New members of the Indonesia forum, introduce yourselves here - 2022

Hello, My name is Jason. I am currently living in Orlando, Florida. I wish to move to Jakarta as my girlfriend currently lives there. However due to Indonesia's strict KITAS requirements, I will be forced to teach elsewhere in southeast Asia for close to 5 years. This is unfortunate as it will impact, our eventual wedding plans. I just recently graduated from university and completed my 188 hour TEFL course. Since I have no experience to speak of, I will have to start at the bottom and work my way up. I am looking at Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, or perhaps the Philippines. Somewhere without as much pressure and still close enough to fly over and see her as often as possible.

A KITAS is easy for an american married to an Indonesian, but hard work if not.

Available visa to enter Indonesia

1.Evisa B211
2. Kites

Visa B211 requirements

1.passport copy
2.vaccination certificate
3.selfie photo or studio photo

Have you thought about investing and applying for investor kitas.

I have, as she owns and runs her own clinic. But I am not sure what the minimum financial threshold would be

See if you can be put as co-owner of the business,  then I would say you could easily get investors kitas, if you need assistance send me a pm and I can organise someone to help you with your application

shaunfindlay1976 wrote:

See if you can be put as co-owner of the business,  then I would say you could easily get investors kitas, if you need assistance send me a pm and I can organise someone to help you with your application

Easy if you have enough cash to open a PT PMA - Expensive to say the least.
I'm not recommending this site because I know nothing about them, but it does give you some essentials

https://www.cekindo.com/services/regist … JPEALw_wcB

Also, it would be advisable for potential expats to watch out for dodgy immigration consultants that offer visas with disputable legality. Seen them here before and they still operate on facebook.

Thank you for your suggestions. It appears I have been offered a position at Wall Street English. Which is as I'm sure you're aware a one year contract. The good news is I am there with her, the bad news is I don't believe it counts as any meaningful experience for an International school down the road. I have to weigh this.

Wall street operate legally and it will get you started.

Hey everyone, I'm a British national, and I'm hoping to make the move to Indonesia (Jakarta) in particular in the summer. There's a lot I have yet to do and work out, and I hope this forum can help me on my journey.

Of course if I can help others in any way, I'd be happy to do so

I used to be a British national but Indonesia is so impressive I became Indonesian.
I hope you enjoy your time here as much as I do.

This may be off topic, but what is the level of  "culture shock." It is the one thing I can't completely account for. I have only been to the Bahamas for a week and Costa Rica for 2 weeks. I loved Costa Rica and I feel like I acclimated fairly quickly. It probably helped that I speak passable Spanish and my ex-wife was from there. How Ex-pat friendly is Jakarta? I intend to learn their language at some point as I plan on living there for good. I'm assuming most natives without higher education or international school experience probably don't speak English well or at all.

Get everything you know about the US, and life in the US, then forget the lot.
The big malls will seems very familiar, but not much else.

As for language - Learn 'thank you', the numbers, and "How much?". That'll get you started, but Google translate will get you there.

Also. make sure your phone is unlocked to any network, but you may be better dumping it as registering a foreign phone may be an issue.  Unlocked phones are everywhere here.

I was thinking about buying a new phone when I get there. I need a new one anyway. I have heard that Korea gets better phones than America and that they are easier to purchase in Indonesia. Northern Jakarta seems pretty modern and the malls are unbelievable. 8 stories? We don't have anything like that here. I guess Tokopedia and Shoppee are essentially Amazon there.

I have never used Tokopedia but I have used Shoppee - I won't be using the latter again.
I'll let you decide why that may be.

As for phones, I tried a load out - I didn't like any of the Chinese ones but Samsung sell a wide range of units from cheap to not even close to cheap. Pretty much everything they sell has 2 SIM slots (not the tablets).
I always buy from a Samsung shop but it really doesn't matter as far as guarantees are concerned because they have service centres everywhere.
If you really want to go for it, the S22 is shockingly WOW! So is the price.
Top end Samsung phones have DeX - Plug them into a monitor with a keyboard and mouse and you have a functional computer.

If you need a cheap computer for internet, word processing, and all the other basic stuff, look at Samsung's Chromebooks. They start stupidly cheap but are faster than you'd believe. Plenty of Chromebook options, but I liked the Samsungs because they were cheap, light, and used a phone style charger that slips into your pocket with ease.

