Indonesia Digital Arrival Card: How to Fill Out Your e-CD Before You Land

Since 2024, Indonesian customs has stopped handing out paper arrival cards entirely. If you show up at Soekarno-Hatta or Ngurah Rai without a completed e-CD, you will be pulled aside to fill one out at a kiosk while everyone else walks past you to collect their bags. In 2026, this is still catching travellers off guard — especially those connecting through regional hubs who assume the process works the same as other Southeast Asian countries. It does not. Here is exactly what you need to do before your plane lands.

What the e-CD Actually Is (and Why It Replaced Paper Forms)

The e-CD stands for Electronic Customs Declaration. It is a mandatory digital form that every single person entering Indonesia must complete — tourists, business travellers, expats returning home, and children travelling with their families. There are no exceptions based on nationality or visa type.

Before late 2023, you would receive a paper customs declaration card on the plane or collect one at the airport. That system is fully gone. The Directorate General of Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai) now requires digital submission, ideally completed before you land. The goal is to cut queue times and reduce paper errors, and when travellers actually do it in advance, it works. The problem is that a significant number of people still arrive unprepared.

Each family member needs their own separate e-CD. A family of four means four individual submissions, four QR codes. You cannot submit one form on behalf of another adult.

How to Fill Out Your e-CD Step by Step

The official website is ecd.beacukai.go.id. Open it on any browser — phone or desktop both work fine. Complete the form within 72 hours before your scheduled arrival. Do it at home with good Wi-Fi rather than scrambling on airport Wi-Fi mid-layover.

1. Start New Declaration — Hit the button to begin a new submission.
2. Personal Information — Enter your full name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, and gender exactly as they appear in your passport. A single character mismatch can cause problems at customs. Include your email address; this is where your QR code confirmation arrives.
3. Flight and Arrival Details — Enter your flight number, arrival date, and port of arrival. For airports, this means selecting Soekarno-Hatta (CGK), Ngurah Rai (DPS), Kualanamu (KNO), or whichever airport applies. If you are arriving by boat, select the relevant terminal — Batam Centre, Sri Bintan Pura, or Benoa, for example.
4. Accommodation Address — Your first hotel, guesthouse, villa, or a private residence works. If you have not booked yet, use your first confirmed address. This field cannot be left blank.



5. Customs Declaration — Declare everything required (see the section below). Answer truthfully.
6. Review and Submit — Read through every field before you hit submit. Corrections after submission are not straightforward.
7. Save Your QR Code — Once submitted, a QR code is generated immediately. Screenshot it, save it to your camera roll, and email it to yourself. A printed copy also works as backup. This is what customs officers will scan when you arrive.

What You Must Declare at Indonesian Customs

The declaration section is where most people feel uncertain. Indonesian customs rules are specific, and ignorance is not accepted as an excuse. Here is what triggers a declaration requirement:

• Alcohol: Maximum 1 litre per adult. Anything above this must be declared and may be subject to duty or confiscation.
• Tobacco: Maximum 200 cigarettes, 25 cigars, or 100 grams of sliced tobacco per adult.
• Cash and currency: Any amount exceeding IDR 100,000,000 — or the equivalent in foreign currency — must be declared. Undeclared amounts above this threshold can be confiscated.
• New goods purchased abroad: If the total value exceeds USD 500 per person, declare it. This applies to electronics, clothing, jewellery, and similar items bought overseas.
• Medication: Prescription medication, especially controlled substances, must be declared and supported by a doctor’s prescription or medical letter.
• Plants, animals, and animal products: All require permits and must be declared without exception.
• Commercial goods: If you are carrying items in quantities that suggest resale rather than personal use, declare them.

If you are unsure whether something needs declaring, declare it anyway. Customs officers have discretion, and a voluntary declaration is always treated more favourably than a discovered omission.

Getting Your Visa Sorted Before You Touch Down

Your e-CD handles customs. Your visa handles immigration. These are two separate processes, and both need to be right before you queue up.

Visa-Free Entry (30 Days): Citizens of ASEAN member states can enter Indonesia visa-free for up to 30 days. This cannot be extended. If you are from outside ASEAN, do not assume you qualify — as of 2026, the visa-free list for non-ASEAN nationals remains narrow.

Visa on Arrival (VoA): Most Western travellers — including citizens from the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, most EU countries, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand — are eligible for a Visa on Arrival. The fee is IDR 500,000, paid at the VoA counter on arrival. It is valid for 30 days and can be extended once at an immigration office for another 30 days.

e-VoA (Electronic Visa on Arrival): The smarter move is to apply online before you fly. The official site is molina.imigrasi.go.id. You upload a passport scan and photo, pay the same IDR 500,000 fee by card, and receive an e-VoA confirmation by email. Show this at immigration and skip the payment counter queue entirely. In 2026, this system is well-established and straightforward. It remains optional but is highly recommended, particularly for arrivals at DPS where VoA queues can run long.

B211A Social/Cultural Visa: If you plan to stay beyond 60 days — for a longer trip, volunteer work, or visiting family — the B211A visa is what you need. It is valid for 60 days initially and can be extended twice at 60 days each, giving you a maximum of 180 days in Indonesia. You must apply before arriving, through an Indonesian embassy or consulate, or via a licensed visa agent. Fees run from IDR 2,000,000 to IDR 3,000,000 depending on the service provider, with each extension costing approximately IDR 500,000 to IDR 1,000,000.

