Airport Tax Guide
Last updated: October 16, 2014
A guide to Indonesia’s infamous and confusing passenger service charge.
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NEWSFLASHStarting 1 October 2014, Garuda Indonesia has stopped including airport tax in its ticketed price. Garuda says this is a temporary thing while other airlines (and airports) prepare to implement a new national system of including airport tax in prices. Fingers crossed… In the meantime, Garuda’s budget airline, Citilink, is now the only airline that includes airport tax in the ticket price. Source: Liputan 6 On 1 January 2015, domestic airport tax will increase at Medan Airport to Rp75 000 per person and at Tanjung Pinang to Rp40 000 per person. |
Indonesia is one of the few countries where airport fees are NOT included in the price of the ticket. Visitors to Indonesia often call it “departure tax”, but that is not correct because domestic passengers also pay it. Its official name is PJP2U (Indonesian for passenger service charge), but its working title is airport tax.
How Much Is Airport Tax?
Airport tax is up to Rp40 000 Rp75 000 ($7 €5 £4) per person for domestic flights, and up to Rp150 000 Rp200 000 ($18 €13 £11) per person for international flights. As a general guide, smaller and more remote airports have cheaper airport tax.
When/Where/How to Pay Airport Tax?
At most airports, passengers at a special booth after checking in, on the way to the departure gate (right). At a few airports – e.g. Surabaya – passengers can pay at the check-in desk.
Passengers then receive a sticker on their boarding pass as a receipt/proof of payment, which is scanned at the security checkpoint near the departure gate. Some airports try harder than others with the presentation of the airport tax sticker:
Airport Tax Across Indonesia
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Airport tax must be paid in Rupiah cash. It is recommended that visitors prepare the required amount of money in advance, and save it for later. If you are arriving in Indonesia and then transiting/connecting to a domestic flight, you will need to get some Rupiah from an ATM or moneychanger before checking in for the second flight.
What Happens If I’m Transiting?
Transiting passengers on domestic flights do not have to pay airport tax twice. If you are flying from e.g. Medan to Denpasar (Bali) via Jakarta using the one airline and the one ticket/booking code, you only pay airport tax in Medan. The exception is budget airlines (e.g. AirAsia) that do not allow passengers to transit and do not check bags through to their final destination. If you are flying e.g. AirAsia from Medan to Denpasar (Bali) via Bandung, you will pay airport tax twice.
Similarly, passengers taking a domestic flight then an international flight do pay airport tax twice; 1 x domestic airport tax, 1 x international airport tax. For example, if you are flying from Surabaya to Perth via Denpasar on Garuda Indonesia, you will pay domestic airport tax in Surabaya, then international airport tax in Denpasar (even though your bags are checked through to Perth).
Airport Tax To “Disappear”?
According to reports, the Indonesian airport operator is going to commence incorporating airport tax into the price of domestic flights. The schedule is:
- September 2012: Garuda Indonesia domestic flights from Jakarta
- End 2013: All domestic flights from Jakarta
- 2014: Domestic flights at other airports
It seems international airport tax will remain a cash payment.
Questions about airport tax or updates for a specific airport are welcome; please write it below in a comment.
185 Comments on “Airport Tax Guide”
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Hi Rani,
Domestic airport tax at Bali Airport: Rp75 000 per person
International airport tax at Jakarta Airport: Rp150 000 per person
When the second flight is international, it doesn’t matter whether they are connecting flights or not.
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Angeline says:
Hi, may I know how much the airport tax from Medan airport to Malaysia~~ Thank you!
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Val says:
Hi we are flying with Garuda from London gatwick to Perth australia , with transit in Jakarta and transit in Bali , will we have to pay departure tax , very confused
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Hi Val,
If you are transiting (i.e. not leaving the airport or staying more than 24 hours), you don’t have to pay airport tax in Jakarta or Denpasar.
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Karen says:
Hello, My family is travelling to Medan on 14th December flying with Garuda but have transit stops/connections at Ngurah Rai Airport and Soekarno Hatta International Airport on the way. We then fly out of Medan on the 20th December. Will we have to pay airport tax as we fly out of each airport and if so, how much will this cost us altogether?
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Hi Karen,
If you are transiting Jakarta on connecting domestic flights (not purchased separately), you will pay only domestic airport tax in Bali: Rp75 000 per person
If you are departing Medan on an international flight: Rp200 000 per person
If you are returning back the way you came (Medan -> Jakarta -> Denpasar -> ? ) you would pay domestic departure tax in Medan (Rp60 000 per person) and international airport tax in Denpasar (Rp200 000 per person).
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Nick says:
Hello Chris,
I just have purshased a Garuda flight from Bali to Melbourne, Australia.
A tax of 15,47 USD called “WY” (passenger service charge -International) appears on my ticket.
This correspond appromately to 200.000 IDR, the price of the international tax at Bali airport.
Do you think I don’t have to pay the airport tax after checking-in Bali or is this tax something else.
When I fly with other carriers on international flights out of Bali, there are usually no tax on the ticket.
Many thanks for your help !
Best regards.
Nick -
Hi Nick,
Did you purchase the ticket from the Garuda website?
If you did, it might be a booking fee or a handling fee or something even more obscure like a fuel surcharge.
$US15.47 is only Rp190 000, which is less than Rp200 000 (international airport tax in Bali). It seems unlikely that Garuda would undercharge for airport tax.