All the malls have a selection of phone shops, but you need a tech mall for computer stuff. ITC Manga Dua and 2 others within walking distance. Ratu Plaza used to be amazing but a lot of shops have closed there.

You wouldn't happen to know about the current tourist visa requirements? Who initiates the process? I want to acclimate for a bit before I start work.

Jason Gereau wrote:

You wouldn't happen to know about the current tourist visa requirements? Who initiates the process? I want to acclimate for a bit before I start work.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel … 435%20USD.

The US site suggests you should not travel here due to terrorism and a series of other total crap they seem to have invented due to a really crap understanding of the country. If you visit a few areas such as bits of Sulawesi and Papua, yes, there are problems, but to issue a blanket warning not to travel is blind idiocy at best.
As for the weather and earthquake stuff - it's sensationalist rubbish.  New Orleans gets worse weather, and California gets worth quakes - ignore them.

Unless this has been altered due to covid, US citizens can get a 30 day (Not a month) free VOA, but you have the option to pay for an extendable visa that will allow you up to 60 days including the extension.
There's also a 60 day SosBud you can extend twice = 6 months - Your girlfriend can sponsor you for that one, but you may be asked to prove you have enough cash to live on.

If you work for someone (assuming the rules haven't changed), you'll have to leave the country to get the telex for the KITAS, but that can be any country. Most seem to go to Singapore but I have a soft spot for KL, Malaysia, so I went there.

I welcome corrections to the above as I'm years out of date.

I've been offered a position as well at a lower tier international school. They are willing to hire me with no experience. I'm assuming the work permit would be an under the table massaging or fudging of my qualifications with the Ministry of manpower. So what do you think? Bad idea or would it be the school that is on the hook, since they are the ones paying the "Bule tax"

Perhaps saying that I have 5 years experience when I don't. I would assume the government would only watch the top tier schools like a hawk and pay less attention to the lower tier schools.

Jason Gereau wrote:

I've been offered a position as well at a lower tier international school. They are willing to hire me with no experience. I'm assuming the work permit would be an under the table massaging or fudging of my qualifications with the Ministry of manpower. So what do you think? Bad idea or would it be the school that is on the hook, since they are the ones paying the "Bule tax"

I have been assured it's impossible for someone to work legally (or roughly legally) without the required degree and so on. That information has the slight issue of being utter rubbish. Look at a hundred job ads and you'll see what I mean.
As long as you don't make any false claims, it hardly matters what the employer does as you aren't guilty of anything.  Also, the chances of anyone checking are remote at best once the first visa has been granted.

Jason Gereau wrote:

Perhaps saying that I have 5 years experience when I don't. I would assume the government would only watch the top tier schools like a hawk and pay less attention to the lower tier schools.

Absolutely no idea, but I know people get jobs with all the legal paperwork sorted out.

Well, I have 188 hour Level 5 TEFL and a BA. I plan on working on a MA sometime later this year. Just no experience outside of some volunteer teaching ESOL for 10 weeks or so.

I see a lot of ads for teachers that insist on the TEFL and degree, but not the experience. Some ask for the degree and say they will put you through the course when you get here.

Hi there,

Thank you for accepting us on your platform!

We are Christelle and Fred from Perth, Australia. We have a business (resort) on Nusa Lembongan. Want to relocate to Bali more permanent from October 2022. We are looking at different health insurance plans that suits expats. Do you have any current suggestions please?

Thank you in advance!

Watch out for anyone in malls or other more expensive venues trying to see health insurance at stupid prices.
The last one I told to sod off asked me how much I wanted to pay rather than explain what benefits were available for each level of premiums. They treat you like idiots so treat them as scumbags.
I know BCA and other banks sell insurance at far more reasonable rates. That sort of stuff is explained on their sites.

Forgive the impertinence, do you have any tips or tricks for drowning out the call to prayer if a Mosque is within loudspeaker distance from your residence? Thanks.

Jason Gereau wrote:

Forgive the impertinence, do you have any tips or tricks for drowning out the call to prayer if a Mosque is within loudspeaker distance from your residence? Thanks.

There's a big debate about this at the moment. My normal advice is visit a potential new house just before prayer time so you know what you're getting into.

I have other thoughts, but none will happen so there's little point in bothering.

Jason Gereau wrote:

Forgive the impertinence, do you have any tips or tricks for drowning out the call to prayer if a Mosque is within loudspeaker distance from your residence? Thanks.

