Jakarta has a sizeable foreign community: Indian managers in manufacturing and textiles, Filipino teachers and engineers, Pakistani and Bangladeshi traders, plus staff of regional offices from across Asia. Most hold a KITAS, Indonesia's limited stay permit, or a KITAP for permanent stay. When they plan a trip to Europe, they apply from Jakarta, and the European missions here have clear rules about both flights and residence permits. Indonesian citizens applying from Jakarta will find the flight sections useful too. Below: who takes your file, the exact wording on flights, the KITAS condition, and how our reservations work. We operate online only and have no office in Indonesia.
Jakarta at a glance
| Item | Detail (last checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Main airport | Soekarno–Hatta International (CGK), west of the city |
| US visas | Embassy in Jakarta and Consulate General in Surabaya; Medan and the Bali consular agency do not process visas[1] |
| Germany | Schengen files go through VFS Global; fee 90 euros, paid in rupiah; around 15 days to process[3] |
| German flight item | "Flight reservation", under the travel itinerary heading[4] |
| Residence rule (Germany) | Non-Indonesians: KITAS or KITAP valid at least 3 months after return[4] |
| Netherlands | VFS in Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya, Ambon, Makassar or Medan[5] |
| Our price | $9 a head for single or return trips, card only, processed by Razorpay |
Which office takes a Jakarta resident's application?
United States. The US Embassy sits on Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan in central Jakarta, and there is a Consulate General in Surabaya. The embassy notes that the consular office in Medan and the consular agency in Bali do not accept or process visa applications.[1] The mission wants you interviewed where you reside or where your passport was issued.[1]
Germany. The German Embassy works with VFS Global for Schengen submissions, and it also accepts Latvian Schengen applications through VFS in Indonesia. The fee of 90 euros is paid in rupiah at VFS on the day, and passports come back by courier.[3]
Netherlands. Six VFS Global centres serve people living in Indonesia or Timor-Leste: Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya, Ambon, Makassar and Medan.[5]
United Kingdom. The UK's supporting-documents guide applies to Jakarta applicants as it does everywhere, and it is not keen on flight bookings.[8]
What do the Jakarta checklists say about flights?
| Country | Submission point | Words used about flights | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | VFS Global, Jakarta[3] | "Travel Itinerary including … Flight reservation"[4] | Reservation matches |
| Netherlands | VFS Global, six cities[5] | The Dutch tourism list used by Indonesian residents reads "You do not need a paid travel ticket" under travel[6] | Reservation matches |
| United States | Embassy Jakarta or Consulate Surabaya[1] | Don't purchase tickets before the visa[2] | Skip |
| United Kingdom | Online and biometrics | Flight bookings unhelpful unless transiting[8] | Skip |
Germany's wording here is helpful. The flight item sits under a travel itinerary heading together with a "valid (existing)" hotel booking, so the embassy is asking to see that your plans exist and hang together.[4] A held booking with a PNR you can check online fits that description.
Booked a VFS slot in Jakarta?
Holds for every traveller at $9 each, traceable on the carrier's website.
A US visa from Jakarta: do you need flights at all?
No. Washington's visitor page says to wait for approval before spending on flights, and your DS-160 only records planned dates.[2] At the embassy on Medan Merdeka Selatan or the consulate in Surabaya alike, the officer is interested in your ties to Indonesia, your job and your reasons for the trip.[1]
Some applicants still like to carry a reservation, for instance parents visiting a student in the US who want to show a fixed return before term ends. That is fine if you describe it honestly as a reservation, but we would not tell you to spend money on it. Your money is better spent on a flexible fare once the visa is printed. And if the interview leads to administrative processing that drags on for weeks, any reservation you brought will have lapsed long before the passport comes back, which is one more reason not to bother.
How long must your KITAS or KITAP run?
One line of Germany's Jakarta tourism list targets foreign residents directly: your KITAS or KITAP must still have 3 months left after you come home, and VFS will want the original.[4] Dutch rules apply a matching yardstick, measured from the day you exit Schengen.[6]
Check the arithmetic before you pay any fees. If your KITAS expires on 1 March and your return flight lands on 20 December, the permit needs to reach 20 March. It falls short by nineteen days. Extend it, or bring the trip forward, and only then book the reservation.
