Bali & Indonesia Visa Information

When preparing to travel to Bali, Java, Lombok or any of the other islands of Indonesia, you need to be aware of the Indonesian visa situation. As of February 1, 2004 , the Government of the Republic of Indonesia started the implementation of the Indoneisa "Visa On Arrival" policy for tourists and business people alike. Unfortunately the VOA is only good for one-month maximum and is not extendable. BUT there is good news over the horizon... I have recently discussed the visa situation with the consular general of Indonesia in New York City and he has informed me of some new long term visa options for all you folks who want to stay longer than 30 days. See Below for: Citizens of countries who can enter Indonesia visa-free (yippee!) Citizens of countries who need to pay for a 10 day to 30 day VOA (it's not that bad, really) Ports of entry into Indonesia where you can get the VOA List of Countries whose Citizens need approval for an Indonesian Visa Other types of visas that you might be interested in Prices, rules, regulations and other boring stuff Lists of consulates, embassies Visa info for the expat married to an Indonesian man or woman Important note: Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months or else Indonesia will NOT allow you into the country and your airline will NOT let you on the plane... I've seen it happen at the check-in counter a few times. If your passport is due to expire in 6months or less, please have it renewed before you encounter problems. Visa-Free Countries Visa-free facility will be granted for a duration of 30 days for the 11 countries listed below: Brunei Darussalam Chile Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Macau Special Administrative Region Malaysia Morocco Peru Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam Please be advised that Visa-Free Short Visits may only be extended upon approval from the Minister of Justice and Human Rights/Director General of Immigration of the Republic of Indonesia based on natural disaster, illness or accident, but cannot be transferred to another type of visa. Overstay visitors incur to pay a penalty of US$20 per day (for under 60 days stay) whilst over 60 days stay will be a 5 (five) year prison sentence or a fine of Rp25,000,000 (local currency). Visa on Arrival Countries Citizens from the following 36 countries not granted visa-free facility may apply for Visa-On-Arrival (VOA). Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada China Denmark Egypt Finland France Germany Hungary India Ireland Italy Japan Kuwait Luxembourg Maldives Netherlands New Zealand Norway Oman Poland Portugal Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia South Africa South Korea Spain Switzerland Taiwan Territory United Arab Emirates United Kingdom USA Citizens of the following 11 countries are eligible for a free Visa on Arrival (VOA): Brunei, Chile, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore. Please be advised that Visa-Free Short Visits may only be extended upon approval from the Minister of Justice and Human Rights/Director General of Immigration of the Republic of Indonesia based on natural disaster, illness or accident, but cannot be transferred to another type of visa. Overstay visitors incur to pay a penalty of US$20 per day (for under 60 days stay) whilst over 60 days stay will be a 5 (five) year prison sentence or a fine of Rp25,000,000 (local currency). And there are now 63 nationalities that are eligible for the US$10 7 day and US$25 30 day VOAs: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Suriname, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Tunisia, UAE, UK, USA. * VOA is non-extendable in any circumstances; there's a US$20/day fine for overstays however after a certain point you face a huge fine. Citizens from countries not on the above lists and people wanting to stay longer than 30days need to apply (well in advance) for a Tourist Visa at their nearest Indonesian Embassy. 60day Tourist Visas seem to easy to get with an application through the embassies in Kuala Lumpur 7 Singapore. List of Countries whose Citizens need approval for an Indonesian Visa All visa applications for Business, Tourist and Social Visits from nationals of the following countries need an approval from Immigration Office in Indonesia before traveling. AFGHANISTAN ALBANIA ANGOLA BANGLADESH CAMEROON CUBA ETHIOPIA GHANA IRAQ ISRAEL NIGERIA NORTH KOREA PAKISTAN SOMALIA SRILANKA TANZANIA TONGA The requirements vary depending on the propose visit to Indonesia. Therefore, applicants should refer to the type of visa that suits the purpose of their visit and add the following : A recent Bank Statement with a minimum balance of £ 1,000.