Go with a plan.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Timor-Leste
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go with a plan.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Tap water safe to drink: No — bottled/filtered only
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Chikungunya, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis, Measles, Rabies, Typhoid
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
Visitors to Timor-Leste must obtain a visa, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries.
Source: Wikipedia →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Driving side
left
Emergency
police: 112 / ambulance: 112 / fire: 112
Tipping
Bills presented in Timor-Leste restaurants do not have a service charge added to them. If you feel like tipping, recognise that even a 10% tip is a lot of money to a local. In any case, the service is typically so comically bad that you should not be rushing to tip.
SIM / Data
4G signal is widely available in populated areas. Local prepaid SIM cards can be picked up for as little as $1. Data plans are $1 for 24 hours of unlimited data, but since connection speeds are abysmal at all times, it's not such a bargain. Roaming with a foreign SIM card may be a viable option, especially if you have an Indonesian SIM card.
Cash vs. Card
The U.S. dollar is the legal tender currency in Timor-Leste and all transactions are in dollars. U.S. banknotes issued before 2000 are not accepted. $5, $10 and $20 notes are the most common and useful. They do not need to be in great condition but may be difficult to use if torn - the exception is $1 notes, which get torn and filthy within a few months of arriving in Dili and can be easily spent
Show the receipts (6 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-09-09
- ca-gac — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-09-09
- cdc-health — observed 2026-09-09
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-09-09