Kupang to Dili visa run
There are a couple of travel services that run shuttle busses between Kupang and Dili. The cost is 17 to 18 USD.
You pay in rupiah if leaving from Kupang and you pay in USD if leaving from Dili. The one I use is Timor Travel.
They are professional services and have pretty new buses with air con and everything and carry 11 passengers.
The bus will pick you up from your home or hotel and drop you off where you want when you arrive, usually at a late hour.
It is kind of an easy but all day bus trip.
A few stops are made along the way for food and to give everyone a chance to stretch their legs and use the restroom. They can also stop the bus alongside the road if you need emergency relief.
The bus stops in Atambua where a few packages are to be delivered and they take your passports to prepare for crossing the border.
The road between Atambua and the border is a little beat up but not too bad.
At the border you take care of passport formalities and the military have a look through your luggage. If going to East Timor you purchase your 30 day visa at the border for 30.00USD.
I travel light and the immigration only wanted to give me 20 days because they felt I could not afford to stay in East Timor because I was not weighted down with loads of crap. Eventually they relented and gave me the 30 days. It is quite easy to get extensions in Dili.
It is not easy to get extensions in Indonesia. You have to get them ahead of time when you apply for your visa. Even if you are married to an Indonesian the immigration in Indonesia is pretty strict.
If you go to the Indonesian embassy in Dili the fee for a visa is 35.00 USD. If you are flying into Indonesia a visa on arrival costs 25.00 USD. If going by land you must have your visa secured before hand.
For those of us without connections at the embassy the wait will be 5 working days or 7 actual days before your visa is issued.
If you know the right people it can be issued in one day. This is especially handy for people just making a visa run.
They can issue 60 day, working, and social visas at the embassy but you won’t get one unless you know the ropes. They give out 30 day visas with no hassle, just have to wait.
I was especially impressed with Timor Travel even though they forgot to pick me up when I was on my way back to Kupang. Rita, the manager of Henry’s backpacker guesthouse, called up her cousin to blast them for not picking me up.
I was waiting from 6:30 til 10:30 AM. They landed up sending out a bus that took me all the way to the border as the only passenger. (about 3 hours from Dili)
We had to wait for someone to show up and stamp my passport. It appeared that I might have to spend the night in Atambua.
Timor Travel gave me 2.00 to get an ojek (or motorcycle ride) of a half hour. We caught up to the Indonesian bus in Atambua and I hoped on that one to Kupang.
I think they closed down the border the next day so I might have been the last one out.
It would have been interesting to witness the developments had I stayed but I had to get to Bali to take care of some business.
I hope to be back there later in June. To me East Timor is a fascinating country and I hope to get the opportunity to explore it further.
The diving in particular is a big draw. You pretty much have the whole country to yourself. The fishermen there do not use dynamite like they do in so many areas so the coral is superb. The sponges are amazing as well.
There is lots of macro and other good stuff too. I also find the Timorese people for the most part to be really great. There is just a lot of political struggle for power going on there right now.
Timor Travel:
Atambua office Tel. 0389-22292
Kupang office Tel. 0380-881543
Dili office Tel 670-723-322095
Kupang to Dili
Climbing Mount Apo
General Santos
Growing Orchids
Judy's Resto Bar
Logging with Motorcycles
Mount Mayon
Balabac Island
Biri Island
Calbiga Cave
Capul Island
Mangrove Swamp Palawan
Mikes's Resort
Wood Boat to Manila Philippines
Dear mister/misses,
I’m thinking about traveling to East Timor! Like you wrote here it is possible to do it overland from bali to dili.
Did you get your visa on arrival? Because I read that I had to arrange it from jakarta, but if it is possible on arrival it’s much easier.
Hope to hear from you!
Greetings Judith
Hi Judith,
Going overland from Bali to Dil should be a lot of fun and there should be no visa hassles.
East Timor issues visas at the border, (but going back the other way into Indonesia – you will have to organize the Indonesian visa at the embassy in Dili.)
What route do you plan to take to get to West Timor from Bali? I think Pelni ships make regular, but infrequent trips to Kupang from Bali. Going overland through Flores might be more interesting.
cheers
Thanks for the info and I gather it’s still current even though three years old now! I’m trying to find somewhere to stay in Kupang as my flight from Bali lands at 15:30, so I doubt I’ll be able to get a bus to Dili until the next day.
At least I know it sounds fairly easy! I’m only going to be in East Timor for around 9-10 days anyway, so the border guards shouldn’t worry me :)
Hello Mosh,
suggestions
1)Upon entering East Timor ask for 30 days even if you only plan to be there a week. This is very important – just in case you need a few extra days. This avoids having to get an extension for East Timor which is costly and a pain in the ass.
2) Apply for you Indonesian visa the first day that you are in Dili. (Except weekends) Trust me this is important.
Consider posting an update on this site after all is said and done. It is very hard to get input from travelers that go to East Timor.
You are correct in that the buses to Dili from Kupang leave in the mornings only. It is a 12 hour run, and you will arrive in Dili after dark.
I suggest stopping in at the Backpackers guesthouse in Mandarin near Tiger Fuel on Comoro road.
