Tag: Darmasiswa scholarship

After selection

First of all CONGRATULATIONS :)! You are one of lucky ones from all over the world who was selected to discover Indonesian culture. So what will be after selection?

  • After selection, when you will see your name in selected people list, soon you will get e-mail from your country Indonesian embassy (be patient, you will receive this letter:)). There will be written administrative details that need to be done before your arrival, information about visa and etc. Probably you will have additional questions concerning the letter but please be patient to get the answers from embassy.
    When everything will be done concerning administrative things you can start to prepare to your journey to Indonesia. If you want you can use my recommendations what to do and what to take before coming to Indonesia.
  • First, all new year Darmasiswa program students will meet in Jakarta for the new year scholarship opening ceremony (“Orientation program”). There you will meet with your university Darmasiswa scholarship coordinator and your university selected students.
  • After opening ceremony you with other students and university coordinator will travel to your city. Travel tickets will be covered as well you should get some pocket money for first days of staying in Indonesia.
  • When you will arrive to your city, the accommodation for couple of days for sure will be provided (some of the universities can ask to pay for it from pocket money that you will get in opening ceremony, other can cover this short staying expenses). How to provide accommodation in each city and each university depends on university. One university can suggest staying in their dormitory during all Darmasiswa scholarship period, other just to stay couple of days there; third can order home-stay for couple nights till you will find your own place to stay and etc. You can read my recommendations how to find a place to live in Indonesia.
  • University coordinator will explain when the studies will start, how everything will be organized later and etc.
  • Most of the Darmasiswa program students will have tourist visa when they will arrive in Indonesia. University coordinator will take care of the application process for the KITAS (“Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas” – temporary stay permit card) for your scholarship period. You will need to visit immigration office to submit your personal information, take some pictures – university coordinator will assist you.

Useful? Great! :) You might also like this:

Frequently asked questions
Scholarship amount
“Power” of 1 EUR in Indonesia

 

What to do before going to Indonesia

Here is my recommendations what to do before going to Indonesia. Mostly this information useful for Darmasiswa scholarship students but as well some parts for those who are planning to come to Indonesia longer than for 1 month.
It’s just advices, nothing is mandatory. All “must to do” things written in official Darmasiswa scholarship website.

How to save some money

  • Mobile payment plan: check possibilities to change your mobile payment plan and pay less till you will be in Indonesia. Like here – you will buy local SIM card and will have local operator (it will be cheaper and easier to contact between other students and local friends).
  • Unused stuff and clothes: maybe some of clothes or stuff you didn’t wear or use for a long time? Try to sell it in second hand websites. Double benefit – will clean your wardrobe, shelf and can get extra money. If nobody will buy it – just give for charity.
  • Club membership: if you have any – cancel it, like pay during your stay in Indonesia it’s not worth.
  • Proper clothes for Indonesia: buy them in second hand shops – it will be cheaper and the heart won’t hurt when it will be damaged in laundry (maybe).
  • Travel tickets: leave for yourself enough time to search for the cheapest plain tickets. Check all possible websites, flights from nearest countries capitals and etc. Compare different routes, which can modify the price of the same company: Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur / Kula Lumpur- Yogyakarta, Amsterdam– Jakarta / Jakarta – Yogyakarta and etc. If you have 1 year scholarship – probably you won’t find the return ticket, so you can buy one way ticket (usually it’s enough, only if Indonesian embassy in your country will say opposite). Or buy both ways for period of maximum duration and later change return date – but usually it will cost almost the same price (to change) like whole ticket and not with all cheap tickets is possible to change the date.
  • Stuff list: make a stuff list that you want to take with you (my recommendations what to take before coming). If you need to buy something before the trip – leave time for yourself to search, wait for the discounts for needed stuff.
  • Liabilities for the bank: if you have any (like credits and etc.) check possibilities to suspend it for your scholarship period. Then you won’t need to pay and that money could spend for the trips or extra money for daily life in Indonesia.
  • Local institution: inform your local institution that you will live in Indonesia. Then you won’t need to pay taxes for a country during scholarship period (if your country system works like this ;)). For Lithuanians: Lietuvoje reikia informuoti seniūnija, kuriai priklausote 7 d.d. prieš išvykimą. Tuomet nebus skaičiuojamas privalomi mokesčiai kol būsite Indonezijoje.

Don’t buy too many stuff, like mostly everything you will find in Indonesia and much cheaper than in your country. Just read some advices which stuff better to take with you from your country (my recommendations what to take before coming).

Formalities

  • Visa: don’t forget on time to manage to get Indonesian visa from Indonesian embassy in your country (or other country that responsible for your country Darmasiswa scholarship participants). For Lithuanians: Indonezijos ambasada yra Danijoje, todėl teks siųsti savo pasą į Daniją, kad ten įklijuotų vizą. Visas procesas (nusiųsti per kurjerių tarnybą pasą, laikas vizai ir gauti atgal pasą užtruks ~1,5 savaitės. Kad būtų pigiau siųsti visus atrinktų dalyvių pasus galite siųsti kartu – jeigu susikoperuosite tarpusavyje).
  • Visa for other countries: if you will have a flight change in some Asian countries – check if you don’t need a transit visa there, if needed – check how to get it before you go there.
  • Bank: inform your bank (where you have any payment cards which you will use in Indonesia) that you will live in Indonesia and sometimes will use the card there. Like Indonesia is in the risk country list and some banks when they will see that your card used in Indonesia can block it, because they can think that somebody stole your card.
  • Payment card: if your payment card will expire during the stay in Indonesia – talk with your bank to extend it before it will expire.
  • Power of attorney: leave power of attorney during the Darmasiswa program period for one of your family members – in a case, they could manage to solve bureaucracy things in your country by your name without your participation.
  • International insurance: make insurance in your country for the period of staying in Indonesia. Like here you can have stomach, skin problems and etc. Probably you will need to go to private clinic or hospital (there more chance that doctors will speak in English, you can have better treatment). Visit to a doctor, x-ray, analysis, medicine and etc. will cost a lot, so why to use your scholarship money or savings? Insurance will cover expenses. Also save main information from insurance rules how and to whom you need inform about medical accident and etc. For Lithuanians: nesidrauskite pigiausiu kelionių draudimu. Atidžiai perskaitykite taisykles nuo ko būsite apdrausti ir kokios išlaidos bus padengiamos tuomet nuspręskite, kurią bendrovę rinktis. Naudinga pasidaryti ir bagažo draudimą, nes kelionė bus ilga ir tikriausiai keisite ne vieną avialiniją ir ne vieną šalį, kol nusileisite Indonezijoje.
    In Darmasiswa scholarship contract that you will need to sign, written that Ministry of Education and Culture provides medical/health care for 200 000 Rp per month and this amount included in the scholarship monthly stipend. It doesn’t mean that you will get insurance – this amount is for visiting doctor, buying medicine, making analysis. From my experience this amount not enough – in some hospitals the visit, medicine, analysis can cost even ~ 800 000 Rp per time.
  • Registration in your country embassy/consulate: inform your country embassy/consulate in Indonesia (or nearest country where is located your country embassy) – that you will leave in Indonesia and which city. Its good information for your country institution in a case of eruption, earthquake and etc. they will know how many their country people can be needed help also they could manage quicker to contact with your family. For Lithuanians: Kinijoje esanti Lietuvos ambasada atsakinga už lietuvos piliečius esančius Indonezijoje. Apie konsulinę registraciją plačiau čia.
  • Collect main information: print the main information about Indonesia from your country Foreign office – where is your country embassy in Indonesia, who is responsible person, contacts and etc. It will be useful in emergency case.

Other

  • Vaccine: take necessary vaccine before coming to Indonesia (you can discuss with doctor which vaccine is necessary). Some of vaccine need to make twice during 2 weeks so doesn’t leave this for the last minute. For Lithuanians: gavus siuntimą iš šeimos gydytojo, kai kurios vakcinos bus atliekamos nemokamai infekcinių ligų ir tuberkuliozės ligoninėje Vilniuje (Birutės g.). Šioje ligoninėje ir likusios vakcinos buvo pigiausios – bent taip buvo 2014 m.
  • Devices: check if your mobile, photo camera, laptop and other devices works properly – if not, fix it before coming to Indonesia. Here to fix the problem will take very long time and you don’t know if they will manage to fix it. Make a copy of all your documents from laptop in separate hard disk. Because of humid sometimes computers just not turn on – would be pity to lose all information. My recommendations what to do during rainy season.
  • Health condition: before coming to Indonesia – check your health condition, make all needed analysis and etc. obtain medical record from your doctor. Visit your dentist to obtain dental records.
  • Extra money: take some extra money with you and change it in Rupiahs (if possible), if not – take dollars or euros (before check which currency is friendlier for exchange to Rupiah). Dollars must be in perfect condition, with no rips, tears, marks or creases, and must be printed no earlier than 2007, like older one – money exchange in Indonesia won’t accept. Extra money you will need ~ for 2 first months, like you will need to pay for house/room rent for 6 months or 1 year period and it can be more than scholarship amount. Maybe you will need to buy some stuffs for a house and etc. (from my experience (but it’s not rule) in first month I spend: for house rent (1 year) 5 000 000 Rp, buying stuff for a house ~1 500 000 Rp (like the house was totally empty).
  • E-mail box: check your mail boxes – delete old letters and etc. because you don’t know how often you will have access to internet. The e-mail box can be full quite fast (if you get many newsletters, spam) and you cannot get main letters. If some newsletter you didn’t read often, just unsubscribe them.
  • Movies: download some movies before coming – like in Indonesia internet is very slow and will take days to download bigger file. You can download movies in some internet cafe but then you will pay for it.
  • Information about Indonesia: if you have time and wish, just read some articles, travel forums, blogs about Indonesia – to have better clue what to take with you, what to do and etc.
  • Indonesian language: write/print some main phrases in Indonesian language – just to be polite to saying “hello”, ”thank you” and etc.
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Useful? Great! :) You might also like these:

What to take before coming to Indonesia
Visa for Indonesia
Vaccinations for Indonesia