Researchers:
Find a Indonesian counterpart at a university or research institute (5 months in advanced).
Apply for a research permit at RISTEK (>3 months in advanced).
Then arrange a entry VISA “limited stay visa” in your home country (bring form, flight ticket, letter of support your university) (>2 weeks in advanced). TIP: Before going there first call ahead if the fax from immigration Jakarta has arrived
In your 1st week in Indonesia -> arrange your visa & research permits in Jakarta (takes 3-5 full days).
TIP: Read my instructions on the “Procedure to obtain research permit for Indonesia” (PDF, updated 2012), because the procedure is quite complicated
Visa (Dutch) Tourists:
Test if you need a visa here: Your nationality determines what kind of visa you need.
Tourist can come in with a “tourist visa” when only visiting 30 days. You can get it after arrival at the airport. Be aware: Passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 (six) months as from the date entry into Indonesia. If you want to stay longer; apply for a 60 day tourist visa at your Nation’s Embassy before arrival in Indonesia.
From 2011, there is a possibility to extend you tourist visa from 1->2 months in Berau (Tj Redeb), East-Kalimantan. You can also get a tourist visa when travelling overland from Malaysia at the local consulate in Tawau (takes 2-3 hours & 170 ringgit).