Visiting Indonesia soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing an Indonesia SIM card.
Fortunately, Asia is one of the best places where you can buy a SIM card easily. You should be able to find a cheap SIM card pretty much anywhere in Asia. In fact, most data packages are affordable, which makes the whole thing easier!
In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in Indonesia in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.
Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in Indonesia. If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.
That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate Indonesian – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Indonesia.
Best SIM Cards In Indonesia
If you’re traveling in Indonesia, we recommend using a SIM card from Telkomsel, XL Axiata, Smartfren, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)
That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Asia, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other Asian countries.
How To Buy A SIM Card In Indonesia
You can either buy an Indonesia prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.
Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport. That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.
For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.
Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase an Asia prepaid SIM card online.
Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by Telkomsel, XL Axiata, and Smartfren.
Telkomsel SIM Cards
Telkomsel offers a prepaid tourist plan:
- 25 GB data, one month for IDR 150,000 ($9.66)
XL Axiata SIM Cards
XL Axiata has two different prepaid plans available:
- 15 GB data, 30 days for IDR 41,736 ($2.69)
- 20 GB data, 30 days for IDR 88,946 ($5.73)
As you can see, it is a cheaper option than Telkomsel.
Smarfren SIM Cards
Smartfren offers several SIM-only plans for tourists:
- 6 GB, 30 days, IDR 30,000 ($1.93)
- 12 GB, 30 days, IDR 45,000 ($2.90)
- 30 GB, 30 days, IDR 70,000 ($4.83)
- 45 GB, 30 days, IDR 100,000 ($6.44)
- 60 GB, 30 days, IDR 125,000 ($8.05)
Overall, we think Smartfren is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person. That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!
How To Buy An Indonesia Prepaid SIM Card Online
If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.
You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, the Prepaid Asia-Pacific SIM Card works in more than 17 countries and gives you unlimited data for 14 days. Indonesia is included.
But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.
Another option is to purchase a prepaid Asian SIM card on Simify. This works if you live in the United States or Australia. They currently offer 3 different packages that cover Indonesia:
- 6 GB, valid for 12 days for $25 – works in 13 countries
- 6 GB, valid for 15 days for $40 – works in 18 countries
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $29 – works in 13 countries
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Indonesia or, if you’re traveling to multiple countries, an eSIM plan for Asia.
How To Buy An eSIM Card For Indonesia
eSIM is a new concept allowing you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone. If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in Indonesia.
Curious? Learn more about eSIMs for travelers on eSIM Roamers.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. And I first tried it when visiting my family in Canada. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo. Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs for Indonesia.
Airalo Indonesia
If you want to buy an eSIM for Indonesia, you could purchase one on Airalo. This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Asia and Indonesia. I’ve been using Airalo for several months, and it works fine.
Here are the options available:
- Indotel: 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5.50
- Indotel: 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $11
- Indotel: 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $16.50
- Indotel: 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $24.75
Here’s an overview of the options available for Asia:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5
- 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $13
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $20
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $37
- 50 GB, valid for 90 days for $100
- 100 GB, valid for 180 days for $185
The options mentioned above are part of Asialink and offer coverage in 14 countries, including Indonesia.
Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries that are not mentioned on the list, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 87 countries, including Indonesia.
Here’s an overview of the options available on Discover Global:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
- 3 GB, valid for 15 days for $24
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $35
- 10 GB, valid for 60 days for $59
- 20 GB, valid for 180 days for $89
Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country. Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip. In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.
When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.
Holafly Indonesia
Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.
Here’s an overview of their plans for Indonesia:
- Unlimited data, valid for 5 days for $19
- Unlimited data, valid for 10 days for $34
- Unlimited data, valid for 15 days for $47
- Unlimited data, valid for 20 days for $54
- Unlimited data, valid for 30 days for $64
- Unlimited data, valid for 60 days for $84
- Unlimited data, valid for 90 days for $99
Their Asia eSIM work in 12 countries (including Indonesia), and they offer the following plan:
- 8 GB data for 30 days for $47
Nomad Indonesia
Finally, Nomad is also a great eSIM provider. Here’s an overview of the plans available for Indonesia:
- 1GB, valid for 7 days for $5
- 2GB, valid for 30 days for $10
- 3GB, valid for 30 days for $13
- 5GB, valid for 30 days for $15
Nomad also has APAC, an eSIM plan for Asia. This plan offers coverage in Indonesia. Here’s an overview:
- 1GB, valid for 7 days for $6
- 3GB, valid for 30 days for $15
- 5GB, valid for 30 days for $17
- 10GB, valid for 30 days for $50
- 20GB, valid for 30 days for $69
Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In Indonesia
As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Indonesia or even an eSIM for your travels in Indonesia is pretty straightforward. You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Asia without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase an Asia plan.
I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Indonesia if you wish to have data upon your arrival. This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card. Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.
Heading to Indonesia soon? Read one of the following blog posts:
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