Rules and Information About Visa

Restrictions on Certain Nationals
Citizens of Israel and Portugal may not enter Indonesia on their passports. Business travelers from Eastern European countries are given a one-month, non-extendable visa allowing them to travel freely within the country. Visitors from Hong Kong can get 30-day visas for group travel (minimum five people) from the Indonesian Consulate in Hong Kong. They must enter and exit Indonesia in Medan, Jakarta, or Denpasar (Bali) and all tour details such as accommodation and travel must be arranged through a travel agent.

Also note that during 1994-95 there was a crackdown on foreign residents in Bali. Next time you visit the immigration office in Denpasar, take a look at the statistics for EPO’s granted. (EPO stands for “exit permit only” – granted for residents who don’t intend to return.) The figures took a sharp upturn starting in mid-1994, from tens to hundreds.

General Rules and Regulations
All visitors must possess a passport valid for at least six months after their arrival date in Indonesia. Immigration officials reserve the right to deny entry to any visitor who, in their opinion, is not properly dressed or groomed (long hair is okay), lacks the proper funds, or “may endanger the country’s security, peace, and stability or the public health and morals.” These unfortunate undesirables will receive a transit visa upon arrival that allows them to hang out at the airport until the first available flight out.

If you stay longer than three months in Indonesia on any visa, you must “register as an alien,” pay Rp1,500 (plus Rp400 for two forms), and be fingerprinted. After residing in Indonesia six months, any foreign resident wishing to leave the country must obtain an exit permit and pay a “foreign fiscal tax” of Rp250,000. This tax constitutes an advance payment of income tax. Only the diplomatic corps, members of international aid organizations, airline personnel, and government-sponsored persons are exempt.

Finally, note that as in most Third World countries, if a Western man marries an Indonesian woman he is granted no special residency status; he must leave the country every two months and return each time as a tourist when he’ll receive the usual entry stamp. This is not the case when a Western woman marries a Balinese man. She is able to obtain a residency visa, subject to renewal every six months or so.

Information and Assistance
For help with immigration problems or requests, go to the main immigration office in the Renon Complex, Niti Mandala, Jl. DI Panjaitan, Denpasar (tel. 0361-227828). Another immigration office – convenient for visitors who stay in Kuta, Nusa Dua, or Jimbaran – is near the airport on Jl. Raya I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Tuban (tel. 62361-751.038; 751-011 Ext: 1212, 2184). Both offices are open Mon-Thurs. 07.00-13.00, Friday 07.00-11.00, Saturday 07.00-12.00. You may also go to any one of Indonesia’s 74 other immigration offices.

Tips: If you don’t dress properly (follow dress code chart on wall), these bureaucrats won’t even talk to you. T-shirts, halter-tops, and bathing suits don’t cut it.

You can use the services of privately owned enterprise to help you obtain a social/cultural/ business visa and provides legal services and notary assistance to make your life a lot easier. If you try to get a visa by yourself, you may have to make as many as nine visits to immigration to get just one extension. This private bureau can get visas with charges Rp600,000 – 700,000 for six months – a bargain compared to leaving the country twice. (See “Private Bureaus for Legal Services”).

Overstays
It’s possible to get a short extension on your visa in order to meet a ship or plane. Immigration routinely grants a three-day overstay, particularly if you’re leaving by ship. For a longer overstay, the only legitimate excuse is that you’ve lost your passport or are in the hospital or can bring a note from a doctor or hospital verifying a medical problem.

If you know you’re going to overstay your visa – even for a lousy day – go to the immigration office and obtain an official extension. Don’t try to talk your way through the immigration checkpoint at the airport when leaving the country; the officers there are stickier than expected and will require you to straighten it out at the immigration office. They really make your squirm and sweat, you may have to pay a fine (bargain!), and you might even miss your flight.

If your booked flight is scheduled to leave during the week after your visa expires, you should be able to get an extension from the immigration office for the waiting time. It will probably require a letter from your travel agency explaining the situation. Show up with a confirmed ticket out and a reason why you can’t get an earlier flight.

