Pounds GBP to Indonesian rupiah IDR exchange rate

It’s the official currency of Indonesia. It is named after the currency of India, the rupee. The name comes from the Hindustani word rupiyaa, which means wrought silver. You may also hear it called ‘perak’, which means silver in Indonesian too. Its abbreviation is IDR and its symbol is Rp.

Indonesia is the only country to officially use the rupiah, but the currency is also used unofficially in the neighbouring island country of Timor-Leste (East Timor).

To get some Indonesian rupiah for your trip, pop into any Post Office branch with a dedicated travel money counter, or buy your holiday cash online. Find your nearest branch with our branch finder.

Order online and you could get a better rate, and either pick up your holiday money in a branch of your choice or get it delivered to your door (free if it’s over £500).  

Buying larger quantities at a time can reduce the rate further. And buying when the exchange rate favours the pound will save you money too. 

Indonesia’s currency can make you an instant millionaire. Its highest value banknote is the 100,000 rupiah. It’s worth around 5 British pounds, so you’ll need just over 50 GBP worth to hit the millionaire mark. The other notes are the 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and rarely used 75,000 rupiah.

The notes’ designs and colours are confusingly similar – size is the best way to tell them apart. You'll usually need 10,000 and 20,000 rupiah notes for taxis, and 50,000 and 100,000 denominations when you go shopping.

The lowest value coin in daily use is the 50 rupiah coin. Some 25 rupiah coins are still in circulation but haven’t been issued by Bank Indonesia since 1996. Other coins in circulation are worth 100, 200, 500 and 1000 rupiahs, but they’re so low in value you’re more likely to be given sweets for your change. Even smaller in size, 1 rupiah is made up of 100 sen – but denominations of this are now obsolete due to inflation.

It’s important to check if travel to your destination is permitted and safe before you go, and any local laws or risks to keep in mind if you do. You’ll find the latest advice on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel pages – including its dedicated page for Indonesia.