- Allow four to six weeks before the Embassy receives the decision of the referral application from the authorities in Indonesia. DO NOT purchase any airline tickets before the visa is granted. Visa is issued within five to six working days from receipt of application provided all documents are in order. Indonesian Ports of Entry to get your VOA (information courtesy of Bali Discovery Tours) Airports, There are 14 (fourteen) Airports and 21 (twenty one) seaports across Indonesia that has the VOA facilities: Airports: Ngurah Rai in Denpasar, Bali Soekarno-Hatta in Jakarta, Java Polonia in Medan, Sumatra Sultan Syarif Kasim II in Pekan Baru, Kalimantan Tabing in Padang, Sumatra Juanda in Surabaya, Java Sam Ratulangi in Manado, Sulawesi Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta, Java Adi Sucipto in Yogyakarta, Java Adi Sumarmo in Surakarta, Java Selaparang in Mataram, Lombok Sepinggan in Balikpapan, Kalimantan Hasanudddin in Makassar, Sulawesi El Tari in Kupang, Timor Other Airports Adi Juanda in Surabaya (East Java) Adisutjipto in Yogyakarta (Central Java) Adi Sumarmo in Solo (Central Java) El Tari in Kupang (East Nusa Tenggara Province, Timor Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta (Capital of Indonesia) Hassanudin in Makasar (South Sulawesi) Ngurah Rai in Denpasar (Island of Bali) Polonia in Medan (North Sumatera) Sam Ratulangi in Manado (North Sulawesi) Selaparang in Mataram (Lombok Island) Sepinggan in Balikpapan (East Kalimantan) Soekarno Hatta in Jakarta (Capital of Indonesia) Sultan Syarif Kasim II in Pekanbaru (Riau Province, Sumatera) Tabing in Padang (West Sumatera) Seaports: Sekupang, Batu Ampar, Nongsa and Marina Teluk Senimba in Batam Bandar Bintan Telani Lagoi and Sri Udana Lobam in Tanjung Uban (Bintan) Belawan in Belawan (Medan) Sibolga in Sibolga (Sumatra) Yos Sudarso in Dumai Teluk Bayur in Padang (Sumatra) Tanjung Balai Karimun (Tanjung Balai Karimun) Tanjung Priok in Jakarta Padang Bai in Padang Bai (Bali) Jayapura in Jayapura (Papua) Tanjung Mas in Semarang (Java) Tenau (Kupang) Pare-pare in Pare-pare (Sulawesi) Soekarno-Hatta in Makassar (Sulawesi) Other Seaports Bandar Bintan Telani Lagoi in Tanjung Uban, Bintan (Sumatera) Bandar Seri Udana Lobam in Tanjung Uban (Sumatera) Batu Ampar in Batam (Batam Island) Belawan in Belawan (North Sumatera) Benoa in Bali (Island of Bali) Bitung in Bitung (Sulawesi) Jayapura in Jayapura (Irian Jaya) Marina Teluk Senimba (Batam Island) Maumere in Flores (East Nusa Tenggara) Nongsa in Batam (Batam Island) Padang Bai in Bali (Island of Bali) Pare-pare in Pare-pare (South Sulawesi) Sekupang in Batam (Batam Island) Sibolga in Sibolga (North Sumatra) Soekarno-Hatta in Makassar (South Sulawesi) Sri Bintan Pura in Tanjung Pinang (Riau) Tanjung Balai Karimun (Sumatera) Tanjung Mas in Semarang (Central Java) Tanjung Priok in Jakarta (Capital of Indonesia) Teluk Bayur in Padang (West Sumatra) Batam Centre in Batam (Batam Island) Tenau in Kupang (East Nusa Tenggara Province) Yos Sudarso in Dumai (Riau Province, Sumatra) Other types Of Indonesian Visas (some information courtesy of Bali Discovery Tours) If your home country is not mentioned on the lists above or if you are planning on studying, living, working or doing business in Indonesia, you must apply for a visa overseas before arrival. If you would like to stay more than 30 days in Indonesia, you must also apply for an appropriate visa. A note of caution to people from countries NOT mentioned in the lists above... Let me just give an example here: if you are an American Green Card holder who is a holder of an Indian Passport (a country that is NOT listed above), you will have to apply for 'permission' by the Indonesian Immigration authorities in order to enter Indonesia. The process is simple, but LONG. So, go to your local Indonesian consulate at least 6 weeks prior to departure to apply for your visa. The consulate will then send your credentials to the Jakarta Immigration authorities, who will then scan your details against a