Reentry
If you use up your two-month maximum stay on an entry stamp but want to spend more time in Bali, one oft-used solution is to leave the country, return, and get a new entry stamp or visa in your passport. You must obtain a visa if your place of arrival is not an official entry point. Most people in this situation spend the US$350-400 or so on a roundtrip ticket from Bali to Singapore, spend a few days in Singapore shopping and catching the latest movies, then fly straight back to Bali. A cheaper alternative is to leave Indonesia at certain points as close as possible to neighboring countries from where you can reenter.

The following are the most convenient, least expensive routes out:

By speedboat (twice weekly, Rp130,000 roundtrip) or air from Medan (North Sumatra) to Penang (West Malaysia). oBy air from Pekanbaru (East Sumatra) to Melaka (West Malaysia), then by taxi to Kuala Lumpur. oBy air from Jakarta to Singapore (US$140 roundtrip on Sempati Airlines). To fly to Tanjung Pinang is more expensive than the direct flight to Singapore. oBy air from Pontianak (West Kalimantan) to Kucing (East Malaysia) (Rp208,000 roundtrip, leaving once weekly on Friday). Returning at Pontianak’s airport you get an entry stamp. oBy road from Pontianak (West Kalimantan) to Kucing (Sarawak, East Malaysia). Four daily buses cross the land border separating the two countries; Rp22,000. oBy air or by boat from Tarakan (East Kalimantan) to Nunukan and Tawau (Sabah, East Malaysia). The boat connection operates three times weekly and costs Rp68,000 roundtrip; this boat is sometimes on, sometimes off. You need a visa before reentering Indonesia because no entry stamp is issued on arrival in Tarakan, Indonesian Borneo.

By air from Kupang (Timor) to Darwin (Australia). oBy ferry from Melaka (Peninsular Malaysia) and Dumai (East Sumatra). The problem with this reentry is that you need a visa and have to go to Kuala Lumpur to get one.

Indonesian Customs
Customs procedures have become more informal with the installation of green and red routes at international airports. Tourists with nothing to declare use the green route, which involves no baggage inspection. The customs and immigration people at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport are usually mellow and respectful, but it all depends on the time of day, the official’s mood, who’s watching, the crush of the line behind you and your nationality. The officials are mostly concerned with moving the tourists through as quickly as possible.

Duty-free items that may be imported are: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars and two pounds of tobacco; cameras (no limit) and reasonable amounts of film; two liters of liquor; a reasonable amount of perfume for personal use. Weapons and ammunition, narcotics, anything that can be considered pornographic (such as a scorching copy of Playboy), books with Chinese characters in them, and Chinese medicines are forbidden entry.

Technically, photographic equipment, computers, radios, typewriters, cassette recorders, TV sets, cordless telephones, and transceivers should be listed on your passport, declared to customs, and taken out upon departure, but officials don’t seem to care. All movie films, videocassettes, laser discs, records, and computer software should first be screened by the Film Censor Board. Books and printed matter using Indonesian languages are supposed to be cleared by the Minister of Culture, but seldom are.

Except for drugs and weapons, customs officials are pretty relaxed about enforcement. If you need or if you carry prescription medication, carry a letter from your doctor. The import of pets, plants, and fresh fruit is also controlled. Pet owners must present a certificate from a veterinarian vouching for their pet’s good health. Dog and cat owners must carry proof that Fido and Kitty have been inoculated against rabies within six months prior to arrival.

Home Country Customs
Importation into other countries of organic souvenirs bought in Indonesia may be prohibited. One reader reported that when she tried to take some wayang puppets into Australia, they were quarantined. Anything purchased with feathers or furs or made in part with organic matter or parts of endangered species will most likely be confiscated. If you don’t declare these items, you may be fined.

Types of Visa

In some cases, tourists to Bali needn’t obtain a tourist visa in advance (see The ‘Entry Stamp’ Tourist Pass). If you are required to obtain a tourist visa, or are interested in obtaining one of the other types of visas, it’s a good idea to apply at least six months in advance in your home country. Some visas allow extensions and multiple entries, at the discretion of authorities in any of Indonesia’s 74 immigration offices in provincial and district capitals. The prices for all the different types of visas are standardized. If Indonesia, you’ll find the prices posted on the walls of the immigration offices.

