To drive legally in Indonesia, your permission must cover the actual type of vehicle—not just any licence card in your wallet. For a car, the Indonesian local category is SIM A. For an ordinary motorcycle or rental scooter up to 250 cc, the relevant local class is SIM C; higher-capacity motorbikes have SIM CI and SIM CII categories. A foreign car-only licence, a paid scooter rental and a shopkeeper's reassurance do not establish motorcycle permission.
As a visitor, you may be able to rely on a foreign-issued international driving permit (IDP) under an applicable international road-traffic convention or agreement, alongside your actual national licence, for the matching vehicle class. Not every home-country card or booklet is automatically recognised. If you live in Indonesia longer, ask Polri's Satpas licensing office about the proper Indonesian SIM application using your immigration documents rather than assuming every foreign licence can be exchanged without testing.
Decide before you pay for a vehicle
| Your situation | What to do before driving | Mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist with car-only home licence wants a 125 cc Bali scooter | Find a valid motorcycle entitlement recognised in Indonesia, or use a taxi/driver | The car class or shop's scooter rental agreement is not SIM C motorcycle competency |
| Tourist with a motorcycle home licence and IDP | Verify the IDP's issuing authority/treaty basis, expiration and motorcycle class against Indonesian rules; carry the valid original home licence | Any “international licence” website sells a legally valid IDP |
| Foreign resident with KITAS/KITAP wants a car SIM | Ask a proper Polri Satpas about immigration status, documents, health/psychological screening and exam | Residence card alone is a full driver's licence or all foreigners qualify automatically |
| Motorcycle enthusiast renting a 400 cc bike | Examine SIM CI or internationally equivalent applicable motorcycle category and local recognition before rental | Standard SIM C up to 250 cc covers 400 cc |
| A crash occurs on a scooter | Preserve reports, check valid licence/insurance, call emergency services and police as required | Insurer must pay merely because the rental company handed over keys |
Polri's Regulation No. 5 of 2021, Article 3, distinguishes SIM A for private cars up to 3,500 kg, SIM C for bikes up to 250 cc, SIM CI above 250–500 cc, and SIM CII above 500 cc, with category-specific requirements. The official rule does not make a 125 cc scooter legally equivalent to a car just because rental paperwork is easy to sign.
Foreign home licence and international driving permit
A foreign IDP is not simply a translation app or an Indonesian-made souvenir card. Under Article 3(13) of the Indonesian police regulation, an IDP issued abroad may be valid in Indonesia under the applicable United Nations road-traffic convention or other international agreement. That is a legal condition—not universal recognition of every IDP, every issuer or every class.
Before arriving, obtain the proper document from the actual authorised issuer in your home country, check the convention and driving class with Polri or the relevant consulate, and carry the original valid national licence as well. Verify the expiration of both documents, the vehicle class, and any further local or insurer requirements. A car class does not automatically become a motorcycle class when printed into an international booklet.
Do not make the reverse mistake: Indonesia's own Polri international SIM portal issues Indonesian IDPs for driving abroad. Its requirement for certain foreign permanent-resident applicants is not a statement that tourists should buy an Indonesian-issued international permit to drive inside Indonesia. Article 3(12) explicitly says Indonesian-issued international SIM is valid abroad, not as a substitute domestic licence.
Case: A foreign tourist presents a real national car licence and a “universal online international driver card” to a scooter shop. Even if the shop rents the bike, the documents may not establish the right motorcycle entitlement. Choose another transport method until Polri/insurer eligibility is clear. The risk is not only a police ticket but also insurance exclusions or personal liability.
How a foreign resident can seek a local SIM
A local SIM A or SIM C comes from Indonesia's National Police (Polri), through an authorised Satpas. In June 2026 the Indonesian National Police explicitly warned that private agents cannot legally issue the SIM. Do not buy someone else's SIM or pay an informal intermediary promising an official certificate without Police registration.
The police regulation's document rules distinguish foreign permanent residents with passport and KITAP, certain foreign professional/students with passport and relevant temporary-stay evidence, and diplomats with their own documents. The regulation also lists a work permit for relevant foreign workers, accredited driving-training evidence where required, biometric registration, relevant health conditions and competency examination. The exact accepted modern identity, BPJS/health check and booking screens should be checked against the current local Satpas process, rather than treating a generic page showing Indonesian KTP requirements as a passport-only tourist route.
Polri's application guide describes physical and psychological screening and identity checks. You may have to take theory and practical tests; holding a foreign licence is not proof of an automatic no-test conversion. Ask the office what tests are required for your foreign status and what official receipt and result it issues.
Minimum ages listed in the police licence categories include 17 for SIM A and standard SIM C, 18 for SIM CI, and 19 for SIM CII. A rental shop's lower age policy cannot override Police minimums. Specific medical fitness, examination standards, service fees and licence issue/expiry dates must be verified on the current actual Polri service; don't pay a third party based on a vague “one-price licence exchange.”
What vehicle can you actually use?
125 cc scooter in Bali: Verify the national motorcycle licence and appropriate IDP/Polri recognition before riding, confirm insurance coverage, registration, helmet, lights and roadworthiness. A car-only licence is not the right class. 400 cc motorcycle: Polri's SIM CI band starts above 250 cc to 500 cc, and obtaining that local class may require prior SIM C experience under the regulation. Don't treat a bigger bike as an ordinary scooter.
Car in Jakarta or Yogyakarta: The ordinary private passenger car category is SIM A; check the foreign national licence and IDP's applicable car class, or obtain an eligible domestic SIM via Satpas. Driving a paid commercial passenger or goods service has separate general/commercial licensing and labour questions—not solved by a personal SIM A.
E-bike or low-power rental: Licensing depends on the vehicle's actual legal classification, not the company's marketing name “electric bike”. Check vehicle papers with Polri instead of inferring that all electric-powered two-wheelers are exempt.
If police stop you or an accident occurs
If stopped, show accurate identity, valid travel/residence status and documents for the correct vehicle class, cooperate lawfully and ask for the official citation/payment channel. Don't use bribes or fabricated licenses. If there is a crash, prioritise safety, first aid and police/emergency procedures; photograph conditions, notify the vehicle provider and your insurer, and preserve the original licence/permit and policy. A rental invoice is not an insurance policy or a work/residence permit.
Next step before renting anything: write down the vehicle's engine capacity/class, your original national licence categories, the actual IDP issuer and convention, and your visitor or resident status. Use that information to get a class-specific answer from Polri/Satpas and the insurer. For ordinary intercity travel see Indonesia transport choices; for visa status see Indonesia entry and visa guide.