All Indonesia Arrival Card: the complete traveler guide
What the All Indonesia Arrival Card is, who needs one, what it replaced, and how the unified digital declaration works before you fly.
The All Indonesia Arrival Card is the single digital declaration every traveler must submit before entering Indonesia. It merges the old paper arrival card, the customs declaration, and the health form into one online submission that ends with a QR code. Submission on the official government portal has no cost, and it must be completed within the three days before you arrive.
- What: one digital form replacing the paper arrival card, customs e-CD, and health declaration.
- Who: every traveler entering Indonesia, any nationality, any age, including infants.
- When: within 3 days before arrival — not earlier.
- Cost: no-cost on the official portal. It is not a visa and not the Bali tourist levy.
- Result: a QR code you present at check-in and on arrival. Save it offline.
What the All Indonesia Arrival Card actually is
For years, arriving in Indonesia meant filling in paperwork on the plane: an immigration arrival card, a customs declaration form, and — depending on the period — a health declaration. Travelers routinely landed with three separate slips, often completed badly, in a queue, with a borrowed pen.
The All Indonesia system consolidates all of that into one online declaration managed by the Directorate General of Immigration. You complete it before you travel, and the system issues a single QR code that immigration and customs officers scan on arrival.
The important shift is not just the format. It is timing. The declaration now happens before departure, which means an error is something you fix at home rather than something that holds up a queue at Ngurah Rai or Soekarno-Hatta.
Quick summary: one pre-travel online form replaced three paper forms filled in on arrival.
Who has to submit one
The rule is deliberately broad. The declaration applies to everyone crossing into Indonesian territory, regardless of nationality, purpose, or length of stay.
| Traveler type | Declaration required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tourists and visitors | Yes | Includes short stays and transit that clears immigration. |
| Indonesian citizens returning | Yes | Nationality does not exempt you. |
| Foreign residents (KITAS / KITAP) | Yes | Required on each entry, not once per permit. |
| Business and official travel | Yes | Same form regardless of travel purpose. |
| Infants and children | Yes | Each traveler needs an individual declaration and QR code. |
| Crew members | Varies | Airline and maritime crew follow separate operational procedures. |
The point that catches families out most often is the last-but-one row. A baby with their own passport needs their own declaration. There is no "family submission" that covers everyone under one QR code — a detail we cover in depth in our guide to submitting the arrival card for children and families.
Quick summary: if you cross the border, you declare — including children, residents, and returning citizens.
What the form asks for
The declaration is grouped into four blocks. Nothing in it is unusual, but several fields need documents in front of you rather than memory.
Identity and document data
Full name exactly as printed in your passport, passport number, nationality, date of birth, and expiry date. The name field is the single most common source of problems: it must match the machine-readable zone of your passport, not the version you normally use socially.
Travel and stay details
Arrival date, point of entry, airline and flight number, and your address in Indonesia. Travelers moving between islands should give the address of the first accommodation, not the final one.
Health declaration
A short set of questions about symptoms and recent travel history. Answer honestly; the health block is the section where guessing carries real consequences.
Customs declaration
Goods you are carrying, currency above the reporting threshold, and items subject to duty. This block replaces the old e-CD form and is explained field by field in our Indonesia customs declaration guide.
For the full checklist of what to gather before you open the form, see our breakdown of Indonesia Arrival Card requirements.
Quick summary: four blocks — identity, travel, health, customs — most of which need your actual documents at hand.
The three-day window
This is the rule travelers most often get wrong, and it is unforgiving in an unusual direction: you cannot submit too early.
The declaration must be completed within the three days preceding your arrival. Submit a week ahead and the system will not accept the entry date. Travelers who plan meticulously often try to get it done a month before departure, then discover at the airport that they have nothing to show.
The most reliable moment is the day before departure, once your flight is confirmed and you know your seat is not going to be rebooked. If you have a long multi-leg journey, calculate from your arrival date in Indonesia, not your departure date from home.
Long-haul travelers crossing the date line need particular care here. We work through the edge cases — overnight flights, connections, delayed rebookings — in our guide on when to submit the arrival card.
