Bali Visa & Immigration (MUST READ!): Bali is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the world. If you plan to have a trip to Bali this time around, one of the things that you need to know is a visa.
In addition to the passport, a visa is one of the mandatory requirements that must be completed before going abroad. You will need a tourist visa which is specifically issued to tourists who want to visit other countries. Bali is no exception.
Bali visa guide: Table of contents
- A. Indonesian Visa Policy
- B. Type of Visa in Indonesia
- C. Visa Fees and Stay Permits
- D. Hefty Fine for Overstay
- E. Overstay More than 60 Days
- F. Be Careful with Visa Run
This visa and immigration information and guide will help you avoid any problem with visa to Bali which can lead you to receive a large sum of fine or worst, deportation.
A. Indonesian Visa Policy
Tourists traveling to Indonesia must acquire a visa from one of the diplomatic missions of Indonesia except for those who come from one of the visa-free countries or the country that applies for the visa after arrival or visa-on-arrival. All tourists must have a passport valid for 6 months.
B. Type of Visa in Indonesia
In general, visa in Indonesia includes diplomatic visa, official visa, visit visa, limited stay visa, and the newest one is exempted visa. Visiting visa is granted to foreigners who will travel to Indonesia for government duties, education, socio-culture, tourism, business, family visit, journalism, or stopover visits to continue traveling to other countries. While a limited stay visa is given to foreigners who travel to Indonesia to stay in a limited period or to join to work on a ship operating in Indonesia.
1. Diplomatic Visa
Diplomatic visa is given to foreigners holding a diplomatic passport and other passports to enter the Indonesian territory to carry out diplomatic duties.
2. Official Visa
An official visa is given to foreigners holding official passports and other passports who will travel to the Indonesian territory to carry out official duties that are not diplomatic in nature from the relevant foreign government or international organizations.
3. Visit Visa
Visit visa is given to foreigners who will travel to the territory of Indonesia to perform government duties, tourism, education, business, socio-cultural activities, family, journalistic coverage work, or transit before continuing the journey to other countries.
Visit visa consists of:
a. Single Entry Visa
Single entry visit visa is given to foreigners to stay in the Indonesian territory for a maximum of 60 days. A visit visa is given to foreigners in order:
- Tourism;
- Family;
- Social;
- Art and Culture;
- Government duties;
- Non-commercial sports;
- Comparative studies, short courses, and short training;
- Provide counseling, guidance, and training in the application and also innovation of industrial technology to improve the quality and design of industrial products and foreign marketing cooperation for Indonesia;
- Do emergency and urgent work;
- Journalism that has obtained permission from the competent authority;
- Making non-commercial films and obtaining permission from the competent agency;
- Conducting business talks;
- Purchasing goods;
- Giving lectures or attending seminars;
- Take part in international exhibitions;
- Attend meetings held with head office or representative in Indonesia;
- Carry out audits, quality control of production or inspection of branches of companies in Indonesia;
- Prospective foreign workers in the ability test in work;
- Continue the journey to other countries; and
- Joining a conveyance that is in the territory of Indonesia.
Extension of Single Entry Visa
If you would like to stay more than 60 days in Indonesia with the single entry visa, you can apply for an extension from the immigration office in Indonesia (please note that your request can be denied). You can apply for visa extension five times for 30 days each, allowing you to spend a total of 210 days with your visit visa in Indonesia. Be sure to begin the extension process around 10 to 14 days before the expiry date of your visa.
If your request of visa extension is rejected by the immigration office, request a document stating the reason for the refusal or in Bahasa is called as “Surat Keterangan Penolakan”. The immigration office must give you this document. If you haven’t performed any illegal acts while staying in Indonesia, such as taking up employment, and you submitted all necessary, including the return ticket and other necessary documents previously mentioned) when applying for an extension, the immigration has no reason to reject your request. You can come to the local regional office of immigration or Kantor Wilayah and meet the head of the division to submit a complaint.
If you apply for a visa extension, be sure to visit the immigration office closest to your provisional address in Indonesia on the application of your original visit visa.
b. Socio-Cultural Visa
This visa is applied to foreigners who wish to stay in Indonesia for more than 30 days. This socio-cultural visa can be applied for 60 days (for first approval) and can be extended for 4 times (per 30 days), so when applying for this visa, you can stay in Indonesia for 180 days. You can extend the visa by coming to the immigration office in Indonesia.
Before you tell prospective partners, friends, or distant family to apply for a Socio-Cultural visa, there are important things that you need to know:
- You cannot apply for a Socio-Cultural visa in Indonesia. This visa can be applied freely at the Indonesian Embassy in your country or any country as long as it is outside Indonesia.
- If the Socio-Cultural Visa has been completed, they will receive 60 days in the beginning, but it can be extended up to 4 times to get each 30 days extension (the total will be 180 days or 6 months). If you want to get multiple entries, you need to get the permit from the local immigration office in Indonesia.
- For those who wish to stay more than 60 days, they must obtain approval from the immigration office in Indonesia. The visa is required to be applied by applicant’s sponsor, friends, relatives who stay or reside in Indonesia. The embassy will issue the visa once it receives the approval from the Immigration office in Indonesia.
