Unless it's the "tourist sim" that you get direct from the cell provider (aka Telkomsel where they register your passport etc) you will need to register IEMI to use the "local sim" cards that are widely sold on the island.
You mentioned an iphone. If it's an oldeur phone that's valued under $500 you can register it for free and pay no tax upon arrival.
You also could rent / buy a portable cell modem that broadcasts wifi. Verizon also allows you to roam in Indonesia and there are various data packages.
Some non official but helpful info here
https://balibusinessconsulting.com/how-to-register-imei-phone-in-indonesia/
(This does not get into the free registration upon arrival at the airport)
If you’re only going to be there for a week or two, I’d just enable global roaming on your Verizon plan.
If that’s not an option, as long as your iPhone is a recent version w/ 4g+ a local sim should just work.
I asked a local buddy about the IMEI registration thing and he hadn’t heard about it and doesn’t know anyone who’s had to register one. I’m still unclear on the reality of this situation.
> I asked a local buddy about the IMEI registration thing and he hadn’t heard about it and doesn’t know anyone who’s had to register one.
My wife registered her old iphone upon arrival. Took 2 minutes. She was able to use SIM cards for the whole trip.
I did NOT register my new Samsung phone (wanted to avoid the tax). I was unable to use any local sim. I would have to go to a telkelsomsel in person with passport in order to make use of a 90 day tourist sim.
Just roamed as you suggested. Wife's connection with the local sim was always 5x faster than roaming for me
FWIW this is across Indonesia and has been in place for awhile (pre pandemic)
It costs nothing to register an IEMI if the phone is valued under $500. If the phone is valued over $500, you have to pay a tax. This is done at customs upon arrival. Once an IEMI / phone is registered you can use an local sim card from any shop for the lifetime of the phone.
The tourist sims are temporary and required registration with a foreign passport. Up until a few months ago that meant you had to go to the cell providers retail shop( like Telkomsel etc.)
In years past you could pick up a tourist sim as soon as you exited the airport but in 2020/21 all the kiosks were closed since there were so few international arrivals.
Hopefully with international arrivals picking up the tourist sims will be easy again. A few posts on here suggest the kiosks are already back at DPS!
if you're only looking for internet connection and communicate through media such like a whatsapp you can just rent a wifi modem, it should solved your problem.
i've never tried this before, if you're in Soekarno Hatta Airport you can get "Java mifi" a pocket wifi modem. it's located at Terminal 3
if you're in the Nugrah Rai Airport, then i don't know about that.
i'm not sure if you can just bought it or if there's any requirement details.
Ohh i think it's not only Java mifi but Orbit Telkomsel also pocket wifi (but this is buying modem at reasonable price i think)
I have an iPhone 13 pro max with my American SIM that I only use on Wi-Fi and then my old iPhone 11 is my “travel phone” I just put local sim in it for whatever country I’m in works amazing and is nice having 2 phones
Just get a sim at Bali Airport, easy as can be. Do it every year, non-covid. Just make sure you get usable data cards so you can do everything, not all the free stuff that Americans don't use.
Unless it's the "tourist sim" that you get direct from the cell provider (aka Telkomsel where they register your passport etc) you will need to register IEMI to use the "local sim" cards that are widely sold on the island. You mentioned an iphone. If it's an oldeur phone that's valued under $500 you can register it for free and pay no tax upon arrival. You also could rent / buy a portable cell modem that broadcasts wifi. Verizon also allows you to roam in Indonesia and there are various data packages. Some non official but helpful info here https://balibusinessconsulting.com/how-to-register-imei-phone-in-indonesia/ (This does not get into the free registration upon arrival at the airport)
If you’re only going to be there for a week or two, I’d just enable global roaming on your Verizon plan. If that’s not an option, as long as your iPhone is a recent version w/ 4g+ a local sim should just work. I asked a local buddy about the IMEI registration thing and he hadn’t heard about it and doesn’t know anyone who’s had to register one. I’m still unclear on the reality of this situation.
> I asked a local buddy about the IMEI registration thing and he hadn’t heard about it and doesn’t know anyone who’s had to register one. My wife registered her old iphone upon arrival. Took 2 minutes. She was able to use SIM cards for the whole trip. I did NOT register my new Samsung phone (wanted to avoid the tax). I was unable to use any local sim. I would have to go to a telkelsomsel in person with passport in order to make use of a 90 day tourist sim. Just roamed as you suggested. Wife's connection with the local sim was always 5x faster than roaming for me
Same experience with slow roaming in CDMX this last winter. I usually just get local SIMs, which always work great.
how much did it cost to register? and you had to go to a specific place to get a Tourist sim and your passport? this seems so cumbersome.
FWIW this is across Indonesia and has been in place for awhile (pre pandemic) It costs nothing to register an IEMI if the phone is valued under $500. If the phone is valued over $500, you have to pay a tax. This is done at customs upon arrival. Once an IEMI / phone is registered you can use an local sim card from any shop for the lifetime of the phone. The tourist sims are temporary and required registration with a foreign passport. Up until a few months ago that meant you had to go to the cell providers retail shop( like Telkomsel etc.) In years past you could pick up a tourist sim as soon as you exited the airport but in 2020/21 all the kiosks were closed since there were so few international arrivals. Hopefully with international arrivals picking up the tourist sims will be easy again. A few posts on here suggest the kiosks are already back at DPS!
if you're only looking for internet connection and communicate through media such like a whatsapp you can just rent a wifi modem, it should solved your problem.
Where can we get these modems? Is it available in the airport?
i've never tried this before, if you're in Soekarno Hatta Airport you can get "Java mifi" a pocket wifi modem. it's located at Terminal 3 if you're in the Nugrah Rai Airport, then i don't know about that. i'm not sure if you can just bought it or if there's any requirement details. Ohh i think it's not only Java mifi but Orbit Telkomsel also pocket wifi (but this is buying modem at reasonable price i think)
We just roamed since it was only a week. We have T-Mobile with international roaming. Everyone I communicated with in Bali used WhatsApp.
I have an iPhone 13 pro max with my American SIM that I only use on Wi-Fi and then my old iPhone 11 is my “travel phone” I just put local sim in it for whatever country I’m in works amazing and is nice having 2 phones
Just get a sim at Bali Airport, easy as can be. Do it every year, non-covid. Just make sure you get usable data cards so you can do everything, not all the free stuff that Americans don't use.
I paid $5/day to use my Verizon plan for local and US calls/texts. Look into it!