Tips: In addition to the appropriate fee, bring with you a little knowledge of Indonesian, good manners, and a friendly attitude. Wear clean clothes (no tank tops, shorts, or T-shirts), and don’t try to bribe an official.

The “Entry Stamp” Tourist Pass
Provided they enter and exit Bali or Indonesia through specific air and seaports (see Official Points of Entry and Departure), tourists from certain listed countries do not need to obtain a tourist visa prior to arrival within conditions as follows:

For pleasure, convention, social/culture purposes and business but not for working. They must hold valid passport (min. 6 months) when they arrive in Indonesia. They must hold tickets and other documents for return/onward journey or a letter from an air carrier, ship line, or travel agency confirming the purchase of those tickets. The listed countries are:

Argentina Australia Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Brunei Canada Chile Denmark Egypt Finland France Germany Greece Hungary

Ireland Italy Japan Kuwait Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia Maldives Maltawidth Mexico Monaco Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Norway Philippines

Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Yugoslavia Venezuela

Upon arriving, tourists from those countries will receive a tourist pass or entry stamp in their passport, allowing them to stay up to two months anywhere in Indonesia (except certain off-limits areas of Irian Jaya and East Timor). Don’t lose the white arrival/departure card that comes with your entry stamp; if you do lose it, go to the nearest immigration office promptly and get a replacement. Don’t wait until your day of departure at the airport to inform immigration officials that it’s lost. Also note that if you already have an entry stamp, it’s not easy to change the status of your visa. This usually must be done outside of Indonesia.

The tourist pass can be extended only if you are ill, injured, or have missed your flight. In such cases, apply for an extension three or four days prior to the expiration of your entry stamp, if possible. Otherwise you’ll be delayed at the airport and may miss your rescheduled flight. Officials take the two-month time limit very seriously, allowing not even one day’s slack. If you want to stay longer, you must leave Indonesia, then reenter for another two months (see Reentry).

Alternate Tourist Visa
Visitors from countries other than those listed above, or visitors planning on entering the country at an unofficial point of entry, can obtain a tourist visa before their arrival from any Indonesian embassy or consulate (see “Indonesian Embassies Abroad”). Two photos are required and a small fee is charged. These visas are valid for 30 days.

Many travelers fly into Kupang (Timor Barat) and travel via land a nd sea to Bali, a great opportunity to see the eastern islands along the way. If you arrive in Kupang without a return air ticket to Australia, the Indonesian authorities want to see that you hold at least AUS$1000. At some other points of entry, immigration officials don’t even bother to ask if you have an onward ticket or enough money to sustain yourself. This is often the case in Biak (Irian Jaya) and Batam (Riau).

Visitor’s Visa
This type of visa (also called a “social visa”) isn’t granted as often as it once was. You must either have a legitimate reason to enter the country (e.g., to visit relatives, to study Balinese dance), or be involved in an accredited STSI or SMKI art course. Visit both the Immigration Office and the Education and Culture Department (Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan) in Renon, Denpasar, Bali, to find out what’s required.

You should apply at least six months in advance in your home country, and will need to show a letter of invitation or provide the name of an influential sponsor or guarantor in Indonesia. This sponsor/guarantor might include a government official, a high-ranking military officer, a respected non-Chinese business owner, or even a well-established, well-connected Western expatriate. Basically, the person you name will be held responsible for you in case something goes wrong.

Visitor’s visas are normally given for a four- or five-week initial stay. They can be extended up to five times for one or more month’s duration each time, for a total of six months. Don’t stay the full six months or the government will hit you with the dreaded “foreign fiscal tax” (see “General Rules and Regulations”).

Extensions are granted at the sole discretion of immigration personnel and often involve a two-day bureaucratic hassle. Each extension costs Rp. 10,000.00 and the first extension costs an additional Rp. 30,000.00 “landing fee” (some European nationalities excluded). Have lots of room in your passport as each extension takes up a full page. To apply for an extension, you’ll need to present a completed application along with an institute’s or teacher’s extension-request letter or a sponsor’s ID-card copy (as applicable).

