How to send money to Indonesia in 2026: dollars, euros or rupiah in 1-3 business days, including to Bali

In 2026 money goes to Indonesia to your own account at an Indonesian bank or straight to the seller of a home, and inside the country everything is paid in rupiah. An account is opened with a stay permit and a tax number, and the second home visa needs a deposit of 2 billion rupiah, about $120,000.

Money can be sent to Indonesia now by international bank transfer in dollars, euros or rupiah: it arrives in 1-3 business days, and the Indonesian bank credits it in rupiah or to a foreign currency account without exchange. The country's main rule is that all payments inside Indonesia are made in rupiah, so a villa rental on Bali, a school and a home priced in dollars are still paid in rupiah. A foreigner opens their own account with a stay permit and a tax number, and until then the money goes straight to the account of the landlord or the developer.

Dollar amounts are at the Bank Indonesia rate of 7 October 2026, 17,880 rupiah per dollar, rounded up. The table below is in 2026.

A price in dollars, payment in rupiah: the rule for Bali

Indonesia's currency law 7/2011 requires all payments on the country's territory to be made in rupiah: goods and services, rent, salaries, a deposit for a home. Prices of villas and flats on Bali are often quoted in dollars, but the contract fixes the amount in rupiah or converts it into rupiah on the day of payment. For a transfer this means one thing: at the last step dollars or euros become rupiah, and it pays when the exchange is done by your Indonesian bank rather than by a bank along the way.

A foreign currency account at an Indonesian bank can be opened too: dollars sit on it without exchange and are converted in parts as each payment falls due. That way the rate is fixed not once for the whole sum but as you spend, which suits a year's rent paid in advance and payments to a developer on a schedule.

A transfer to an Indonesian account: first a stay permit and a tax number

A foreigner opens a personal account at an Indonesian bank once they have a temporary or permanent stay permit and a tax number. The order is: a visa and a stay permit, then a tax number in the tax service's single system, then a visit to a branch with the passport, the permit, a lease and a description of where the money comes from. After that the bank issues a card and connects mobile banking, and transfers from abroad go to your own account. On a tourist visa it is easier to start with a transfer straight to the landlord and open the account after the stay permit.

The tax service treats a stay permit as a sign that you live in the country, and tax residence starts from the date of arrival, not after 183 days. A resident of Indonesia pays tax on worldwide income on a 5-35% scale. Transferred savings themselves are not income, while salary, dividends and interest from abroad go into the tax return. Details are on the taxes in Indonesia page.

Not sure where to start, with the account or the visa? A manager will suggest the best way to send money before and after the stay permit.

Account details for a transfer to an Indonesian bank

Indonesia has no international account number format: an account number has 10-16 digits, depending on the bank. A transfer from abroad needs the account number, the recipient bank's international code of 8 or 11 characters, the recipient's name exactly as at the bank and a payment purpose in English: rent, payment under a contract, a transfer to your own account. Inside the country money moves instantly through the central bank's system, up to 250 million rupiah ($14,000) per transfer, around the clock, and small purchases are paid with a single QR code from a phone.

The Indonesian bank checks the recipient's name on crediting. If it does not match, the transfer goes back through the banks along the way, and each keeps its own fee. So the name of the villa owner or the developer is taken from the contract or a bank statement, not from messages.

Money for a villa or a flat on Bali: what is paid and when

A foreigner buys a home in Indonesia under a right of use: a flat from 2 billion rupiah ($120,000), a house with land on Bali from 5 billion rupiah ($280,000). The right is granted for 30 years, extended for 20 and renewed for another 30, up to 80 years in total. Freehold land is registered by Indonesian citizens, so foreigners more often take villas on a long lease of 25-30 years, and homes for letting through a company with foreign capital.

The payment goes to the account of the seller or the developer under the contract, in rupiah, after the land deed official has checked the title. The buyer pays a 5% acquisition tax on the price minus the tax-free part: on a flat at 2 billion rupiah this is about 96 million rupiah, $5,400. More on forms of ownership and prices by area in the article on buying a flat on Bali and on the property in Indonesia page.

Paying a developer on a schedule? We will suggest the best way to send each payment so it arrives on time and in rupiah.

A 2 billion rupiah deposit for the second home visa

The second home visa gives residence in Indonesia for 5 or 10 years without a sponsor. The main condition is 2 billion rupiah, about $120,000, on deposit at an Indonesian state bank for the whole term of the visa, or property in the country. The money stays yours, and a spouse, children and parents get a visa for the same term. The visa is designed for people living on savings or income from abroad: local employment needs a different permit.

For the deposit the sum is sent as one large payment, and the bank checks it more strictly than rent: it needs statements showing the path of the money and a document on its source, such as a flat sale contract, income certificates or a dividend resolution. If the money arrives in dollars, it is exchanged into rupiah at the receiving bank's rate, so the rate is compared before sending.

The second home visa, the golden visa and the investor permit are covered on the Indonesia residence permit page, and options for retirees in the article on residence for retirees in Indonesia.

Up to 250 million, up to 2 billion rupiah and more: what an Indonesian bank will ask

• Up to 250 million rupiah ($14,000): rent, school, family expenses. The bank checks the recipient's name and the payment purpose; keep the lease at hand.
• From $14,000 to 2 billion rupiah ($120,000): the first payment for a flat, a villa rented years ahead. The bank will ask for the contract and a document on the source of the money: an income certificate or a statement of savings.
• From 2 billion rupiah ($120,000): the deposit for the second home visa, a house with land on Bali. A full package on the source of funds is needed: statements for 6-12 months, a property sale contract or income documents, with an English translation.

Is the sum large, or does your bank not send transfers to Indonesia directly? There are usually more working lawful options than it seems: a manager will choose a route and put the package together before sending. How a whole capital move works is in the capital relocation section, and the documents in the article on proof of source of funds.

Interest and the deposit guarantee in Indonesia

The state deposit insurance agency guarantees up to 2 billion rupiah ($120,000) per depositor at one bank, interest included, if the deposit rate is not above the guaranteed rate. From 1 October 2026 this is 3.75% in rupiah and 2% in foreign currency. A deposit at a higher rate is not covered, so a large sum is kept at the guaranteed rate or spread across several banks. The bank withholds 20% tax on interest at once, and it does not need to be declared separately.

The cost of living, schools and rent by area are in the article on the cost of living in Indonesia.

Onward from Indonesia: Singapore, Malaysia and back

An Indonesian account is convenient for life on the spot, while many keep their capital in the neighbouring financial centre: a transfer from an Indonesian account to Singapore arrives the same or the next business day, and to Malaysia and to Thailand in 1-2 business days. The bank exchanges rupiah into foreign currency against a contract or an invoice that explains the payment, and will ask about the recipient and the purpose of the transfer.

Sending money to neighbouring countries

• Singapore - a financial centre with a deposit guarantee
• Malaysia - a second home programme with a deposit
• Thailand - an account with a long-term visa
• Vanuatu - vatu, US and Australian dollars
• Timor-Leste - the US dollar instead of a national currency
• Australia - an account before arrival and transfers by phone number

Other countries and the general procedure for moving capital are in the capital relocation section.

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