- This visa is valid for three months starting from the issue date.
- This visa is classified as a Single Entry Visa, so once you leave Indonesia (even though the visa is still valid), the visa is forfeited. In that case, if you still want to get the same type of visa, you should do the visa process from the beginning in your home country.
- Those who come to Indonesia using this visa are not allowed to do any kind of work or get money in Indonesia with any system, including volunteer work and are not allowed to stay in Indonesia for other different purposes except for what the visa was granted for.
- The process of the visa will take three to six working days starting the submission of the required visa documents.
Image By Olena Hromova @Shutterstock
Required Documents for Socio-Cultural Visa
If you want to apply for a socio-cultural visa, you need to submit the required documents including:
- A passport that is valid for 6 months at the least
- Completed the visa application form
- Passport size photograph
- Evidence showing that the applicant has adequate funds to finance for the stay in Indonesia. It can be in the form of a bank statement or a traveller’s cheque.
- A letter from the college, employer, or school which verifies the intention of the applicant upon returning from Indonesia.
- Itinerary complete with details of a return journey.
- Indonesian Immigration’s written approval if the applicant wishes to stay for more than 60 days.
If you come to Indonesia to visit relatives, friends or social organizations, you need to submit an invitation letter from either of your family, relatives, friends, or social organization residing in Indonesia. Also, don’t forget to include their copy of ID (KTP) or Passport (only the page with the main details).
The person or organization that invites you needs to submit a letter of guarantee or show evidence of adequate funds to support your stay while you are in Indonesia.
The different requirement is needed for you who come to Indonesia on the purpose of studying or training. You will need to obtain a letter of registration from a college, school, or institution in Indonesia which verify your duration of stay and the nature of your course, research or training. The evidence of all required fees must be paid previously. If you receive a scholarship or award program, you are also required to submit a letter of confirmation from the awardees or sponsor.
c. Visa on Arrival
Visa on Arrival (VoA) is an entry permit document into a country obtained directly at the border between countries or the destination airport. The functions of a pre-arrival visa and Visa on Arrival are similar. Both are a residence permit or temporary visit permit to a country. The difference between those two visas is in the process and documents required to obtain the visa.
You do not need to apply for a visa in your home country because it can be processed in the destination country. Visa on Arrival is only given for visits at certain times.
To get Visa on Arrival, when you arrive in the destination country, simply go to the counter that says “Visa on Arrival”.
You also have to pay a certain amount of money depending on the destination country and local government policies. Next, your passport will be given a stamp or sticker. Make sure your passport is valid.
The visit visa on arrival (visa on arrival) is given to foreigners to stay in the Indonesian territory for a maximum of 30 days. Note that the 30 days include the day of your arrival and departure. Visit visa on arrival is given to foreigners visiting for:
- Tourism;
- Family;
- Social;
- Art and culture;
- Government duties;
- Non-commercial sports;
- Comparative studies, short courses, and short training;
- Doing emergency and urgent work;
- Conducting business talks;
- Purchase goods;
- Giving lectures or attending seminars;
- Taking part in international exhibitions;
- Attend meetings held with head office or representative in Indonesia;
- Repatriation;
- Ex Indonesian citizen;
- Foreign elderly tourists; or
- Experts, investors, training and research, clergy and students who attend education
62 countries are permitted to apply for Visa on Arrival for stays of 30 days maximum by paying USD 35. The visa can be applied to the immigration checkpoint at the airport. If the travelers wish to stay longer in Indonesia, they can extend their visa on arrival for another 30 days but it must be applied 7 days before your VoA expires.
Check here to know whether your country is listed in the 68 countries that can apply for a visa on arrival.
General Requirements for Visa on Arrival
- The passport must have 6 month validity starting from the date of the arrival
- Have a valid return ticket or an ongoing ticket to continue traveling to the next country
As previously mentioned that tourists with VoA can extend their visa for other 30 days before 7 days before the expiry of their VoA.
To extend VoA, there are certain requirements including:
- Number 23 form of Application
- Original and copy of passport, visa and arrival stamp
- Recent return ticket updated according to the latest travel schedule
Note:
- The application cannot be delegated
- The application must be submitted seven days before the expiry date of the visa
How to Apply for Extension of Visa on Arrival
At the first visit, the applicant must come and submit the application between 08.00 until 12.00 a.m.
For the second visit, the applicant must come between 08.00 until 11.00 a.m. Upon the arrival, the applicant must report to the appointed counter to get the number for photo queue. Once the photo-taking is completed, the applicant will be required to report to the appointed counter to receive the third visit schedule. Next, pay the visa extension fee at the appointed bank.
At the third visit, the applicant can collect the passport from the immigration office. The office hour of visa collection is between 2.00 – 3.00p.m.
d. Multiple Entry visa
A multiple entry visit visa is given to foreigners with a visa validity period of one year to stay in the Indonesian territory for a maximum of 60 days for each visit. This visit visa is given to foreigners for:
- Family;
- Social;
- Art and culture;
- Government duties;
- Conducting business talks;
- Purchasing goods;
- Attending seminars;
- Taking part in international exhibitions;
- Attending meetings held with head office or representative in Indonesia; and
- Proceeding the trip to other countries.