You’ll also need a good measure of serenity. Even a saint would lose patience with the immigration people. Typically, you might be asked to wait a few minutes to see an official. An hour later, you’re told that the man will be in his meeting until 14.00 (the time the office closes). Then comes the oft heard “come back tomorrow.” Finally, it turns out you never had to see that official in the first place.

Apply for your extension early because it might take as little as two days or as long as three weeks to be granted, and you might have to go back to the immigration office four or more times. Immigration also appreciates it if you bring an Indonesian friend; they hate to speak English.

After three months, it gets more difficult to stay longer. You may need to be fingerprinted and fill out additional forms. Also, your sponsor may have to write new letters. When you have used up your six-month limit, the word “Final Extension” is stamped in your passport.

It’s generally easier for Europeans to get visitor’s visa extensions than it is for North Americans or Australians. Australians are processed with the most prejudice because their country makes it difficult for Indonesians to enter Australia and remain for any length of time. Dutch travelers are given a lot of slack because of historical ties between the two countries; Indonesians go out of their way to show the Dutch that they hold no grudge. Dutch travelers even have a better chance if the immigration officer speaks Dutch.

Business Visa
A business visa, available at Indonesian embassies and consulates (see “Indonesian Embassies Abroad”), allows a stay of up to 30 days and can be extended to three months. It’s for single entry and costs US$5.50. Submit forms in duplicate with two photos, plus a letter in duplicate from a business firm or employer stating the purpose of your visit and providing financial guarantees. If you’re a writer, journalist, photographer, or filmmaker don’t say so.

Under certain circumstances, this type of visa might be easier to obtain than a visitor’s visa. A business manager or owner must vouch for the fact that you are carrying out some service for him or her on Bali. Some foreigners, in order to export handicrafts and textiles, start up a company with an Indonesian, and then “the company” sponsors them. Still, whether you get a Business Visa or not depends on the Immigration Department and the Department of Labor (Departemen Tenaga Kerja, or simply Depnaker) in Denpasar’s Renon complex.

Unfortunately, it seems that too many tourists have rubbed these two departments the wrong way; the workers can be defensively arrogant. The 1994 license revocation of a rafting company run by an Australian had the expatriate business community of Bali running scared for a while, but things have since calmed down.

Anybody with too high a profile gets cut back a couple of notches periodically. Businesses co-owned or sponsored by Balinese or Indonesians are favored. For a businessperson who can tie up his or her affairs in less than eight weeks, it makes more sense to enter Bali with a tourist pass and maintain a low profile.

Anybody with too high a profile gets cut back a couple of notches periodically. Businesses co-owned or sponsored by Balinese or Indonesians are favored. For a businessperson who can tie up his or her affairs in less than eight weeks, it makes more sense to enter Bali with a tourist pass and maintain a low profile.

Official Points of Entry & Departure
Entikong in West Kalimantan is the only land gateway into Indonesia. Official air and sea entry points into the country change frequently.

Only the following are officially designated as international ports of entry and departure by air:

Medan, North Sumatra: Polonia Airport (MES) oPadang, West Sumatra: Tabing Airport (PDG) oPekanbaru, East Sumatra: Simpang Tiga Airport (PKU) oBatam, Riau (East Sumatra): Hang Nadim Airport (BTH); Batubesar Airport oJakarta: Soekarno-Hatta Airport (CGK) oBandung, West Java: Husein Sastrangegara Airport oSurabaya, West Java: Juanda Airport (SUB) oDenpasar, Bali: Ngurah Rai Airport (DPS) oMataram, Lombok: Selaparang Airport oKupang, Timor: Eltari Airport (KOE) oManado, North Sulawesi: Sam Ratulangi Airport (MDC) oBalikpapan, East Kalimantan: Sepinggan Airport (BPN) oPontianak, West Kalimantan: Supadio Airport (PNK) oAmbon, Maluku: Pattimura Airport (AMQ) oBiak, Irian Jaya: Frans Kaisiepo Airport (BIK)

Arrivals and departures by sea must be through the following seaports:

Medan, North Sumatra: Belawan Seaport oBengkulu: Padangbai Seaport oBatam, Riau (East Sumatra): Batu Ampar Seaport and Sekupang Seaport oBintan, Riau (East Sumatra): Tanjung Pinang Seaport oJakarta: Tanjung Priok Seaport oSemarang, Central Java: Tanjung Mas Seaport oSurabaya, East Java: Tanjung Perak Seaport oBali: Benoa Seaport (South Bali); Padangbai Seaport (East Bali) oManado, North Sulawesi: Bitung Seaport (East of Manado) oAmbon, Central Maluku: Yos Sudarso Seaport (Ambon Harbor).

