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With a simple application procedure and a fixed fee, travellers can effortlessly secure their visa upon arrival.
Let’s cover the following steps for how to get an East Timor visa on arrival
The capital city of East Timor is Dili, and all international flights will arrive here.
East Timor (also known as Timor-Leste) is one of the world’s youngest countries, becoming a separate state from Indonesia in 2002.
The islands near the coast of East Timor are evolving as a popular destination for diving and snorkelling trips, with white sand beaches, turquoise water, and amazing coral reefs.
The biodiversity is similar to nearby Indonesia, yet the downside is that the infrastructure to travel in East Timor still needs to be built.
As a result, whilst travelling in East Timor is an adventure, it can be a costly experience if you compare travel around other islands in nearby Indonesia.
One of our favourite islands, the adventurous, lush island of Flores, was fantastic!
Read our helpful post – Magical Island of Flores in Indonesia – 7 Day Itinerary
To enter Timor East as a tourist or for business, you will require a visa for entry.
Any nationality can get a visa on arrival in East Timor, and the visa price is the same for all: USD 30.
If you need to stay longer, you can also extend this visa or apply in advance for a 90-day visa.
The length of stay for visa on arrival is 30 days. If you need to stay longer, you can also extend this or apply in advance for a 90-day visa.
Important: The visa fee is ONLY payable in cash, US dollars – it’s essential that you have money with you to pay for your East Timor Visa on arrival.
There are no ATMs at Dili airport. Furthermore, ATMs in East Timor are few and far between.
We recommend bringing new USD bills and cash to travel to East Timor if you plan to travel here.
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Once you arrive in East Timor, immigration officers will provide you with an arrival card.
You must complete this before clearing immigration; it requests the standard information such as your name, passport number, flight number, hotel or accommodation address in East Timor, and how long you wish to stay.
They may request additional information from you to prove you have enough funds to cover your time in East Timor, so we recommend having a copy of your current bank statement.
They may also request your reservation details for your hotel/accommodation. Having a copy of this or a screenshot on your phone is a wise idea to provide the officer if questioned.
Dili airport is small, so going through the arrivals process takes no time.
Once you have provided the officer with your completed immigration form and paid the USD 30 visa fee, you can exit the airport and start exploring!
Visit Immigration Service of East Timor for more information
The most common way to get to East Timor is to fly into the capital city of Dili, the only international airport in the country.
The airport code for Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport is DIL. We recommend browsing Skyscanner for the cheapest, most direct flights to Dili from your origin.
The two most common routes to fly to Dili are from (DPS) airport in Bali, Indonesia and from (DRW) in Darwin, Australia.
The journey time between these two destinations to Dili (DIL) is approximately 1.5 – 2 hours.
Interested in exploring Dili? Book this Guided City Walking Tour
There are limited options for decent hotels in Dili. As mentioned, East Timor isn’t a budget destination for visitors regarding hotels and accommodation options.
We stayed at Sunset INN by Pro-Ema for USD 80 per night, which was a comfortable option in a good location in Dili. Another reliable hotel option in Dili is Hotel Timor.
VIEW MORE HOTEL OPTIONS IN DILI
We have many travel guides and tips for Asia— a fascinating continent!
Delicious cuisine can be enjoyed across Asia, and our food map of Asia will inspire your food journey.
These top 5 best street foods in Asia are unmissable! We explain Central Asian food, including seven popular foods in this region.
Our Southeast Asia packing list will be helpful if you’re travelling here.
Furthermore, if you plan to travel long-term (or at least until the money runs out), these 21 cheapest countries to visit will help you make your hard-earned dollars stretch a bit further.
Not surprisingly, our top 10 best countries for food lovers include a few Asian countries.
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