Quick summary: submit inside the 3 days before arrival; earlier submissions are rejected.
What you get, and what to do with it
After submission the system generates a digital document with a QR code. That code is the proof of your declaration, and it is linked to the specific data you entered.
You will typically be asked for it twice: at airline check-in or boarding, where staff confirm you are documented for entry, and at the arrival gates in Indonesia.
Three habits make this painless:
- Download the PDF rather than relying on the email. Airport connectivity is unpredictable, and a webmail login at the gate is a bad plan.
- Screenshot the QR code to your phone's photo gallery so it survives a dead data connection.
- Print a copy if you can. It costs nothing and covers a flat battery.
Our dedicated article on saving and presenting the QR code covers what to do if the email never arrives.
Quick summary: the QR code is the deliverable — keep it offline, in more than one place.
What the arrival card is not
Three distinct things get confused constantly, and conflating them is the most expensive mistake in this whole process.
| Arrival Card | Visa / e-VOA | Bali Tourist Levy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Declares your entry data | Grants permission to enter | Regional tourism contribution |
| Cost | No-cost | Paid (unless exempt) | Paid, Bali only |
| Who needs it | Everyone | Depends on nationality | Foreign visitors to Bali |
| When | Within 3 days of arrival | Before travel | Before or on arrival in Bali |
Holding an arrival card QR code does not mean you are cleared to enter Indonesia. If your nationality requires a visa or an e-VOA, you need that separately — see arrival card versus visa. And if you are flying to Bali specifically, the tourist levy is a third, unrelated payment, explained in our Bali arrival card and levy guide.
Quick summary: the arrival card is a declaration, not a permission and not a fee.
Common failure points
Most rejected or problematic declarations trace back to a small set of causes: a name that does not match the passport, a passport number transcribed with a confused 0/O, an arrival date entered in the wrong format, or a submission made outside the three-day window.
Because the QR code is bound to the data you declared, a mismatch between your declaration and your documents is what creates friction at the counter. Our guide to common arrival card mistakes walks through how to correct each of them, and the step-by-step completion walkthrough shows the form field by field.
Quick summary: almost every problem is a typo or a timing error, both preventable.
The official declaration has no cost and you can complete it yourself on the government portal. If you would rather have your details reviewed before submission, our optional assisted service checks your entries against your documents and helps you keep the QR code safe. It is a paid convenience, never a requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Is the All Indonesia Arrival Card no-cost? Yes. Submission on the official government portal costs nothing and requires no account. Any charge you pay is for an optional third-party assistance service, not for the declaration itself.
How far in advance can I submit it? Within the three days before your arrival date. Earlier submissions are not accepted by the system.
Do children and babies need their own? Yes. Every traveler with a passport needs an individual declaration and their own QR code, regardless of age.
Does the arrival card replace my visa? No. It is a declaration of your travel data. Visa requirements depend on your nationality and are handled through a separate process.
What happens if I arrive without one? You may be directed to complete the declaration on arrival, which means queuing at the airport. Some airlines also check for it before boarding.
Can I edit my declaration after submitting? Corrections are possible in some cases, but the practical route is usually to submit a corrected declaration. Check your details carefully before you send it.
Is it the same as the Bali tourist levy? No. The levy is a separate paid contribution that applies only to foreign visitors to Bali. The arrival card applies nationwide and has no cost.
Do I need internet access at the airport? No, provided you saved the QR code offline as a PDF, screenshot, or printout before leaving home.
What if my flight is delayed or rebooked? If your arrival date changes, your declared details no longer match your travel. Submit an updated declaration reflecting the new arrival date and flight.
Do transit passengers need one? If you pass through immigration control, yes. Passengers remaining airside in international transit generally do not, but confirm the rule for your specific routing.
Last updated: 20 July 2026. This guide is independent traveler information. The official declaration can be completed at no cost at the official All Indonesia portal of the Directorate General of Immigration. Requirements can change; always confirm current rules before travel.