How to Get an Indonesian Driving Licence (SIM)

Indonesia’s traffic police introduced Smart SIM as an electronic driving licence. Here’s how it was designed to work.

It is a plastic electronic card, launched in September 2019 together with Bank Mandiri as one of the police's digital initiatives.

When Smart SIM was announced in 2019, the plan was that, once Bank Indonesia approved it, the licence could be used to pay for toll roads, parking, and MRT and KRL commuter trains. The idea was to reduce the number of cards in a driver's wallet, and the card balance was to be capped at 2 million rupiah.

An Android app was released alongside the electronic licence. It showed traffic-related information about the holder, such as records of accidents, traffic violations, fines issued and their payment, and the current status of the licence, without a trip to a police station. For the app to work, the phone needed NFC (Near Field Communication).

Indonesian driving licences (SIM) are issued for 5 years and can be renewed before they expire.

Age limits, licence categories, immigration documents and certificate validity periods in this guide follow Indonesian police regulations. Fees, office hours, directions, application procedures and exam details may have changed, and offices may ask for more documents, so confirm everything with Satpas, the police driving licence office, before you go.

First, check the administrative requirements for getting a driving licence in Indonesia:

1. Minimum age of 17 for categories A, C, D and DI, 18 for CI and 19 for CII.

2. Minimum age of 20 for category B1.

3. Minimum age of 21 for category B2.

Additional conditions for category B1: you must have used a category A or A Umum licence (A Umum covers public passenger and goods vehicles up to 3,500 kg) for at least 12 months since it was issued. For category B2: you must have used a category B1 licence for at least 12 months since it was issued.

Each category is issued separately and each set of documents is paid for separately, so if you are applying for categories A and C (car and motorbike), you will have to pay for everything twice.

There are several traffic police offices in Bali that issue driving licences. If you live in the south, the most convenient one is in Denpasar at Jl. Gunung Sanghyang No.110.

If you live in Ubud, the Polres office in Gianyar will be closer, at Jl. Ngurah Rai-Gianyar, Kabupaten Gianyar. Gianyar used to lack the equipment to issue Smart SIM, and applicants were sent to Denpasar, so check in advance.

In Denpasar, turn into the narrow lane to the right of the police building itself and drive almost to the end, then turn right. You can park there and walk into the inner courtyard; you will see the document submission point immediately on your left, outdoors.

If you want a Smart SIM, ask whether the electronic licence is still issued separately.

Under police rules, a foreigner must show a passport plus one of the following: a KITAP (permanent stay permit) or, for foreigners who work in Indonesia as skilled workers or study here, a KITAS (temporary stay permit) or a service visa. Embassy staff and their families have separate rules. You will be asked to fill out a form, have your fingerprints taken, and provide a medical certificate and a psychological test certificate.

(You can get both certificates near the office: just past the lane you drive down, there is a babi guling (roast pork) stall. Opposite it, a small door leads to the room for the psychological test, and the medical certificate is issued in the lane next to the stall.)

The psychological test is available in English and Indonesian and takes an hour at most; if you are not comfortable in either language, a translation app may help. Price: 100,000 rupiah per category. Under police rules, the medical check-up covers eyesight, hearing and physical fitness; it costs 25,000 rupiah per category. The medical certificate is valid for 14 days, and the psychological test certificate for six months.

You may also need additional documents (listed below).

If your Indonesian licence (SIM) has expired, you normally have to apply for a new one rather than renew it. First-time applicants must pass two exams: a theory test and a practical test.

Online SIM registration has been open only to Indonesian citizens, so foreigners apply in person.

These fees may have changed, and fees for CI, CII and DI are not listed here, so ask at Satpas.

Categories A (cars), B1 and B2 – 120,000 IDR.

Category C (motorbikes up to 250 cc) – 100,000 IDR.

Category D (motorbikes for drivers with disabilities) – 50,000 IDR.

Licence renewal:

Category A and B licence – 80,000 IDR

Category C licence – 75,000 IDR

Category D licence – 30,000 IDR

Other fees:

Psychological test – 100,000 IDR

Medical check-up – 25,000 IDR

Exam – 50,000 IDR

Each licence category is paid for separately, as are the medical certificates for it.

