Timor-Leste: country facts, travel advice and health

01Free

The 30-second card

CapitalDiliSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

LanguagePortuguese, TetumSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

CurrencyUS Dollar · $ · USDSource: Unicode CLDR · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

TimeUTC+9Source: IANA Time Zone Database · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

PlugsC · E · F · I, 220 VSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

DrivingOn the leftSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Emergency · tap to call

112Police 110Ambulance 115Fire

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Visa · United Kingdom passport

Visa on arrival · up to 30 daysSource: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Visa · United States passport

Visa on arrival · up to 30 daysSource: U.S. Department of State · Checked 25 Oct 2026 ↗

TippingTips are not expected.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Water at restaurantsRestaurants usually serve drinking water free of charge.Source: U.S. Department of State · Checked 25 Oct 2026 ↗

SIM and eSIM

Telemor sells a SIM with 26GB valid for 7 days for about US$3.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Cards or cash

Mostly cashMostly cards

Step 1 of 5: Almost everything is paid for in cash.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Money in Timor-Leste

US Dollar · $ · USD

Bring only newer dollar bills; notes printed before 2000 are refused.

Carry $5, $10 and $20 bills, which are the handiest denominations.

For cash withdrawals, BNU machines work best with foreign cards.

Arrive with US$30 in cash for the visa: there is no ATM or card payment at the airport or borders.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Collect US Dollar in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpen

02Free

Safety today

Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Timor-Leste say, side by side, checked daily.

German Foreign Office says

No travel warning

Calm ●

Caution

Serious

Don’t go

Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

U.S. Department of State says

Exercise increased caution

Calm

Caution ●

Serious

Don’t go

Level 2 of 4

Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 20 May 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

UK Foreign Office says

No advice against travel

Source: GOV.UK
Updated 10 Dec 2025 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Scams to know

Overpriced unmetered taxis

Have your hotel book the cab, and ask locals what a fair fare is before you ride.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.

03Free

Health

Routine, hepatitis A, B and typhoid vaccines advised; yellow fever not needed. Altitude sickness risk up high.

Vaccinations

Hepatitis A, hepatitis B and typhoid shots are advised on top of routine vaccines; yellow fever vaccination is not needed.

Altitude

Parts of the country are high enough to bring a risk of altitude sickness.

Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.

Source: CDC
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.

04Travel layer

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Read a country like someone who’s been there.

What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use

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Must-see · 1Dili

The low-key capital and base for nearby dives and trips.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Strange & surprising · #1

The country's name says 'east' twice, once in Malay and once in Portuguese.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

National anthem: Pátria. The lyrics, translated, and the story are in the app. Source: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

05Free

Deep facts

Economy
GDP	≈ $1.9 billionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Per person	≈ $1,341Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Top exports	crude petroleum, natural gas, coffee, scrap iron, telephones (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Population
Population	1.4 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Median age	23 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Life expectancy	70.5 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Religions	Catholic 90.7%, other 7.1%, Protestant Evangelical 1.9%; less than 1%: Islam, Buddhist, Hindu (2022 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2022 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Geography
Area	14,874 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Climate	tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasonsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Terrain	mountainousSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Government
Type of government	semi-presidential republicSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Calling code	+670Source: libphonenumber · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

About the data

Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.

From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.

CDC · 24 Oct 2026 ↗GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 24 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 25 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).