list of black-listers and once you are cleared, you will get your visa... Because of Indonesian bureaucracy this can take several weeks (avoid Indonesian holiday seasons, as it will take even longer!). If you want to speed things up you can always work with an Indonesian visa expeditor (many are found in Bali), but it will cost you $$. Visitor & Tourist Visas Nationals of the thirty seven countries listed above can either get a Visa on Arrival (VOA) upon arrival in Indonesia, valid for 30 (thirty) days and cannot be extended legally. If you are a tourist/visitor who would like to stay longer, see you Indonesian Visa options below. Extended Tourist Visa – This Indonesian Visa is Single Entry and has a maximum length of stay of 60 (sixty) days, and cannot be extended / transferred. Non-extendable, one has to leave the country and return to get another stamp in one's passport. A round-trip flight from Jakarta to Singapore costs around US$140, a round trip form Denpasar to Singapore about US$230. After a number of these stamps are placed in one's passport, the officials at the airport may hassle you and accuse you of working. Maintaining honesty and remaining patient is recommended. Sosial Budaya Visa – This Indonesian Visa is Single Entry, but good for 60 days and then extendable each month up to 6 months - valid for visits that are social (like non-profit organizations), cultural, religious, or medical in nature. This includes visiting family/relatives and organizations, and exchange visits between academic, art, or sports institutions. One requires an Indonesian 'sponsor' and letter from this sponsor. One can only obtain such a visa outside of Indonesia. In Singapore there are agents who can arrange the 'Sosial Budaya' within a day. Usually it takes 3 days to get one. Business Visas (#457) - This Indonesian Visa is either single entry and extendable up to 6 months or multiple-entry and good for up to 12 months - typically issued to business people on short term work assignments (like Bali export-import), consulting, or valid for attending international conferences and seminars and carrying out journalistic visits. This visa does NOT give you permission to work in Indonesia, but it does permit you to do business there. In other words, if you would like to work as a Doctor in an Indonesian hospital, this is not the right visa — you would need a KITAS sponsored by the hospital. Retirement Visa – This Indonesian Visa is for people 55 years or older. There is a lot of paperwork, and requires your income statement, health, insurance, and a minimum amount of spending on accommodation plus the payment of taxes and other fees. One CAN NOT work in Indonesia with this visa. After 5 extensions (each year) one can apply for an unlimited stay visa (KITAP) and a year after that for citizenship. Visitor Visas – This Indonesian Visa is Single Entry & for those on Government Service good for 60 days issued to the employees of foreign governments and international organizations on assignment in Indonesia or private foreign contractors employed by the Indonesian government. Stay Permits — KITAS, KITAP, and any other visa that begins with 'KI' Residency or work visa Sponsorship required by an Indonesian company or recognized foreign company. Expensive, $1200/year tax pre-paid, due at sign-up. Lots of redundant reporting to various offices required. Residents are also need to pay Rp 1,000,000 tax every time they leave the country by air. (Rp 500,000 by sea.) Limited Stay Permits are given to individuals holding limited validity entry permits including children and dependents of foreigners on temporary resident visas and the Indonesian-born children of an Indonesian mother. Permanent Stay/Residency Permits are given to the Indonesian-born children of foreigners holding permanent residency in Indonesia and foreigners who successfully apply for permanent residency in Indonesia. Special Dispensation for Ship's Crews (DAHUSKIM) A special category of stay permit for foreigners employed as crews on foreign registered ships and oil platforms. Prices, rules, regulations and other boring stuff Visitors are required to have at hand the following documents for VOA and any other visa application: Passport with minimum 6 months' validity Arrival / departure card Return or onwards journey ticket VOA is non-extendable and cannot be upgraded to another