Hi Jason

The majority of Indonesian citizens are Muslim.  You can't just stop the call to prayer.  Because you will be dealing with millions of Muslims in Indonesia.  Maybe you should choose a place to live that is far from the mosque.  Or you can live in an apartment by choosing the top floor so that the call to prayer is not too audible to you.

Actually, the call to prayer only lasts a short time, but unfortunately lately many mosques have added praise to the prophet Muhammad or read the quran using mosque sound system.  In the past, mosques were rarely like that.  If someone praises the name of the prophet muhammad or reads the quran without using the mosque's sound system.  Except at certain moments.  Usually during the month of Ramadhan or during Eid al-Adha.

You seem to be in culture shock.  Be patient. April will start Ramadhan.  So you will very often hear voices from the mosque. 😊

I am most likely going to be living in the Kelapa Gading area of North Jakarta. Does anyone have any experience with that part of town?

Couple of shopping centers (that applies to almost everywhere in Indonesia) and some bits of it flood. 

https://youtu.be/QO_Pc68o3ZI

Perhaps pack a pair of wellies

Also, not a long way a way from some delicious electronics shops.

Fred wrote:

Couple of shopping centers (that applies to almost everywhere in Indonesia) and some bits of it flood. 

https://youtu.be/QO_Pc68o3ZI

Perhaps pack a pair of wellies

Also, not a long way a way from some delicious electronics shops.

My office warehouse is in the Pulo Gadung area. Not far from the Kelapa Gading area. Mr. fred is right, As far as I know, every heavy and continuous rain will flood.

My recommendation is the BSD area or if you are looking for a location close to the center of Jakarta. The Kuningan or Menteng area may be quite recommended. With a notes of middle and upper housing or apartments.

Ryan_chaniago wrote:

My office warehouse is in the Pulo Gadung area. Not far from the Kelapa Gading area. Mr. fred is right, As far as I know, every heavy and continuous rain will flood.

My recommendation is the BSD area or if you are looking for a location close to the center of Jakarta. The Kuningan or Menteng area may be quite recommended. With a notes of middle and upper housing or apartments.

If memory serves, Menteng, last time I went, required me to roll up my trousers and take my shoes off to get back to my car, and I still got my trousers soaked (Not a beer thing, the ruddy flooding ). Aside from that, transport from BSD to a central Jakarta office will kill you.

Hi guys,

Nice to meet all of you. My name is Andreas and I will be moving from Belgium to Indonesia in August and am planning to stay there for the unforeseen future.

I'm moving with my girlfriend who is half Indonesia and also has a son over there.

Even though I look very Asian (I was adopted from the Philippines) I am very much a Belgian European.

I barely know anything about the expat lifestyle and was hoping if some of you might have some great tips for me to help me on my journey in this new country!

I thank you guys in advance and will be forever grateful for all your help!

Loves,

Andreas

Lifestyle depends on the expat, how much money they have, and what sort of attitude they have to life.
The money I have coming in along with what's squirrelled away in the bank puts me in the upper middle class range, but I hang around in shorts and a T shirt, spend little and, apart from electronic toys, my biggest non-essential purchase is a Starbucks coffee - but I'm commonly to be seen sipping away in Indomaret point or a street warkop. That same money back in England is bugger all.

Lifestyle has a lot more to do with attitude than it does cash for anyone with any sort of European money available.

Hi Fred,

Thanks for the advice. It looks like you are living a very nice lifestyle which I can much appreciate. It's true that life is not about money and a lot more to do with attitude.

Do you or any one else here has any tips for finding work?

Cheers and keep tight!

Andreas

Work is hard work.
Indonesian policy is "Indonesians first", thus it can be quite difficult to find a job.
A visa is what you really need to think about as time in Indonesia is limited for those without an official job or married to an Indonesian.

As a rule of thumb, working requires a degree and experience in your field, but rules aren't always rules in Indonesia.

Hello I'm Stuart from Ballarat Australia. I'm looking to retire in Bali in 4 years at 60. At present I be starting on a budget of 20k a year   Need lots advice on accommodations health care school. Have spent quite a bit of time on Java as my wife is originally from Jakarta. We do own a block of land on Java at kota banjar however there I haven't got access to quality things as in Bali. Happy to become friends n talk with people