and also of considerable intensity: about 4,000 a year, of which only around a hundred exceed magnitude 5.5. Strong ones can strike anywhere in the archipelago, less often in Kalimantan and south-west Sulawesi, and they can trigger tsunamis, a particular vulnerability given the seaside character of the main tourist resorts. Sumatra's west coast, on the Indian Ocean, has been hit by tsunamis several times.
• Sumatra smoke haze — Every dry season, forest fires on Sumatra, particularly around Jambi, Riau, Bengkulu and South Sumatra, produce dense smoke and ash that cut visibility and reach levels dangerous to health. People with breathing problems, pregnant women, children and the elderly are advised to see a doctor before going to affected regions.
• Common crime and assaults — Common crime is present in the big cities and on Lombok and Bali, including residential areas where foreigners live. Armed thefts have left victims injured or dead, and the ministry advises not resisting in a robbery; keep in mind that foreign tourists are seen as better off and can be targeted. Pickpocketing, often by men on scooters, targets foreign women in the evening and near nightclubs. In Jakarta there have been numerous home burglaries and car thefts in recent years. Rapes and sexual harassment have been reported on Bali, Lombok, Labuan Bajo and Flores, and drugs have been used to facilitate rape on Bali, Lombok and the Gili islands: at night avoid poorly lit areas, watch your drink being prepared, never leave it unattended and do not accept drinks from strangers.
• Bali and Lombok crime — Break-ins and thefts continue in tourist accommodation on Bali, and violent robbery aimed at foreign women has increased, in some cases killing the victim; move with maximum caution across the island, above all at night, and deal only with well-known operators rather than freelance guides and intermediaries. On Lombok there have been armed extortions of foreign tourists with pistols and machetes, thefts of hired scooters that often have no plates and no insurance, and cases of western tourists kidnapped and killed.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 28 September 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. Where a guide's profile shows “Licence verified”, we found that licence in the official public register; otherwise 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 28 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 7 October 2026.