type of visa, nor is it usable for employment purposes. And... money! BTW, group Application of VOA is available through Indonesian Tour agencies associated with the airport immigration authority Other Info for the Intrepid Traveler Passengers who overstay their visa period for a short period of time can be processed immediately at the airport by paying US$ 20 for every day they "overstayed" their 30-day or 6-month visa. If you are delayed from leaving Indonesia because of drastic medical circumstances or because your airline cancelled its flight, you will be able to ask for an exemption for the fees mentioned above. Not sure if you'll get it, but it's worth trying! If you have an extendable visa, you must go to the Immigration Office in your area at least 7 days before your visa/last visa extension expires, in order to wait on line for hours, if not days on end, in the stifling heat to get your passport stamped by the appropriate official. To avoid the above you may purchase the services of one of the many passport agents (many to be found in Bali, Yogyakarta and Jakarta ) who will do the dance for you for a 'fee'. The fee will range from cost-effective to exorbitant, depending who you work with — good luck! If your visa has expired, it is not recommended to 'just hang about' without any official visa. It has been done, and there are only expensive ways out of this incriminating scenario. There are 'escape routes' from Indonesia to nearby countries (for example, from South to North Borneo or from West Irian Jaya to East Papua New Guinea) but the risks are crazy. Number one is the guaranteed payment of very high fees (read: bribes) to immigration officials, the risk of imprisonment, and even becoming blacklisted, at which point you can never enter Indonesia again. DON'T TAKE SUCH RISKS, IT'S NOT WORTH IT. For more information on Indonesian Visas you can look at the website of the Indonesian consulate in your country... my favorite website about this subject is from the Netherlands — here goes: www.indonesia.nl. You can also see the very informative Indonesia Expat Forum: www.expat.or.id/info/docs.html Lists of consulates, embassies on Bali: Australia Jln. Prof. M. Yamin No. 4, Renon, Denpasar. PO. Box 243 , Telex: 235146 Phone: (62-361) 235092 / 3 Fax: (62-361) 231990 Canada Jln. Prof. M. Yamin No. 4, Renon, Denpasar. PO . Box: 243, Telex : 235146 Phone: (62-361) 235092 / 3 Denmark Mimpi Resort Jimbaran, Kawasan Bukit Permai Jimbaran Phone: (62-361) 701070 Fax: (62-361) 701074/73 Email: mimpi@mimpi.com Finland Jln. Segara Ayu, ( Hotel Segara Village ) Sanur, Denpasar Phone: (62-361) 288407/8, 288021 Fax: ( 62 361 ) 287 242 Email: segara1@wasantara.net.id France Jln. Mertasari Gg. 2 no 8, Sanur, Denpasar 80227 Phone: (62-361) 285 485 Fax: (62-361) 286 406 Email: consul@dps.centrin.net.id Germany Jln. Pantai Karang No. 17, Sanur, Denpasar PO. Box: 158 Phone: (62-361) 288535 Fax: (62-361) 288 826 dtkonsbali@denpasar.wasantara.net.id Italy Jln Bypass Ngurah Rai Jimbaran, Gedung Lotus Tours & Travel Phone/fax: (62-361) 701005 Email: italconsbali@italconsbali.com Japan Jln. Raya Puputan 170, Renon, Denpasar Phone: (62-361) 227628 Fax: (62-361) 265 066 Email: konjdps@indo.net.id Mexico Jln. Prof. M. Yamin No. 1A, Renon, Denpasar. C/o Astina Tours Lt. 2 Phone: (62-361) 223 266 Fax.: (62-361) 244 568 Email: astina@denpasar.wasantara.net.id Netherlands Jln. Raya Kuta no 127, Kuta Phone: (62-361) 761 506 Fax.: (62-361) 752777/757586 Email: dutchconsulate@kcbtours.co.id New Zealand Jln. Prof. M. Yamin No. 4, Renon, Denpasar PO. Box: 243, Telex: 235146 Phone: (62-361) 235092 / 3 Fax: (62-361) 231990 Norway Mimpi Resort Jimbaran, Kawasan Bukit Permai Jimbaran Phone: (62-361) 701070 Fax: (62-361) 701074/73 Spain Jln. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud Phone: (62-361) 975736 Fax.: (62-361) 975726 Email: rabik@indo.net.id Sweden Jln. Segara Ayu, (Hotel Segara Village) Sanur, Denpasar Phone: (62-361) 288407/8, 288021 Fax: ( 62 361 ) 287 242 Email: segara1@wasantara.net.id Switzerland Jln. Pura Bagus Teruna, Legian Kaja 80361 Kuta PO. Box: 2035 Phone: (62 361) 751 735 Fax: (62-361) 754457 UK Jln. Mertasari No. 2, Sanur, Denpasar 80227 Phone/fax: (62 361 ) 270601 Email: bcbali@dps.centrin.net.id USA Jln. Hayam Wuruk No. 188, Denpasar Phone : (62-361) 233605 Fax : (62-361) 222426 Email: amco@indosat.net.id