禁漫天堂

BCA is probably the most popular bank in Indonesia, but there are several others to choose from.
Opening any bank account requires a KITAS or KITAP.

Local ATMs dispense local money.

I'm unsure of any advantage in holding a USD account but someone might be aware.

As for tax, I think the banks have to report anything above Rp100 million to the tax boys, so keep it below that.

Thank you Fred, packing to Bali in 3 days. Will check with the major banks in the island and ask the same questions a placed above.

BCA is the best bank and most of us have an account with them. I wasn't aware that there is an HSBC bank in Bali , but if one has opened then definitely open an account with them too, especially a multi currency account. That way you can instantly move your dollars to Bali whenever you need them.

I would definitely recommend an account that holds multi currency, plus using HSBC if you already have a holding account with them then your unlikely to get charges, I know for certain the UK branches don鈥檛 charge world wide internal transfers but just remember they (uk and Asia ) have to obide by different rules and regulations with banking
One advantage to holding different currencies with a international bank is for an example the IDR has lost 20% to the GB拢 recently.
So for example you had to leave Bali to return to the UK (example only) and the GB拢 lost value massively to the IDR , A 拢 is still a 拢 back in the UK your not paying to lose even more by exchanging.
Most UK expats I know in Batam including myself have SG$, US$ (currency I鈥檓 paid in) and GB拢
For fantastic live rates I use transferwise to my Indonesian account, at a huge saving and superior rate to any bank / currency converter
If you look in to it and will be spending most of your time in Bali you will save a small fortune ( many 10s of millions IDR per year)

That's absolutely true and a very important point. Transferwise is the best thing out there for sending money, better rates than money changers too. And you are spot on about Sterling, it fluctuates so much that you can make decent money by playing the currency market.

Bonjour,
Je me permets de rebondir sur votre r茅ponse, si je comprends bien, vous conseillez d'ouvrir un comp茅tences HSBC en us$ ?
Je vous remercie pour votre confirmations
Cordialement
Virginie

Virginie Labrousse wrote:

Bonjour,
Je me permets de rebondir sur votre r茅ponse, si je comprends bien, vous conseillez d'ouvrir un comp茅tences HSBC en us$ ?
Je vous remercie pour votre confirmations
Cordialement
Virginie

Please post in English only in order to allow as many people as possible to understand you.
You can find the forum's French language section by clicking the flag at the top right of this page.

To the answer.
A US$ account is a fine idea for high earning Americans that want to save money for return to the states. It's a pointless waste of time for the vast majority of people.

HSBC account holder have other problems as there are very few branches around.
To open an account, you must prove legal residence in Indonesia.

A US$ account is a fine idea for high earning Americans that want to save money for return to the states. It's a pointless waste of time for the vast majority of people.

I would only partially agree on that, vast majority who have multi currency accounts including myself use these as a way to transfer funds at zero rate or very low fees when abroad TO Indonesia
My main reason to have one is playing the currency game that has been extremely generous to me since Brexit and continues to be generous , IDR, GBP, USD, EUR (just 4 examples) are to go weak I use my app for my bank to purchase/ exchange at zero cost, cash in
One example just for a great reason to have one is if you relocate to Indonesia I sold an apartment I had rented out for years in the uk 2 years ago and transferred the funds to my account in Indonesia as GBP because I waited with these funds (still GBP No matter what) and bought IDR not that long ago the difference was +150million (3,000 IDR to the GBP better now than 2 years ago)
But like mentioned earlier some of these banks don鈥檛 have a lot of branches to visit so most you would have to do online/ app mine is an Indonesian account but my nearest branch is Singapore 馃槀馃槀

Thank you so much for all your informations. I understand. I have nos to find the good bank for good and cheap services.
Thanks
Virginie

Added to agree with the post 2 above.
Traders and so on dealing in whatever way with foreign currency could well have advantaged with a US$ account.
Us poor peasants will only find disadvantages.

Thank you听

And what about bank Danamon?

libresbg wrote:

And what about bank Danamon?

Bank Danamon offers multi currency but they have larger charges and poor exchange rates (or did several years ago) charges abroad had also been quite expensive, again this was several years ago and may have changed and could be different for the better now, one advantage they do have are branches to visit

thank you

The majority use BCA and/or BNI.
BCA has branches everywhere but BNI generally has shorter queues.

Thanks

Not sure if maybank? Is new or expanding as they are appearing quite slot in batam
Like mentioned above BCA and BNI are all over and very popular
Be aware though as transfers or regular use of certain UK bank cards/ banks red flag BNI halifax, Lloyds etc in the UK refuse to deal with them, this was the case at 2015/16 and they advised me to not use BNI (wasn鈥檛 recognised as a conventional bank, no idea so don鈥檛 ask) and my cards had been blocked to use at these ATMs BCA was never an issue nor using transferwise to either was an issue

I use my HSBC (UK) card in BNI and BCA machines without issue

Fred wrote:

I use my HSBC (UK) card in BNI and BCA machines without issue

Ive never had an issue with BCA but Halifax/ Lloyd鈥檚 refused to do business with BNI and it was several years back, I used HSBC uk to Indonesia HSBC as its zero fees and ok rates (or was)
When I set up transfers with BNI was a bit strange as the bank code is actually Jakarta who in turn sent it to my local one,(usual international way) it didn鈥檛 match what the UK held, so when I went back to BNI and showed them she said the uk one is correct, I didn鈥檛 even bother asking why they gave me the incorrect one

I've only ever don't international transfer with BCA. One Jakarta code does the whole bank and all went well.

It did with myself once the codes had been confirmed and was pretty quick, usually 30 minutes with transferwise possibly 24/48 hrs using my bank
I tend to use BCA over BNI but for no particular reason

Hello everybody, my need is a bank account in euro (my currency) that I can use to have accredited purchases from my web shop, through credit card and through bank transfer, usually from UK USA Canada Australia etc. So the transactions must be easy and not expensive to clients.
And I would like to have a credit card from the bank, I don't know what it usually needs to give it.
The bank account would have to be easy to link to PayPal or other forms of online payment.
The euro.would.have to be easily taken out from the account, and not as Bank Danamon asks, with a preorder of a few previous days
Thanks all

I鈥檝e always used DBS as they hold 12 currencies including the ones you mentioned, Ive never used credit cards so I can鈥檛 comment on your needs
They have branches in Indonesia (Jakarta for sure) but mine is a Singapore account ( I can walk in to DBS in Indonesia if I want to)
Mine was opened听 as a corporate/business account with my employer assistance
Not sure about ordinary accounts but the one I hold from Singapore I won鈥檛 be closing anytime soon

If you can get 鈥淩evolut鈥� in you 鈥渉ome country 鈥� or similar it鈥檚 a top up credit card and you can set them up as a business to receive and make payments in US$, 鈧琫u and 拢, make payment in any currency
The rates you won鈥檛 beat for sure and no fees at ATMs around the world other than your home country and a maximum use at ATMs, can鈥檛 remember the max for withdrawing but for payment it鈥檚 zero

Since the OP has just posted a new thread stating he has yet to obtain a visa of any sort, it should be noted he can't open an account legally as to do so you must have a KITAS or KITAP.