If you enter Indonesia at any point not listed above, you’re required to have a proper visa obtained beforehand, and you will be permitted to remain in the country for just 30 days. If you enter Indonesia overland from PNG, or take a boat from the southern Philippines to East Kalimantan, you are entering Indonesia illegally. If caught, Indonesian immigration officials may jail or deport you.

Consular and Visa Services

This is the formal guidance for foreign citizen dealing with visa in Indonesia from Indonesian Ministry of Foriegn Affairs. Foreign citizens may apply for visas under the following categories:

Diplomatic Visa
Diplomatic Visas are given to foreign citizens bearing diplomatic passports, for the conduct of diplomatic assignments in Indonesia.

Requests for Diplomatic Visas must be submitted via an Indonesian diplomatic mission abroad, by filling out the appropriate registration forms and enclosing:

Complete proof of identity of the passport bearer. oTwo 4x6cm color passport photographs of the passport bearer. oThe original diplomatic passport with at least 6 months validity from the date of submission. oA diplomatic note confirming the person’s diplomatic assignment.

Service Visas are given to foreign citizens bearing service passports, on assignment to Indonesia for non-diplomatic purposes.

Requests for Service Visas must be submitted through an Indonesian diplomatic mission abroad, by filling out the appropriate registration forms and enclosing:

Complete proof of identity of the passport bearer. oTwo 4x6cm color passport photographs of the passport bearer. oThe original passport with at least 6 months validity from the date of submission. oA diplomatic note confirming the person’s assignment as non-diplomatic in nature.

Transit Visa
The validity of a Transit Visa is 90 days from its date of issue, with a staying period of 14 days from the day of arrival in Indonesia. Transit Visas are given to persons of foreign origin who wish to stop over in Indonesian territory for purposes of:

Continuing a journey to another country. oContinuing a journey to return to their country of origin. oTo join or work on a transport vehicle that will continue its journey outside Indonesian territory. oIn emergency cases due to a delayed flight or journey.

Requests for a Transit Visa must be submitted by filling out the appropriate registration forms and enclosing:

Complete proof of identity of the passport bearer. oTwo 4x6cm color passport photographs of the passport bearer. oThe original passport with at least 6 months validity from the date of submission. oPersons stopping over in Indonesia to continue their journey to another country or their country of origin must be able to produce proof of a ticket to that country. oPersons stopping over in Indonesia to join or work on a transport vehicle that will continue its journey outside Indonesian territory must have proof of a work contract pertaining to that fact. oProof of having paid all dues according to regulations.

Transit Visa on Arrival
Transit Visas on Arrival are valid for stopovers within Indonesian territory due to emergencies affecting transport vehicles and other legitimate causes, resulting in a delay in that journey and verified by the proper authorities.

Visitation Visa
There are four types of Visitation Visas:

1. Single-Visitation Visa
Validity period of a Single-Visitation Visa is a maximum of 60 days. Requests for Single-Visitation Visas are submitted by filling out the appropriate forms and enclosing:

Complete proof of identity of the passport bearer. oTwo 4x6cm color passport photographs of the passport bearer. oThe original passport with at least 6 months validity from the date of submission. oLetter of recommendation from a sponsor or, if considered necessary, a guarantee of the availability of funds to cover living expenses while in Indonesia. oProof of a return ticket, or a ticket to continue travel to another country.