The Dutch page also says that if you do not live where you are applying, you must show why you cannot apply in your country of residence.[6] Someone in Jakarta on a short visit visa is generally expected to apply at home.
What else goes in a German file from Jakarta?
The checklist asks for a cover letter in English or German explaining the purpose of the trip and describing the itinerary, including inter-city trains, buses and flights within Schengen, with proof where applicable.[4] It also wants the hotel booking to show a full address and booking reference, and proof of your current employment in Indonesia.[4]
That cover letter is where your reservation earns its place. Write the outbound and return flights into it, mention the airline and booking reference, and make the nights add up to the hotel bookings. Processing takes around 15 days from receipt at the embassy, and the embassy asks applicants not to chase within that time.[3]
Which airport and routes suit a Jakarta reservation?
Almost every long-haul trip from Jakarta starts at Soekarno–Hatta (CGK). For Europe there is usually a connection, commonly through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, a Gulf hub or Istanbul. Any of those looks natural. The parts that matter to the embassy are the date you land in Schengen and the date you leave.
Applicants from Surabaya, Medan or Bali sometimes ask whether they must show a Jakarta departure. No. Book from the city you will really fly out of; the Netherlands accepts files in all those cities anyway.[5]
Two Jakarta examples
An Indian family in South Jakarta. Arjun runs a plant on the city's outskirts on a work KITAS valid until next September; his wife and two children hold dependant permits with the same end date. They want a Christmas week in Germany. Their VFS appointment is on 25 November. All four permits clear the three-month condition.[4] We would book on 22 or 23 November, one PNR with four names, Jakarta to Frankfurt on 19 December and back on 2 January. The cover letter lists both flights and the Frankfurt and Munich hotels night by night.
A Filipino teacher heading to Amsterdam. Maria teaches at an international school in Jakarta. She is visiting a friend in the Netherlands over the Easter break. The Dutch checklist says a reservation is enough, with no paid ticket needed.[6] She books VFS Jakarta for 20 March, orders our reservation two days earlier, and includes her school's leave letter. After approval, she buys whatever fare is cheapest for her dates.
How to order from Jakarta
- Read the checklist for your purpose of travel and confirm a reservation is enough.
- Use our booking page to enter route, dates and every traveller's name as in the passport.
- Pay $9 per person with an international Visa or Mastercard through Razorpay; your bank converts to rupiah.
- Collect the PDF from your email, normally within about 10 minutes.
- Verify the PNR on the airline's site with our verification guide.
You can check progress on order tracking, and the price page lists every currency.
When should you book?
Order it two or three days before you visit VFS. Holds last a fortnight at the outside, with each carrier setting its own limit. Under the Schengen rules you can apply as early as 6 months ahead and should apply at least 15 days before travel, so the appointment date, not the trip date, is the one to plan around.[7] If VFS moves you, order a fresh reservation for the new appointment.
Business trips to Germany from a Jakarta company
The embassy's business checklist uses the same travel itinerary item as the tourism list: an existing hotel booking with full address and booking reference, and a "Flight reservation".[10] What changes is the paperwork around the trip.
The German partner's invitation letter should confirm your name and employer, the travel dates, the purpose of the visit and who pays, and explain the business relationship between the two companies. Your Jakarta employer adds a signed cover letter or no-objection certificate on company letterhead, giving your name, passport number, the purpose, a brief itinerary and the company's postal address.[10]
Both letters quote travel dates, so order the reservation after they are signed and copy the dates across exactly. A reservation also suits companies whose travel desk only buys tickets once a visa is in hand, because nothing is spent on a fare that might go unused.
Notes for Indonesian citizens applying in Jakarta
Most of this page applies to you as well, minus the KITAS line. One Jakarta-specific point: the German Embassy has a notice for Indonesian passports issued without a signature field. Holders can still apply, but should first have their signature endorsed at an Indonesian immigration office, on page 4 or 5 of the passport's endorsement pages.[11] Sort that out before your VFS date.
For wider advice on applying with an Indonesian passport, including other destinations, see our guide for Indonesian travellers.
What to take to VFS in Jakarta
The German list asks for A4 paper only, so print the reservation on A4, one copy for each applicant.[4] Bring the original KITAS or KITAP if you are a foreign resident, because VFS needs to see it. Clip the reservation behind the cover letter, where the flights are described in words.