Prepare the documents below. Items 7–9 come from the 2023 police rules, but offices may check them differently, and some may ask for other documents.

1) Original passport

2) Original and copy of your KITAP, KITAS or service visa (see above)

3) Original and copy of any valid driving licence you already hold.

4) Medical certificate (“Surat Keterangan Dokter” or “Surat Kesehatan”).

5) Psychological test.

6) An SKTT or a Surat Tanda Melapor (STM): ask your Satpas office whether you need one before you go.

7) A copy of a driving course certificate from an accredited driving school, issued no more than six months before you apply, with the original. If you learned to drive on your own, a driving competence assessment letter from an accredited driving school instead.

8) If you work in Indonesia, a copy of your work permit from the Ministry of Manpower.

9) Proof of active membership in Indonesia's national health insurance scheme (JKN, run by BPJS Kesehatan). If you are not yet a member, you must arrange JKN membership before the licence is handed over. A FAQ from the South Kalimantan traffic police describes a phased rollout of this requirement, and by law foreigners working in Indonesia for at least six months must participate in the country's social security system, which includes JKN. Ask Satpas whether and how this applies to your immigration status.

If you are applying for several categories, you need separate copies for each one.

Theory and practical exams for new applicants and for upgrading a licence category

Staff at the police station may not speak English, so you can bring a friend to interpret, even during the tests.

This is a computer-based test where you choose True or False. The test is in Indonesian, but you can bring an interpreter if you like. You have 30 minutes for 30 questions and must answer 21 correctly; the result is given immediately. If you fail, you will be offered a retake on any day except Sunday, between 10:00 and 12:00.

You can take it in your own car, which will of course be more comfortable. The usual test vehicle for category A is a Daihatsu Xenia or a similar car. The test for category A (car) consists of the following tasks:

- Driving straight forward and in reverse along a narrow lane of cones.

- Zigzagging forward and in reverse around about 9 cones.

- Parking.

- Parallel parking.

- Driving up a slope, applying the handbrake, releasing it and then pulling away.

- Driving down a slope, stopping and pulling away.

You may knock over only one cone; if you hit a second one, you fail the exam. Watch videos of practical exams on YouTube to see how it works.

The practical test for category C (motorbike) consists of:

- Riding along a narrow track lined with closely spaced cones.

- Zigzagging around cones.

- Riding a figure-eight.

- A reaction test.

- A U-turn.

As with the theory test, if you fail the exam, you can retake it during the same hours. Good luck!

Driving licence categories in Indonesia and what they cover:

SIM A: for private cars and goods vehicles with a permitted gross weight of up to 3,500 kg

SIM B1: for private buses and goods vehicles with a permitted gross weight of more than 3,500 kg

SIM B2: for drivers of heavy equipment, tractor units and vehicles towing a trailer or semi-trailer with a permitted weight of more than 1,000 kg.

SIM C, CI and CII: motorbike licences, divided into three types by engine capacity:

SIM C: for motorbikes with an engine capacity of up to 250 cc.

SIM CI: for motorbikes with an engine capacity of more than 250 cc and up to 500 cc. One of the conditions is having used SIM C for at least 12 months since it was issued.

SIM CII: for motorbikes with an engine capacity of more than 500 cc. One of the conditions is having used SIM CI for at least 12 months since it was issued.

SIM D is a driving licence intended for drivers with disabilities.

Under police regulations, there are two categories for drivers with disabilities: SIM D and SIM DI.

SIM D covers special vehicles for drivers with disabilities in the SIM C class (motorbikes), and SIM DI those in the SIM A class (cars).

For help getting a driving licence, you can contact the Legal Indonesia agency.

Bear in mind that a licence is not the only requirement for driving: it is also important to have vehicle insurance.

Driving in Indonesia is very different from what you may be used to: traffic drives on the left and local driving habits may be unfamiliar. Elderly people and children ride scooters, people sometimes shoot out of side streets without looking, and dogs lie on the road, so be extremely careful. Wear a helmet, give way, don't drink and drive, don't speed in the rain and, above all, take care of yourself.

Ride safely!