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Travel guide

SIM card, e-wallet and apps for Indonesia

Set up your phone before you cross to the islands. A Telkomsel SIM keeps you reachable, an e-wallet makes paying in town easy, and a handful of apps take care of rides, maps and translation.

Checked by the DAMPIER team on November 6, 2026

SIM card

Choose Telkomsel

Telkomsel is the only network that works reliably in Raja Ampat. Waisai has 4G, but on most islands there is signal only near the village or on certain beaches, and towers sometimes go down for a while. Other networks work in Sorong but rarely beyond it.

  • Travel eSIM, bought before you fly

    Buy a data eSIM online at home and switch it on when you land. It runs as roaming, so your phone does not need to be registered in Indonesia. Pick one that uses the Telkomsel network, or it may not work in Raja Ampat. Most come with data only, without an Indonesian phone number.

  • Telkomsel tourist card on arrival

    Pre-order the Tourist Prepaid Card on the Telkomsel website, or buy it at an official Telkomsel counter at the airport where you first land in Indonesia. Bring your passport. The staff register your phone, so the card works for up to 90 days, and you get an Indonesian number for WhatsApp, Gojek and Grab. One passport can hold up to three cards.

    Telkomsel tourist card, opens another website

  • Staying longer than 90 days

    A phone bought abroad must be registered with Indonesian Customs (Bea Cukai) to keep working on an Indonesian SIM after 90 days. Ask at the customs desk when you land, because it is easiest on the day you arrive.

Skip the cheap SIM cards sold at street stalls if your phone was bought abroad. Without registration your phone will not get signal on them.

Before you cross to the islands

  • Buy data packages in the MyTelkomsel app, or top up credit (pulsa) at any phone shop or minimarket.
  • Dial *888# to check your credit and data.
  • Download offline maps, a translator, your bookings and the levy e-ticket while you still have good signal.
  • The emergency number anywhere in Indonesia is 112.

E-wallet

Pay with QRIS

Shops, cafés and drivers in Indonesia take QRIS, one QR code that every e-wallet and banking app can pay. It is common in Sorong and Waisai. In the villages and on the islands, bring cash.

Pay with your own app

If you bank in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea or China, your banking or wallet app may already scan QRIS in Indonesia. Check in your app before you travel.

Set up GoPay in a few minutes

  1. Get your Indonesian number first, from the Telkomsel tourist card.
  2. Download Gojek and sign up with that number. GoPay is the wallet inside the app.
  3. Top up with cash at the cashier of a minimarket such as Indomaret or Alfamart. Say you want to top up GoPay and give your phone number.
  4. Scan the QRIS code at the counter, check the amount and pay.

Without verification GoPay has lower limits. Verifying with a passport is possible but not always accepted. DANA, OVO and ShopeePay work the same way.

Apps

Apps that make Indonesia easier

Install these at home on Wi-Fi. Some need your Indonesian number to sign up.

Gojek, Grab and Maxim work in Sorong. In Waisai only Maxim runs, so book it there, take a local ojek, or ask your homestay to arrange a pickup.

We update this guide regularly, but rules, timetables and fees can change. We only link to official sources we have checked.

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