On your last evening before VFS, look the booking up online with your family name and the six-character reference. If the schedule has changed, tell us on WhatsApp so we can look at it together before you go, rather than after.
What if guests are flying in to see you?
Different rules apply when family visits you in Indonesia. Indonesia's immigration FAQ lists a return ticket or onward ticket among the requirements for an e-VOA.[9] Airlines may check this at boarding. Because this is an arrival requirement rather than a consular one, a hold might not satisfy a check-in agent or border officer looking for a ticket. Our Indonesia onward ticket guide and Indonesia visa guide explain the options.
Errors we see in Jakarta files
- A KITAS ending too close to the return date.
- Forgetting the original KITAS at VFS, which Germany asks to see.
- Cover letters that don't match the reservation and hotel dates.
- Applying in Jakarta on a visit stay instead of from home.
- Edited PDFs or references the airline cannot find.
Jakarta FAQ
Is there a DummyTicketPrice office in Jakarta?
No, we have no office in Jakarta or elsewhere in Indonesia. We are an online service. Ordering is done on our site, Razorpay charges $9 per person to your card, and the PDF reaches your mailbox in around 10 minutes, ready to print before your VFS visit.
Does the German Embassy in Jakarta accept a reservation?
Its tourism checklist lists a "Flight reservation" under the travel itinerary, together with an existing hotel booking. Our hold, retrievable on the airline's website, matches that description. The embassy still decides every file, so make sure the cover letter, hotel and flight dates all agree, and that your KITAS or KITAP is valid long enough.
How long must my KITAS be valid for a Schengen visa?
Foreign residents must show Germany a KITAS or KITAP with three months or more left after the return date, original in hand at VFS. The Dutch checklist uses a similar three-month test after you leave Schengen. If your permit falls short, extend it before you apply, because no flight document can make up for it.
Can I pay in rupiah?
Our price for Indonesia is $9 per passenger, charged in US dollars to an international debit or credit card through Razorpay. Your card issuer shows the amount in rupiah on your statement and may add a foreign transaction fee. Indonesian bank transfers and e-wallets are not available at our checkout.
I live in Surabaya. Can I still use this?
Yes. We work online, so your city does not matter. The Netherlands has a VFS centre in Surabaya, and the United States has a Consulate General there that processes visas. Book your reservation from the airport you will actually depart from, whether that is Surabaya or Jakarta.
Can I fly out of Soekarno–Hatta on the reservation?
No. Soekarno–Hatta check-in needs a paid fare, and a held seat does not include one. Once the visa is approved, buy your real ticket. Keeping the reserved dates is sensible, though you can change them as long as they fit the visa.
How long will the reservation remain active?
Two weeks at most, with the carrier deciding the real span, and some fares release sooner. Order shortly before your Jakarta VFS date for that reason. Should the embassy later ask for revised travel plans, get a new hold then.
Applying from Jakarta?
$9 per passenger, a live PNR, emailed in about 10 minutes.
Please note: a hold is not a bought fare and cannot obtain a visa for you. Name it correctly, line it up with the rest of your Jakarta paperwork, and treat the embassy's list as the final word.
See also our home page, flight reservation for visa, country-by-country requirements, onward tickets, hotel reservations, Schengen visa flights and the Germany visa guide. Nationality guides: Indonesian, Indian, Filipino and Bangladeshi travellers. Other cities: Kuala Lumpur, Seoul and Auckland.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Indonesia, U.S. Visa Services.
- U.S. Department of State, Visitor visa.
- German Embassy Jakarta, Visa Schengen (in Indonesian).
- German Embassy Jakarta, Schengen Visa – Tourism, documents to be submitted.
- Netherlands Worldwide, Applying for a Schengen visa in Indonesia.
- Netherlands Worldwide, Checklist: Schengen visa for tourism.
- European Commission, Applying for a Schengen visa.
- GOV.UK, Guide to supporting documents: visiting the UK.
- Directorate General of Immigration, Indonesia, Visa FAQ.
- German Embassy Jakarta, Schengen Visa – Business, documents to be submitted.
- German Embassy Jakarta, Indonesian passports without a signature field (in Indonesian).