Note that you cannot extend your multiple entry visas.
Image by one photo @Shutterstock
The Requirement for Visit Visa
If you are going to apply for a visit visa, you must submit the required documents, including:
- Application letter and guarantee letter
- Copy of your valid passport (it must be valid for 6 months for single entry and 18 months for multiple entries)
- Copy of Bank Accounts
- Return or through ticket
- Reentry permit (required for a person with no state or nationality)
4. Visa Exemption
Visa Exemption is given to foreigners from specific countries, the government of particular regions of a country and specific organization or institution to come and leave from Indonesian territory which are done in the form of exemption from the obligation to obtain a visit visa.
Previously, the 2015 Presidential Regulation concerning Visit Visa-Free stated that a list of 75 new countries was recipients of visa-free visits.
On 2 March 2016, President Joko Widodo officially signed the new Presidential Regulation concerning Free Visa for Visits. Thus, as many as 84 countries receiving free visit visa. So far, the numbers of the country granted free visa are 169 countries.
The list of the country can be checked here. They are permitted to stay for 30 days of visit and without permission to extend the visa. For visa-exempt holders, they are allowed to enter Indonesia from this list of immigration checkpoints.
5. Limited Stay Visa
A limited stay visa is given to foreigners who come:
- As clergy, experts, workers, researchers, students, investors, seniors, and their families, as well as foreigners who legally mate with Indonesian citizens, who will travel to the territory of Indonesia to stay in a limited period; or
- To join to work on ships, floating devices or installations operating in the territorial waters of the archipelago, territorial sea, continental shelf and / or the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone.
C. Visa Fees and Stay Permits
The followings are the immigration fees for different types of visa and stay permits
| Types | Prices |
| Visit Visa | USD 50 |
| Multiple Entry Visa | USD 110 |
| Visa on Arrival | USD 35 |
| Visit Permit extension 30-days | IDR 500,000/USD 35 |
| Visit Permit extension 60-days | IDR 750,000 |
D. Hefty Fine for Overstay
According to the previous regulation, the foreigner who overstayed had to pay a fine of IDR 300,000 a day or they could be imprisoned or could not receive approval of exit permit. As of May 3, 2019, tourists who exceed their Indonesian visa will be required to pay a fine of IDR 1,000,000 a day according to the 2019 Government Regulation.
For example, if your stay has exceeded 7 days from its expiry date of your visa, that means you have to pay a fine of IDR 7 million. If you overstay for a month, you would have to pay 30 million.
You are strongly recommended that you do not use overstay to stay longer in Indonesia. In addition to a huge sum of fine and given that you may have to deal with a longer process in immigration (possibly for hours), overstay can also effect on your chance to obtain a visa in coming years.
You can obtain a business visa for Indonesia if you wish to stay longer or visit Indonesia often.
E. Overstay More than 60 Days
It is obvious that if you stay longer than the allowed duration of stay valid as indicated on the visa sticker, you are considered to be overstayed. A hefty fine is waiting for you. The fine is provided so you can extend your stay endlessly.
What is the difference between overstay not as much as 60 days and exceeding 60 days? The answer is fine. If you overstay not more than 60 days, you just need to pay a daily fine but if you overstay exceeding 60 days, you may be subject to deportations and worst, blacklists.
You will have to face a thorough interrogation if you have stayed exceeding 60 days. The immigration officers will ask you questions. You will not be permitted to revisiting Indonesia for a certain time. They can be months or years, depending on the decision of the authority in Indonesia.
Also, remember that to get off the blacklisting from Indonesia is not a simple process. If you are recently in this situation, just show regret regarding what happened and don’t forget to be humble. In any kind of situation try to not lose your self-control as it may cause you to be detained like what happened to a British woman who attacked the immigration officer when she was asked to pay IDR 48 million fine since she overstayed for 160 days. Under the new regulation, she would have received IDR 160 million fine or around USD 11,000.
F. Be Careful with Visa Run
It is public knowledge to foreigners who wish to extend their duration of stay in Indonesia will fly to a nearby country for a day trip and then return to Indonesia. Mostly, they will visit Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. This activity may not be categorized as illegal but it is not something that the government would expect to be done by the foreigners. Recently, the government of Singapore seems to have lost its patience. If the officers consider your one day trip is merely for a visa run, they can deny your access to Indonesia right at the airport. As a consequence, you are subject to deportation.
If you have the plan to do one day trip visa run to Indonesia, you’d better visit Kuala Lumpur. It seems that no one has encountered any problem there. But if you still want to try to travel around Singapore for a few days, just do it. It may not a problem nowadays.
Visiting Bali is actually easy and the government of Indonesia has provided easy access to visit Bali. Visitors from certain countries are freed from the obligation to obtain a visa. Others can apply for visa upon arrival at the airport. As long as you don’t break the rule, visiting and staying in Bali will not be a problem. So, let’s come to Bali and indulge yourself in “heaven on earth”.