The use of cell phone service is limited for foreigners in Indonesia. In short, if you buy a local sim card, your phone will not recognize it, and you will not be able to make phone calls, receive messages or use the Internet.
If you want to be able to use your phone, you will have to register it with EMEI.
There are two ways to do it, depending on the length of your stay in Indonesia: there is EMEI registration for tourists and EMEI registration for those staying longer.
- IMEI registration for tourists. If you are staying Indonesia less than 90 days, you can register your phone in any official mobile operator office. You simply go there with your passport and phone. You do not have to pay tax.
‘Tourist’ registration is done for 3 months and can be extended for 3 more months in the same office. Many offices also register phones for free when you buy a sim card or internet package.
- Long-term IMEI registration. If you are staying in Indonesia longer than 90 days or would like to use local sim cards, you will have to inform the provider about it. You can do that at Jakarta airport or in Bali.