What Happens at Customs and Immigration When You Land

Knowing the sequence helps you move through the airport without hesitation.

At Soekarno-Hatta (CGK), follow the signs to immigration after disembarking. If you need a VoA and did not get an e-VoA, stop at the VoA counter first and pay IDR 500,000. Then join the main immigration queue. An officer will check your passport, visa, and onward ticket, take your fingerprints, and photograph you. Peak hours — early morning and late afternoon — see immigration waits of 30 to 90 minutes. Off-peak drops to around 15 to 45 minutes. After collecting your baggage, proceed to customs. Hand over your phone showing the e-CD QR code, or pass a printed copy. Your bags go through the X-ray scanner. If you declared items, you may be directed for a secondary check. The whole thing moves quickly if your e-CD is complete and accurate.

At Ngurah Rai (DPS), the process is identical but the waits can be longer — 45 minutes to 2 hours during peak tourist season when multiple international flights land within the same window. The smell of clove cigarettes drifting through the open-air sections of the terminal and the warm, humid air that hits as you step off the jet bridge are your first real signals that you have arrived in Bali. The e-VoA makes a genuine difference here by removing the payment counter step entirely.

Boat arrivals at terminals like Batam Centre, Sri Bintan Pura, and Benoa follow the same sequence. The e-CD is required regardless of how you enter the country.

Airport Transport From CGK and DPS

Once you clear customs, you need to get somewhere. Here are the practical options without the fluff.

From Soekarno-Hatta (CGK)

• Airport Train (KAI Bandara): The most reliable option to central Jakarta. Trains run every 30 minutes during peak hours to BNI City (Sudirman Baru) and Manggarai stations. Journey time is roughly 45 to 60 minutes. Fares run IDR 70,000 to IDR 100,000. Book through the KAI Access app or buy at the station.
• Skytrain (Kalayang): Free automated connector between terminals and the train station — use this to reach the train if you land at Terminal 1 or 2.
• Official Taxi (Blue Bird, Express): Queue at the designated taxi stand. Meter fares to central Jakarta run IDR 150,000 to IDR 250,000, plus toll fees of IDR 20,000 to IDR 30,000.
• Gojek or Grab: Pick-up zones are marked at each terminal. You need a working SIM or roaming data to use these apps. Fares are competitive with taxis.
• Damri Bus: Cheapest option at IDR 50,000 to IDR 80,000 but significantly slower due to traffic.

From Ngurah Rai (DPS)

• Pre-booked hotel transfer: Most hotels and villas in Bali offer airport pickup. Arrange in advance — it removes all the decision-making after a long flight.
• Official Airport Taxi: Fixed-price counters outside arrivals. Expect IDR 200,000 to IDR 400,000 depending on your destination — Kuta, Seminyak, and Ubud all have different rate zones.
• Gojek or Grab: Pick-up zones are in the multi-storey car park, a short walk from the arrivals exit. Cheaper than official taxis, but you need data to book.

2026 Budget Reality: Visa and Entry Costs

Here is what entering Indonesia actually costs in 2026, broken down clearly.

• e-CD submission: Free. No fee at all.
• Visa on Arrival (VoA): IDR 500,000 (approximately USD 30 at current rates). This applies whether you pay at the airport counter or use the e-VoA system online. Same fee either way.



• e-VoA service: IDR 500,000 — no additional processing fee charged by the official government site. Third-party agents may charge extra; use the official site only.
• B211A Social/Cultural Visa: From IDR 2,000,000 direct embassy application; IDR 2,000,000 to IDR 3,000,000 via licensed visa agent; IDR 500,000 to IDR 1,000,000 per 60-day extension.
• Airport Train CGK to central Jakarta: IDR 70,000 to IDR 100,000
• Official taxi CGK to central Jakarta: IDR 150,000 to IDR 250,000 plus tolls
• Official taxi DPS to Seminyak or Kuta: IDR 200,000 to IDR 250,000

Common Mistakes That Slow You Down at the Border

These are the errors that consistently cause delays — and they are all avoidable.

• Skipping the e-CD entirely: You will be directed to a kiosk at the airport to complete it on arrival. This adds 20 to 40 minutes to your customs process while others move through.
• Passport details entered incorrectly: A typo in your passport number or name creates an immediate problem. Match every character exactly.
• No onward or return ticket: Immigration officers at both CGK and DPS will ask for proof. A screenshot of your booking confirmation on your phone is accepted.
• Passport valid for less than 6 months: You will be refused entry. Check the expiry date well before you travel.
• Paying for VoA in foreign cash: Airport VoA counters accept IDR and card. If you pay in USD or AUD, the exchange rate used is unfavourable. Bring an IDR 500,000 note if you have it, or use a card.
• Using a third-party e-VoA website: Several unofficial sites mimic the look of the official immigration portal and charge inflated fees. The only legitimate e-VoA site is molina.imigrasi.go.id.
• Forgetting to declare goods: Customs X-ray machines flag undeclared electronics and large quantities of goods. An honest declaration upfront is far less complicated than explaining an undisclosed item to an officer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I overstay my Indonesian visa?

Overstaying is taken seriously by Indonesian immigration. The penalty is IDR 1,000,000 per day of overstay, payable at the airport upon departure. Significant overstays can result in detention, deportation, and a ban from re-entering Indonesia. Track your visa expiry date carefully and start any extension process at least a week before it lapses.

📷 Featured image by Abdi Rahman H on Unsplash.