Airport Tax Guide
Last updated: October 16, 2014
A guide to Indonesia’s infamous and confusing passenger service charge.
| Want to know how much airport tax you will pay?
Just follow these 3 simple steps:
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
More
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”
-
Christine says:
Hi Chris
May i know the International airport tax from Surabaya to Singapore. And Surabaya to banyuwangi and banyuwangi to surabaya for the domestic airport tax. Kindly advice.
-
Hi Christine,
There are two prices for airport tax: domestic and international. It does not vary by destination. Rp75 000 per person for domestic and Rp200 000 per person for international.
-
shirley says:
How much need to pay Airport From Yogjarkata
-
Matthias says:
Hi Chris,
after arriving in Jakarta and paying the visa on arrival, we are going to the domestic depatures to fly to bali (Garuda).
There at the check in, we have to pay the airport tax.
Ok so we have to change money to pay the airport tax in IDR? We wanted to change money in bali now we are forced to do this in Jakarta because of the tax and they do not accept Euro oder US Dollar, right?
Thank you very much!!!
Greetings from Germany. -
Pan says:
Hi Chris,
I will be transiting in Bali but my flight is ‘not’ connected(TG from BKK to Bali then Virgin from Bali to Brisbane) and I will be waiting for my next flight at the airport about 6hrs. Do I have to pay the airport tax?
Thank you -
Hi Matthias,
Airport tax was rolled into Garuda ticket prices on 1 February. If you bought your tickets before 1 February, you will still need to pay airport tax of Rp40 000 per person, in Rupiah cash.
At Jakarta Airport, you can use a moneychanger – there are choices before and after customs – or an ATM. More information: Rupiah For Visitors, Arrival Guide
-
Hi Pan,
If you don’t have connecting flights (i.e. two separate tickets), then yes, you will need to pay international airport tax at Bali (Rp200 000) when you check in for the Virgin flight.
If you are Thai, you won’t have to pay for visa on arrival ($US35).
-
Shafi says:
Hi there, how about those only transit in jakarta; i am from singapore using Garuda airline flying to melbourne and will transit in jakarta for 2 hours, before next flight going to melbourne using Garuda airline. Do i need to pay airport tax?
-
Aniq Danial says:
Hi. Im travelling from sin. My flight is.
DPS-JKT GA415 18.00-1900
JKT-SIN GA838 20.40-23.30
Do i hv to pay both airport tax? -
Hi Aniq,
Usually, domestic airport tax is now included in the ticket price. You only need to pay international airport tax in Jakarta: Rp150 000 per person.
However, Garuda Indonesia only recently included domestic airport tax in the ticket price, on 1 February. So, if you booked your ticket before 1 February, you will need to pay Rp75 000 for domestic airport tax in Bali also.
-
Colin says:
when we leave from Kuala lumpur to Bali and stay in airport for 3 hour due another flight to Australia do we have paid visa in and out with Australia passport
-
Hi Colin,
If connecting flights and one ticket/booking code, no visa on arrival payment.
If not connecting flights and separate tickets/booking codes, yes you will need to clear immigration and customs, which means you will have to pay $US35 per person for visa on arrival.
-
Will says:
Hi, I am travelling with my wife to bali in June , we bought the tickets 10 months ago with AirAsia and paid in full , now they are saying we owe them 44aud for “airport Tax ” what is the meaning of this , is it on top of the visa we pay on entering ? Please explain
-
Hi Will,
I think they’re talking about international airport tax of Rp200 000 (about $A20) per person. Usually, people pay this when they check in for their international flights FROM Indonesia.
Maybe because AirAsia “encourages” passengers to check in online by e.g. charging a fee for airport check in on Indonesian domestic flights they are also encouraging people to pre-pay the international airport tax.
Visa on arrival is different, it is paid when your flight TO Indonesia arrives: $US35 per person.
-
Toni says:
I am traveling from Bali to Jakarta and then Internationally back to the US. How much will I need for airport taxes? I haven’t been charged for any domestic taxes so far and have gone on 3 or 4 flights. Thanks in advance for your help.
-
Hi Toni,
International airport tax at Jakarta Airport is Rp150 000 per person.
Domestic airport tax is now included in ticket prices, since 1 March 2015. However, when the passenger bought the tickets in advance, i.e. before the airline started including airport tax in fares (February 2015), the passenger still needs to pay.
-
nurul says:
I’m flying out of denpasar, Bali to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As per my flight tickets, I have already paid my airport tax to Air Asia. Do I still need to pay the tax at the airport upon exiting Bali?
-
Hi Nurul,
AirAsia now encourages its clients to pre-pay international airport tax, by sending them an email in advance. Please see the comment above answering Will’s similar question.
-
Jignesh says:
Hi guys,
I am travelling to Australia via Jakarta Indonesia in August with Garuda Indonesia airlines. The hold time in Jakarta is 11 hours 50 minutes.
I spoke to the Garuda call centre in the UK (I have a British passport) and they said if the hold time is more than 8 hours then you are required to purchase a transit visa for $35 US dollars.
Has anybody had this experience?
Can you not simply wait in the airport rather than go through arrivals and have to purchase this visa?
Thanks for for taking the time to read and hope you can help!
Best wishes
-
Hi Jignesh,
You only have to pay $US35 for visa on arrival if you want to leave the airport.
If you are transiting, you don’t have to pay or leave the airport.
Unfortunately, there’s really not much to do airside at Jakarta Airport.
More generally, the long transit in Jakarta and the extra stop in Amsterdam is one reason why Garuda is offering cheap fares between UK and Australia.
-
Lisa says:
Hi,
I have a connecting flight from Bali via Jakarta to Melbourne with Garuda (purchased ticket last year).
Do I have to pay domestic airport tax in Bali and international tax in Jakarta? Or do I only have to pay international tax in Bali?
I will be in transit in Jakarta for 90 minutes.
Thank you for your help.
-
Hi Lisa,
If you purchased the ticket last year, then the old rules apply:
1. Domestic airport tax in Bali – Rp75 000
2. International airport tax in Jakarta – Rp150 000
Both are paid in Rupiah cash when you check in for each flight.
You can get your luggage checked through to Melbourne in Bali and the boarding passes for both flights in Bali too.
-
mary cornel says:
hi Chris,
May I know the airport tax of a US citizen? my friend had a stop over in seokarno hatta int’l airport going to Manila,he paid the charges of 890 US$.When he confirm his connecting flight to Manila,the custom said that he must pay the demurrage of his baggage 20 US$ per day.is it the rules their in Jakarta airport?he is now still inside the seokarno hatta int’l airport.
I hope you can give me some information.
Thanks.Mary
-
Hi Mary,
International airport tax at Jakarta Airport is Rp150 000 ($US12) per person, and is the same for everybody, including Indonesians.
-
hello Chris,
I would like to ask that he must pay the penalty of his baggage to the custom?he is more than 1 month inside the airport.and I sent money to one of the officer to clear his charges and now he told me that he need to pay the custom to claim his baggage.
Can you give me some information regarding this matter?
Thanks. -
Nikki says:
i am flying from melbourne to balikpapan via singapore .
Do i pay airport tax at both airports and do i pay on arrival or departure or both -
Hi Nikki,
These days, airport tax is only paid when checking in for international flights FROM Indonesia.
Visa on arrival ($US35 per person) is all you pay on arrival in Indonesia.
Comment on “Airport Tax Guide”.
Copyright Mau Ke Mana 2010-15
Terms & Conditions
Hi Gervenne,
No, transiting international passengers don’t pay airport tax in Indonesia.