Crossing Indonesian Border into Timor Leste

[Daryl]

Hi, I'm an Aussie and have an International Driving License and I'm hoping to be able to ride a scooter from Lombok across to Kupang and up to Timor Leste to Dili, sometime around November this year. I'm borrowing an Indonesian registered scooter from a friend who lives on Lombok.
Does anyone know if I'll be able to cross the border up into Timor Leste from Kupang on a borrowed scooter that is registered in Indonesia without any difficulties and then returning a couple of weeks later? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Daryl

[doomi]

How did it go?
I want to cross with my own motorcycle the next few weeks!

[ricktherider]

So long as you have a Carnet fine if from Indonesia contact Bea Cukai and ask them or as a last resort IMI

[ColinD]

Originally Posted by Daryl

Hi, I'm an Aussie and have an International Driving License and I'm hoping to be able to ride a scooter from Lombok across to Kupang and up to Timor Leste to Dili, sometime around November this year. I'm borrowing an Indonesian registered scooter from a friend who lives on Lombok.
Does anyone know if I'll be able to cross the border up into Timor Leste from Kupang on a borrowed scooter that is registered in Indonesia without any difficulties and then returning a couple of weeks later? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Daryl

Hi Daryl,

I am an Australian who did Bali to Dili last year on an Indonesian registered bike.

Here are the critical facts:
1. You must travel with the STNK (registration card).
2. You DO NOT need a carnet, don't waste your money.
3. You can get a temporary import permit into East Timor, 10 days only.
4. They will retain your STNK at the Indo side of the crossing and give it back upon return. Hence you (or somebody) must return the bike to that border crossing.

Other relevant info:
1. You cannot get a visa on entry at the land border crossing. Technically you can only get it at an East Timor Embassy e.g. Kupang, it requires three business days to process. However I managed to get mine at the Eat Timor Embassy in Sydney prior to departure, this is not a formal service they offer and it was darned hard to arrange.
2. You can't get the temporary export permit at the border either, but that's easier to get. I got mine at an office in Atambua, a few hours ride from the border. PM me for address.
3. The border crossing closes at 4:00 pm (I think...). It takes ages to process everything, allow an hour. They are strict about closing time.
4. The Indo and East Timor sides of the border crossing are in physically different places, nearby but a few km by road, not signposted and also not on my OSM maps as of June 2017. Lost a lot of time because of that and got to the border late, I was not popular there.
5. The ferry from Larantuka to Kupang generally seems to arrive around 2 am and there's not much opened, research your hotels.
6. There's a mosque near the ferry port from Sape (Sumbawa) to Labuan Bajo that controls the access road to the ferry. They close a boom gate and lock it during prayer sessions. Don't arrive then, there's no shade where you can wait. They will happily carry on with prayer while you bake in the mid-day sun in the middle of the road.

regards
Colin

[doomi]

I just crossed to border today. But I'm on my own motorcycle, which is registered to me in Switzerland and I have the carnet.

no issues at all, total time of both border under one hour!
citizens from the European Union, Switzerland and Ireland can get in without a Visa.
They asked me if Switzerland is in the EU and I said yes
easier that way than to explain that it is not, but am still allowed to enter without.

the Indonesian side is a big construction site right now! I had to look for the customs office: it's after the immigration, go right on the roundabout.
the customs building looks not finished yet, but the office is already in use.

[Snakeboy]

Originally Posted by doomi

I just crossed to border today. But I'm on my own motorcycle, which is registered to me in Switzerland and I have the carnet.

no issues at all, total time of both border under one hour!
citizens from the European Union, Switzerland and Ireland can get in without a Visa.
They asked me if Switzerland is in the EU and I said yes
easier that way than to explain that it is not, but am still allowed to enter without.

the Indonesian side is a big construction site right now! I had to look for the customs office: it's after the immigration, go right on the roundabout.
the customs building looks not finished yet, but the office is already in use.

So no need to to to the East Timor consulate in Kupang and get the recomandation letter and then get visa on the border and pay the visa fee?

[doomi]

Exactly, no need for the consulate or letter if you are a EU or Swiss citizen, except for UK and Irish guys it seems.

https://www.migracao.gov.tl/html/sub0301.php

Nationals from countries mentioned in the European Union list below are free of entry from any border post based on the agreement made between the Government of Timor Leste and the European Union on the 26th June 2015 for the purpose of 90 days free of entry into the National Territory.
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland (USD 30), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom (USD 30)
For Ireland and United Kingdom nationals, they are not part of this agreement that was made on the 26th June 2015.
Nationals of Iceland and Switzerland are not included in this European Union agreement, but have a separate agreement with the Government of Timor Leste made on the 19th of May 2015.

[Snakeboy]

Originally Posted by doomi

Exactly, no need for the consulate or letter if you are a EU or Swiss citizen, except for UK and Irish guys it seems.

https://www.migracao.gov.tl/html/sub0301.php

Ha-ha Im norwegian so we are not included in that list. Anyhow it only took me less than 10 minutes to get that recommandation letter but I did have to pay the 30 $ fee at the border.