Relocating to Lombok: the practical guide for families and remote workers
Visas, schools, healthcare, banking, importing your life — the operational guide for the year before and after the move.
Buying a villa is the easy part. Moving your life to Lombok is the harder one. This guide is for the readers who are seriously considering the relocation — written by people who've done it and helped 30+ families through the same process.
Visas: which one for your situation
B211A Single-Entry Visit Visa (60 days, extendable to 180). Easiest entry. Gets you on the ground while you set up a longer-term path. Apply via a local agent for €120–180.
E33G Remote Worker Visa (1 year, renewable). Launched late 2024. For employees of foreign companies earning $60K+/year. Allows you to live in Indonesia and work remotely; cannot serve Indonesian clients. Application via Indonesian embassy in your home country, €450 + bank statements + employer letter.
KITAS Investor (5 years). For shareholders of an Indonesian PT PMA. Requires PMA setup first (€4–6K, 6–10 weeks). Enables you to legally work in your own company, hold Hak Pakai property, open a local bank account in your name. Annual cost €380.
KITAS Retiree (1 year, renewable indefinitely). Ages 55+, evidence of pension/savings (~$2,000/month equivalent), local accommodation. €350 + sponsor agency fee €450.
KITAP Permanent Stay (5 years). Available after 4 years on KITAS. The closest thing to permanent residence. €600 application + agency fees.
Healthcare
Daily care: Several decent clinics in Mataram and Praya. Foreign-trained doctors at Siloam Hospital (private) and BIMC (Bali, but accessible by 90-min flight).
Insurance: International policy from Cigna, Allianz, or Pacific Cross. €1,800–2,400/year for a 45-year-old with regional cover (Indonesia + ASEAN + air evac). Include Bali in your policy region.
Emergency: AirAmbulance.com for evacuation to Singapore (€38K typical bill, why insurance matters).
Banking
You can open an Indonesian rupiah account on a B211 visit visa with most banks (BCA, Mandiri, BRI). Some private banks (Permata Bank, OCBC NISP) cater to expats with English-speaking branches in Mataram and Senggigi.
For property purchases: Use a CIMB Niaga or Bank Mandiri account — they handle international transfers reliably and have clean SWIFT receiving info.
Avoid: Opening accounts at any bank that doesn't have an English-language online portal. You will use it daily.
Schools (the hardest puzzle)
Until late 2026: No Western-curriculum school on Lombok. Three options:
- Remote learning via Pearson IGCSE or American homeschool curriculum. Most common for K–8.
- Boarding in Bali (Green School, Bali Island School, Sekolah Lentera Internasional). €18K–34K/year + boarding €12K.
- Local Indonesian school + supplementary tutoring. Cheap (€80/month), excellent for Indonesian language acquisition, but academic rigour varies.
From Q3 2027: Singapore-backed K–12 international school in Praya. Initial annual fees announced at €11K (kindergarten) to €22K (Year 12).
Importing your stuff
Personal effects (used items owned >6 months) qualify for duty-free import on KITAS or KITAP. €2K–4K shipping for a 20ft container from Europe; 8–12 weeks transit.
Vehicles: Importing a personal car is technically possible but commercially insane (200%+ duties). Buy locally — a 2-year-old Toyota Avanza or Honda BR-V costs €11K–15K.
Pets: Indonesia has no quarantine but requires extensive paperwork (rabies titer 30 days before travel, import permit from Indonesian quarantine office). Budget 4 months and €1,800 per pet.
Internet and remote work
Fibre internet (€30/month, 100/30 Mbps) available in: central Kuta Lombok, Selong Belanak central, Senggigi, Mataram, Sekotong. Outside those zones, Starlink (€100/month, install €380) is the standard remote-work setup.
Co-working spaces: 8 active spaces across south coast and Senggigi. Average daily rate €12–18, monthly €120–180.
The first 90 days — what to actually do
Week 1: Arrive on B211, find short-term rental for 3 months, open Indonesian bank account.
Weeks 2–4: Engage a visa agent for your target long-term visa. Identify a property to buy (or to long-rent if not buying immediately). Begin due diligence.
Month 2: Buy a vehicle. Get a local SIM card on your name. Register at the local kelurahan (village office) — required after 14 days.
Month 3: Sign property deal (if buying). Move into your villa. Set up internet, utilities, household help. File initial NPWP (tax registration).
Months 4–12: Settle into a routine. Build relationships with neighbours, local tradespeople, and the village head. Start exploring the rest of the island.
The honest summary
Relocating to Lombok is operationally manageable but emotionally demanding. The first 6 months are full of small frictions; the next 18 months get progressively easier. Most people who make it to month 24 stay for 5+ years.
The single best predictor of who thrives here: do you have a project? Investors who treat the move as a "lifestyle upgrade" tend to drift. Investors who treat it as a context switch for a clear next chapter (writing, a new business, raising kids in a slower environment, building a portfolio) tend to land solidly.