2. Collective-Visitation Visa
Collective-Visitation Visas are valid for visits lasting a maximum of 60 (sixty) days. Requests for Collective-Visitation Visas are submitted by filling out the appropriate forms and enclosing:

Complete proof of identity of each of the requesting persons. oTwo 4x6cm color passport photographs of the passport bearer. oThe original passport or travel document with at least 6 months validity from the date of submission. oLetter of recommendation from a sponsor in the country of origin, or a request from a sponsor in Indonesia. oProof of return tickets or tickets to continue travel to another country. oMembers of the group holding the Collective-Visitation Visas must carry their own passports and must enter and exit Indonesian territory at the same time as and with the group.

3. Multiple-Journey Visitation Visa
Multiple-Journey Visitation Visas are valid for a maximum of one year, with the visitation period of each entry no longer than 60 (sixty) days. Requests for Multiple-Journey Visitation Visas must be submitted by filling out the appropriate forms and enclosing:

Complete proof of identity of each of the requesting person. oTwo 4x6cm color passport photographs of the passport bearer. oThe original passport or travel document with at least 18 months validity from the date of submission. oLetter of recommendation from the sponsor in the country of origin or the sponsor in Indonesia. oIf deemed necessary, a guarantee of the availability of funds to cover living expenses while in Indonesia.

4. Visitation Visa On Arrival
Visitation Visas On Arrival are valid for a maximum of 30 (thirty) days, and are given to the following parties:

Citizens from countries that do not require visas to visit Indonesia but have done so without entering the predetermined ports of entry. oOther foreign citizens that have acquired a permit from the Indonesian Directorate-General of Immigration.

Requests for Visitation Visa on Arrival must be submitted by filling out the appropriate forms, and enclosing:

Complete proof of identity of each of the requesting persons. oThe original passport or travel document with at least 6 months validity from the date of arrival in Indonesia. oA letter of recommendation from a sponsor or – if deemed necessary – a guarantee of the availability of funds to cover living expenses while in Indonesia. oProofs of return tickets or tickets to continue travels to another country.

Limited Stay Visa
Limited Stay Visas are given to Regular Passport holders, valid for a 1 (one)-year stay in Indonesia and must not exceed the validity period of his/her travel documents.

Requests for Limited Stay Visas must be submitted by filling out the appropriate forms and enclosing:

Complete proof of identity of each of the requesting person. oTwo 4x6cm color passport photographs of the passport bearer. oThe original passport or travel document with at least 18 months validity from the date of submission. oLetter of recommendation from the sponsor in the country of origin or the sponsor in Indonesia. oA complete and updated Curriculum Vitae. oFor those accompanying their spouse or parent who are Indonesian citizens living in Indonesia, and their spouse or parent who are foreign citizens living in Indonesia holding Limited Stay Permits, must submit a copy of a their Marriage Certificate and/or their Birth Certificate. oFor those conducting activities in religious missions, research, education and social fields must enclose the original and a copy of a letter of recommendation from the institution or specific department/division that has assigned them. oFor those who wish to work in a foreign investment or domestic investment venture, or as a technical professional on assignment by a foreign aid organizations must furnish a letter of recommendation from a technical department, the Department of Labor, the Investment Coordinating Board, and a copy of the letter of agreement to employ foreign labor. oFor those seeking repatriation, must provide proof of former Indonesian citizenship and proof of a guarantee of living expenses in Indonesia.

Non-Visa Short Therm Visit
Citizens from 46 countries do not need to obtain a tourist visa prior to arrival. They are granted Non-Visa Short Term Visit (The “Entry Stamp” Tourist Pass) strictly for pleasure, tourism, exhibition, business purposes, social and cultural visits. This visa is used for a maximum stay of 60 (sixty) days.

Requirements: A valid passport of at least six months beyond their intended length of stay. oProvide proof of availability of living expenses equivalent to US$1000 (one thousand US dollars) prior to arriving in Indonesia. oA return ticket, or connecting flight ticket, or a letter from a Travel Agency stating the itinerary. oInternational Certificate of Yellow Fever Vaccination is required for those coming from / stopping over an infected area and must be presented at the port of entry.

The listed countries are:

Argentina Australia Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Brunei Canada Chile Denmark Egypt Finland France Germany Greece Hungary

Ireland Italy Japan Kuwait Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia Maldives Maltawidth Mexico Monaco Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Norway Philippines

Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Yugoslavia Venezuela

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia