Visa guide
Timor-Leste (East Timor) visa rules for 2026: the USD 30 visa on arrival, visa-free countries, the online arrival declaration, extensions and land borders.
Independent travel guide · Updated 24 Sep 2026
Timor-Leste, the practical way
Clear, checked answers for travelling in Timor-Leste (East Timor): visas and flights, the Atauro ferry, where to stay in Dili, what things really cost, and how to plan a route on slow roads.
Timor-Leste essentials
- Visa
USD 30 on arrival, 30 days (many nationalities visa-free)
- Flights
From Darwin, Bali, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur
- Money
US dollar; ATMs mainly in Dili
- Best time
May to November (dry season)
- Atauro ferry
USD 4–5, six days a week
- Safety
Exercise a high degree of caution; avoid travel after dark
- Health
Rabies and dengue risk; malaria-free since 2025
- Things to do
Reefs, Jaco Island, Ramelau, whales and coffee
- Beaches
Jaco, Atauro, Com and near Dili
Quick answer · as of September 2026
Timor-Leste (East Timor) is a small, uncrowded country east of Bali and north of Darwin. Most visitors fly into Dili, get a USD 30 visa on arrival, spend a few days in the capital and on Atauro Island, and pay in US dollars. The dry season, May to November, is the best time to go.
- Capital
- Dili
- Currency
- US dollar
- Languages
- Tetum and Portuguese; English and Indonesian widely understood
- Time zone
- UTC+9
Plan your trip
All planning guides →Getting there
How to get to Timor-Leste (East Timor) in 2026: direct flights to Dili from Darwin, Bali, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and the overland route from Kupang.
Money and ATMs
Money in Timor-Leste (East Timor): the US dollar and centavo coins, where ATMs work, card acceptance, fees, and how much cash to carry outside Dili.
Costs and budget
What a trip to Timor-Leste (East Timor) costs in 2026: daily budgets, and prices for rooms, food, transport, ferries, diving and a 4WD with driver.
On a budget
How to travel Timor-Leste on a budget in 2026: cheap beds, buses and mikrolets, the USD 4 Atauro ferry, cheap food and realistic backpacker costs.
SIM cards and internet
Staying connected in Timor-Leste (East Timor): local SIM cards from Telkomcel, Timor Telecom and Telemor, travel eSIMs, coverage, Starlink and Wi-Fi.
Beyond Dili
All destinations →island · Dili
Atauro Island
A mountainous island north of Dili with some of the most species-rich reefs ever surveyed, simple eco-lodges and no ATMs.
- Time needed
- 2 to 4 nights
- Best season
- May to November; whales pass October to November
mountain · Ainaro
Mount Ramelau (Tatamailau)
Timor-Leste's highest peak at 2,963 metres, climbed before dawn from Hato Builico for sunrise over both coasts.
- Time needed
- 2 days from Dili
- Best season
- June to November
island · Lautém
Jaco Island
An uninhabited, sacred island at the country's eastern tip, inside Nino Konis Santana National Park, with white sand and clear water. Day visits only.
- Time needed
- A full day, plus 2 days' travel from Dili
- Best season
- May to November
town · Baucau
Baucau
Timor-Leste's second city, with a Portuguese-era old town, a restored 1930s market and white-sand beaches down the hill at Osolata and Watabo.
- Time needed
- 1 to 2 nights
- Best season
- May to November
Where to stay
All places to stay →hotel
PartnerHotel Dongshan
Comoro, Dili
A mid-sized hotel in Comoro, west Dili, with a pool, large bedrooms and studio apartments. Breakfast, laundry and cleaning are included, which makes it good value for monthly stays.
- Swimming pool
- Breakfast included
- Laundry
- +2 more
USD 40–60 / night
USD 800–1,000 / month
hotel
Hotel Esplanada
Waterfront, Dili
A long-standing waterfront hotel on Avenida de Portugal with two pool areas and a beachfront restaurant looking out to Atauro. Popular with families and first-time visitors.
- Swimming pool
- Restaurant
- Wi-Fi
- +2 more
USD 80–150 / night
eco lodge
Barry's Place
Beloi, Atauro
The best-known eco-lodge on Atauro: thatched bungalows in a garden by the beach at Beloi, with three meals a day included at set times. Bookings are by WhatsApp only, and internet is patchy.
- Breakfast included
- Restaurant
- Beachfront
USD 60 / night
What to eat
All Timorese dishes →Simple, fresh and cheap: grilled fish with katupa by the sea, corn and bean stews, and excellent highland coffee. See where to eat across the country.
Main dish
Batar da'an
Also: batar daan
Corn, mung beans and pumpkin stewed together: Timor-Leste's everyday comfort food.
Vegetarian
Street food
Ikan tunu (grilled fish)
Also: grilled fish, barbecued fish
Whole fish grilled over coals with a chilli, garlic and turmeric baste, sold at roadside and beach stalls.
Contains meat or fish
Main dish
Ikan saboko
Also: ikan sabuko, dotuwai hamudara
Fish with chilli, ginger, garlic and basil, wrapped in palm leaves and baked in the fire.
Contains meat or fish
Drink
Timorese coffee
Also: kafé, Timor coffee
Shade-grown highland Arabica, organic by default: the country's best-known export.
Vegetarian
Itineraries
5 days
Timor-Leste in 5 Days: Dili and Atauro Island
Spend two days in Dili for Cristo Rei, the waterfront and the Resistance Museum, then take the ferry to Atauro for three days of snorkelling and village walks.
7 days
Timor-Leste in 7 Days: Dili, Atauro and the Mountains
Dili, two nights snorkelling on Atauro, then a 4WD trip to Maubisse and a pre-dawn climb of Mount Ramelau, Timor-Leste's highest peak.
7 days
A Diving Week in Timor-Leste: Dili and Atauro
Two days of shore diving along Dili's north coast, then four nights on Atauro, where surveys recorded more reef fish species per site than anywhere else.
14 days
Timor-Leste in 14 Days: The Complete Loop
Two weeks covering Dili, Atauro, the north coast to Baucau and Com, a day on Jaco Island, then the highlands of Maubisse and a sunrise on Mount Ramelau.
Quick questions
- Is it East Timor or Timor-Leste?
- Both refer to the same country. Timor-Leste is the official name (Portuguese for 'East Timor'); East Timor is the common English name.
- Do I need a visa for Timor-Leste?
- Most visitors get a 30-day visa on arrival at Dili airport for USD 30 in cash. Schengen-area, Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean passport holders can enter visa-free. Check the visa guide for your nationality.
- What currency does Timor-Leste use?
- The US dollar. Local centavo coins are used for change. Bring clean, small notes; cards are rarely accepted outside a few Dili hotels and supermarkets.
How this guide works
Every guide shows when its facts were last verified and lists its sources, from the Migration Service and ferry operators to airlines and hotels. Partner listings are always labelled, and we list good non-partner options alongside them. How we research · Partner policy · About