Jakarta airport arrival nightmare

I have been flying into Soekarno Hatta airport since 2013 for occasional business/pleasure trips.

Unfortunately most expat contributors on this Forum are full time residents and so may not have experienced the recent changes to the arrival process which I feel is incumbent upon me to point out especially for foreigners arriving for the first time in Indonesia.

I arrived from Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam on a lunchtime flight last Friday. Hitherto I have never had any major issues with the bureaucratic immigration process which all countries expect you to endure including the UK my domiciled habitat.

Terminal 3 is a big improvement on T2. Most (if not all) international flights come through T3. Departure is a pleasant experience even with immigration.

Pre covid the visiting visa fee was about £25 ($35) and still is. As a visitor you need to queue up at one of the 'visa on arrival' desks to pay for your visa. I had my $35 dollars in cash all ready with a big smile on my face. Handed over my new Brexit passport along with the cash to the smiling lady behind the desk. (Side bar - Indonesians are some of the most charming people I have ever met in Asia - a genuine warmth that I have never experienced in any other country)

She checked the greenbacks some of which had the incorrect serial numbers for them to accept. I did not have sufficient equivalent in IDR's.(Silly me). Stuck at the 1st hurdle? No! Oh we accept credit/debit card sir I handed over my trusted US JP Morgan Chase bank (Parisian blue) debit card. Terimah Kasih Pah The lady gave me a QR code on a piece of paper to hand over to immigration.

So I then proceed to immigration (the 2nd hurdle). I was expecting a queue but it was not that long but there were quite a few Indians ahead of me (never choose a line with Indians if you can avoid it) But this was one single line. Queued for about 30 minutes (groan) and my turn came. Showed my Brexit (sorry I'd forgotten I said that) passport to the immigration official along with my QR (something on that later) to the immigration official who stamped it. I was there for 30 seconds. Anyone who has ever been behind me at an airport queue adore me,. Nuff said. Of course Indonesian citizens which include our very own Fred would use one of the many automated gates and be through in seconds. I can just picture Fred wrapped up in his Indonesian flag with a big smile on his face..

On to the baggage claim belt where my suitcase was waiting for me. I suppose the time spent at immigration is negated in part by not having to wait at the carousel .

Arrival procedure completed. Noooooooo Lotus. Rolling my suitcase with a big smile towards the customs channel. But there were automated gates with an airport official. Something was not quite right but I could not configure. Showed my passport to the official who said I don't have customs clearance. What the F--K 😳

Unbeknown to me you had to fill out an online customs clearance form ( never had this before in ANY airport) My phone had charge (what if it or my laptop did not? 🙄) but I did not have (unlike Fred) an Indonesian sim card as that is in arrivals hall. Somehow managed to get a connection. You then had to download the QR code (on a board nearby - other foreigners running around like headless chickens) and fill out the online form which I did. Back to the customs gate. Showed official QR code on phone. His gadget could not read it because not bright enough. Brain fog (forgotten where the brightness control is on my iphone). Feeling bloody minded at this stage so gave the phone to him knowing he could locate it immediately which he did - bless.

So finally through hurdle number 3. For future reference you can complete this form online 48 hours (check this, might be 24)before departure.

Into arrivals hall. Get sim card which was efficiently dealt with. Now when you arrived at the old T2 you came out to the taxi forecourt where as is the case in many airports you are bombarded with the (taxi " we want to rip you off" ) merchants. Well if you have visited Indonesia before you will know to always use the Bluebird brand (there are one or two ) others but they are not as ubiquitous. Because the rip off merchants bag the prime pick up spaces you often have to navigate your way to the Bluebird stand which at T2 was fairly straightforward.

Alas not at T3. Its a route march where you pass a long row of rip off merchant taxis that nobody wants to use in order to reach the melee surrounding the Bluebird pick up point. Yes this was hurdle 4 fellow expat readers.

I was the only Bule (foreigner) there standing like a lemon not knowing what the procedure was. Eventually figured out you had to get a ticket from a ticket machine hidden from view. My ticket was  sequenced about 100 back in the queue. But the Bluebird guy calling out your numbers was using Bahasa (Fred where are you!) So I never knew when my ticket was going to be called. No you could not make it up if you tried. Eventually after a half hour wait boarded the taxi exhausted. Heaven help me if I had arrived on a long haul flight from London with 7 hours jetlag in tow.

I often compare the two megapolis's Jakarta & Manila . In 9 out of 10 cases Jakarta wins hands down. Manila has no visa fee. The time taken from aircraft door at Ninoy Aquino to taxi stand is about 45 mins. Sometimes 30 mins. The yellow cab taxis are metred and the girl at the ticket booth gives you a receipt. Never thought I would miss Manila..

NB Please note my previous arrivals at T3 I have been met by arranged drivers