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Thanks Chris for your quick reply.
Yes the ticket has been bought on Garuda’s website.
After other researches I think that this tax is an arrival tax due to Melbourne airport.
I will prepare the 200000 IDR needed at DPS airport.
Best regards -
John says:
Hi, I am leaving Jakarta back to Melbourne on 4th Jan 2015, what would be the (new?) departure tax at that time?
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I am travelling from Bali to Malaysia via Air Garuda which stops over in Jakarta for one and half hour. So do I need to pay domestic departure tax AND international departure tax OR it’s just the intenational departure tax I need to pay?
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Hi John,
1. There is no indexation or annual increase, Jakarta international airport tax remains Rp150 000 until otherwise informed.
2. I answer this question in the post. You need to pay Bali domestic airport tax (Rp75 000) and Jakarta international airport tax (Rp150 000).
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Raj says:
hi Chris,
I have flight from Bali to India ( Via KL ) what will be departure tax for the same and from it started
It was not there earlier
Thanks & Regards,
Raj Patel
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kevin says:
hi,
Is the international departure tax at Medan aiport still at IDR 200,000? Is it already included in my Jetstar ticket (flying from Medan to Singapore) or we need to pay at the airport?
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Hi Kevin,
Yes, international airport tax at Medan Airport remains Rp200 000 per person.
No, it is not included in flight ticket prices. Yes, you need to pay when you check in; the proof of payment is a sticker with a barcode on your boarding pass; it is then scanned when you enter the departure gate.
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Rod says:
Hi Chris, thank you in advance for your advice.
In February I am travelling with my wife and two sons (21 & 18) to Kuala Lumpur then from Singapore to Bandung, Bandung to Bali and finally back home to Melbourne. We will be having between 4 & 7 days break between each flight.
Not sure if you can advise me on Singapore but what taxes am I looking at upon arrival and depart at Bandung?
It appears that I will be charged a visa tax of US$25 x 4 upon arrival at Bali then RP$200000 x 4 when leaving for Melbourne, is that correct.
Thanks
Rod
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Hi Rod,
You are nearly correct.
You will pay:
1. Visa on arrival in Bandung: $US35 x 4. It recently increased from $US25.
2. Domestic airport tax in Bandung (when you leave): Rp25 000 per person
3. International airport tax in Bali: Rp200 000 x 4.
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sander says:
Small piece of advice for garuda: inform customers about this tax when they book the ticket. We were surprised by this when we arrived at the check in counter and were out of local money.
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Emma says:
Hi there Chris,
I have booked a flight from Dublin to Brisbane with KLM, however the last part of the flight from Bali to Brisbane is with Garuda. I am assuming my bag will get checked all the way through. I will only be in transit through the airport for three hours so I have no intention of leaving. My husband just made this same journey and was subjected to a visa charge and tax charge despite only being in transit. Is this now standard policy for passengers in transit and what can I expect to pay?
Thanks.
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Hi Emma,
You DON’T need to pay airport tax and visa on arrival when you are transiting on a connecting flight. I don’t know how your husband paid them if he didn’t pass through immigration and customs. The important thing is – if possible – to get your boarding passes all the way through to Brisbane in Dublin or Amsterdam.
By the way, Garuda will stop flying from Bali to Brisbane on 1 February. It says:
Those who have booked the tickets will be fully-reimbursed or given alternative tickets to Sydney or Melbourne and then to Denpasar.
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r lees says:
Hello,
I am due to fly from Bali to Singapore with Garuda Airlines can you please tell me what the departure tax will be per person. Is this still charged, we fly on the 17th February, 2015.
I thought Garuda were adding this to their tickets?Thanks
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Hi r lees,
Garuda used to include airport tax for domestic flights, but stopped because they were losing too much money on customers transiting from international to domestic. Garuda’s budget airline, Citilink, is now the only airline that includes airport tax in its fare.
International airport tax in Bali is Rp200 000 ($US18) per person, payable in Rupiah cash when you check in.
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shamsir bin mohd kasim says:
Bolih saya ketahui berapa kah bayaran airport tax dari Padang ke kuala lumpur .Malaysia
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International airport tax at Padang Airport is Rp100 000 per person.
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Angela says:
Can you tell me how much in Japanese yen the arrival tax is in Jakarta as I need to prepare my funds
Thank you -
Hi Angela,
Visa on arrival is $US35 cash per person. There is a money changer next to the visa on arrival, but the rates are poor and it would save time to bring exact change in $US cash. More information
Please note also that visa on arrival is different from airport tax, which is paid when you check in for a domestic/international flight in Indonesia.
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Gervenne says:
Hi Chris,
I’m Malaysian, and I will fly from Malaysia to Amsterdam and return in the same way from Amsterdam to Malaysia with Garuda Airline (transit in Jakarta in both way).
I have saw the message which inside my ticket itinerary:
• Taxes are included except where local airport taxes are collected at check-in time.And some are the taxes list was already included (Return Airfare).
MYR 65 MY
MYR 90 D5
MYR 63 RN
MYR 9 VV
MYR 53 CJShall I have to pay the Passenger Service Charge at the check-in counter also?
Really confuse about this.
Thank You.
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Hi there. I’m Malaysian. Please let me know the latest up-dated Airport Tax from Bali to Malaysia. Any payment need to pay beside of this Airport Tax.