What to Pack for Timor-Leste: A Practical Packing List

Documents and money

Your passport, the visa fee in cash and proof of onward travel matter most.

• Passport valid for 6 months from arrival, with blank pages
• USD 30 in cash for the visa on arrival (if needed), plus cash for your first days
• Printed or saved arrival declaration QR code
• Onward ticket and first hotel booking
• Travel insurance documents that include medical evacuation (and diving, if you dive)
• A Visa and a backup card; Visa is more widely accepted at ATMs

Clothes

Pack for heat, sun and occasional cold.

• Light, quick-drying shirts and trousers or skirts; long sleeves help with sun and mosquitoes
• Modest clothes covering shoulders and knees for churches, villages and offices
• Swimwear and a rash vest
• A fleece or down jacket, beanie and gloves if you are climbing Mount Ramelau (below 5°C before dawn)
• A light rain jacket from November to April
• Sandals and closed shoes or hiking boots

Health and comfort

Pharmacies in Dili stock basics, but choice is limited and rural areas have little.

• Insect repellent (dengue is present)
• Reef-safe sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat
• Personal prescription medicines, with a copy of the prescription
• Rehydration salts, painkillers, antiseptic and plasters
• A water bottle and a filter or purification tablets

Gear

• Universal plug adapter: 220 V, types C, E, F and I
• Power bank: power cuts happen, especially on Atauro and in the districts
• Head torch: for power cuts and the pre-dawn Ramelau climb
• Snorkel mask: rental quality varies, and in Com and on Jaco there may be none
• Dry bag: for boat trips
• Offline maps: mobile data is patchy outside towns