“hi” to Rita and Henry
dp
Hi dutch,
thanks so much for your post. Its really helpfull, esp. the tel numbers of timor travel. i tried the route dili to kupang 2 years ago, and looking forward to travel on the road to dili from kupang next week. Being Indoensian, two years ago i didnt find any problems crossing the border. Hopefully this time also not. its going to be a long hard day travel i heard? My plan look like this: flight kupang-atambua via merpati, beforehand buying ticket atambua-dili in Kupang, so that i can continue from airport atambua directly by bus (not have to look for the travel agent office) to dili. Hope wont take long on the border at motaain, and also the bus wont stop at every corner as i was told…
cheers,
tia
Hi tia,
Try to organize a front seat. Some people get seasick swaying back and forth in the back.
I didn’t realize that Merpati flew from Kupang to Atambua – how nice!
Have a great trip!
dp
pls sir or ma kindly send me an invitation turn is address 5 oritgun street oja oba akure ondo state my name is dapo ajayi emmanuel, thank
Hello dapo,
I am not sure what you are asking but maybe you can call one of Timor Travels offices and ask the staff there?
Timor Travel:
Atambua office Tel. 0389-22292
Kupang office Tel. 0380-881543
Dili office Tel 670-723-322095
The trip to Dili from Kupang takes about 12 hours. You will transfer to a different mini van once you walk across the border.
I suggest buying your ticket a day early so you can get a better seat. I like to look out the front window.
Timor Travel can pick you up from your residence or hotel.
cheers
dp
Dear sir/madam,
I would like to go to Dili and apply for an Indonesian social budaya.
A) Is this possible?
B) Do you know what the formalites are?
C) Any idea of price?
Well thanks for your time.
Martin
Hello Martin,
I think that you would have difficulties organizing your social budaya at the Indonesian Embassy in Dili, East Timor.
Some travelers are able to get a 60 day tourist visa however.
I suggest that you get in touch with some of the agents in Ubud, Bali that specialize in sponsoring social visas. It will not come cheap.
cheers
dp
Hi guys, I am Australian,
I want to sail from Kupang to Darwin. Can anyone let me know if it is possible. I have heard that some sailing boats go from the Harbour in Kupang and often it is possible to go with people who may be sailing to the Pacific via Australia.
Hello Alan,
It is possible but it takes a bit of luck and time. It is done on rare occasion but is not an option you can rely on.
cheers
dp
I have canadian passport but have lived in australia many years. Do I need a vistors visa for west timor?
Hi Mona,
West Timor is part of Indonesia and you will need a visa for sure.
If you arrive by plane to West Timor (Kupang), you will most likely be able to get your VOA or visa on arrival there. Check with your airlines to be sure.
If going to West Timor by land from East Timor you can get your visa at the Indonesian embassy in Dili. It takes a few days, so don’t wait until the last minute!
cheers
dp
Hi, sorry if i’m asking you to repeat yourself; I’m trying to get some information on how to get from bali to kupang by boat or overland but haven’t had much luck yet. any advice much appreciated.
Hello dfd,
You could travel overland by bus if you wanted to.
You can cross by ferry at Padang Bai on Bali to Lombok, then ferry to Sumbawa (cross by bus – maybe 2 days) then ferry to Labuanbajo on Flores. Make your east overland and then get a ferry to Kupang.
It takes a bit of time but if you are not in a hurry it can be an interesting way to travel. Just get an Indonesian map and take it one step at a time.
I think that a Pelni ship makes a Bali-Kupang run twice a month as well but I do not have a current schedule handy.
Selamat Jalan,
dp
Hellow dutchpickle
Do you know how many days need for this overland route?
I mean from Bali to Kupang via Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores island.
I will entry in Indonesia from Singapore at Sekupang (Batam island). I think is not enough the 10 days visa on arrival, to arrive overland in Dilli.
What do you think?
GP
Hello Gp,
For sure – it would be a lot nicer to have more time for a trip like this.
I could do it in 10 days using public transport but it wouldn’t be much fun. Why not get a 30 day visa and then you can stop in Labuanbajo (Komodo), Kelimutu, Larantuka or maybe even check some of the surf spots in Sumbawa, or maybe even check out Alor.
If you are in such a hurry – why not fly Bali to Kupang and take the bus from there. It’s a lot cheaper than flying directly into Dili.
cheers
dp
I didn’t know they still have the flight of Merpati from Kupang to Atambua. Is it really still active ?
Hello javardo,
I don’t have current any information on Merpati flights, give Merpati or one of the ticket agencies for info, ok?
I have used the booking office across from the Lavalon Bar a few times and they always got me a good deal.
dp
Hello dutchpickle,
Very useful site – thanks for the info.
I’m heading to Dili from London in July 2010 for a medical elective. The cost of flights looks depressingly expensive, but I am looking into all possible options to find the cheapest combination.
It seems it might be cheaper not to fly into Dili from Singapore or Darwin, but instead either a). fly to Kupang and go overland from there, or b). fly into Dili from somewhere in Indonesia (maybe Bali) using Merpati.
I would favour the latter of these options, since a 12 hour bus ride following a lengthy series of flights is not hugely appealing! However, the Merpati website doesn’t give flight times/prices for flights from Indonesia into Dili. Not sure if this is because it is not possible to book these flights online, or because these flight routes do not exist.
Any help you can provide would be much appreciated. Any top tips for the cheapest route to Dili from London, or info on the airlines that serve East Timor (or West Timor) would be very useful too. Thanks!
Toby