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If you are coming to Indonesia on a Visa-on-arrival procedure, you have no choice but to travel out and back in to Indonesia to re-new your visa. This usually after 3 days (USD 10) or maximum 30 days (USD 25), depending on how long a visa you paid your US Dollars for.
Visa on-arrival or extendable visa?
That’s something similar I used to do when still living in Phuket/Thailand. Every month you just travel to one of the surrounding countries, cross the border, the officers at the checkpoint stamp you out, you enjoy a few hours in Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia or Laos – and back you travel to Thailand. New stamp, new visa. Now it’s a bit more difficult, as Thailand recently changed their visa regulations.
But back to Indonesia – if you want to spend some longer time here, traveling in and out isn’t really an option. Except you live somewhere close to the neighboring countries. Indonesia is just too big to just travel out for a short while. And it’s definitely more expensive, as you mainly need a return flight. If you have friends in Singapore to fly to once in a while or live in the northern Riau Island like Batam or Bintan, it might be okay – but we are talking Bali here. Right in the middle of the 17.000 indonesian islands, thousands of kilometres and about 2 hours of flight away from the next country.
So you probably came here anyway on a different kind of visa. That is (if you don’t work in Indonesia) mainly a Social Visit Visa, or Sosial Budaya, as it’s called here. The work visa is called KITAS or KITAP, depending if you are employer or being employed.
Application outside of Indonesia
You can apply for this kind of visa for instance at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore (which is rumored to be the fastest and most effective one in Asia) or any other embassy or consulate back in your home country. The process at the embassy will take you 3 days and you will end up with a Visa (single- or multi-entry, again depending how much you spent), which is valid for 2 month and allows up to 4 renewals or extension within Indonesia. You will need a formal indonesian sponsor.
The first 2 months of this visa are obviously the most convenient ones, as you have 60 days in a row, where you don’t have to worry about visa problems. When the expiry date of your 2 months closes in, panic usually is setting in. 8-/
So, how to extend that thing? Cost me how much?
You have basically 2 options, to get your visa extended for another month:
- pay a Visa Agency to do all the paper work for you
- D.I.Y. – meaning, to deal with the Indonesia bureaucracy yourself
Option 1 is usually done by handing over your passport, some passport pictures and the amount of 400.000-600.000 Rupiah to an agent, who is doing all the paperwork and trip to the immigration offices for you. Those agencies are to be found all over Bali and are usually reliable (according to the expats I spoke to). Some even keep your passport the whole time or until you really have to leave the country for a re-newal or other trip.
If you don’t have that much money to spend (just imagine that you could buy about 16 to 32 large beer Bintang for the amount you could save) and if you have more time than money – why not go the extra mile and get your extension yourself for about 200.000 Rupiah only?
All you have to do is to show up at one of the 2 immigration offices in Bali (one is located directly at the Airport bypass, the other in a nice Balinese-style building in Jl. Panjaitan in Denpasar) and fill out the paper forms which will be thrown at you. 
Actually it’s not that difficult: all officers speak english well enough, the forms are self-explaining and consist mainly of information from your passport and your sponsor in the first place. Fill them out, copy your passport (personals page and stamp/visa page) and hand it over to one of the officers. Voila! You can be out there in 10-15 minutes!
You have to come back usually twice: one time to ‘learn’, that your visa extension is approved and that *now* is the right time for you to hand-over the above mentioned 200.000 Rupiah. That is usually a matter of 2 minutes and you are out again. Then you have to come back the next day to pick up your stamped/extended passport.
Your time or your money!
That’s all! The only letdown is, that you are now only free for another 2 weeks, before starting the whole procedure again; as the time between 1st visit and pickup is about 1 week and you are supposed to go there again about 1 week before the expiry date.
3 days will do as well, as I just figured out last month. Nobody complained about it.
So, it’s really more a matter of time or money. What have you got? Do you want more independent traveling around the country without having to worry about passport matters? Either do it at the start of your Visa period (2 months in a row) or ask a Visa agency to help you get separated from your passport (and some more money). Either way – it’s still cheaper than flying or traveling in and out of the country every months to re-new and pay your visa “on-arrival”.
So it’s all up to your preference.
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December 16th, 2006 at 10:09 am
[…] Visa Extension in Bali – how does it work? […]
February 24th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Nice website and blog. I am from Jakarta, Indonesia. And glad to find out that foreigner still interested with our country, even tough Bali already explode twice.
May 28th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Update May 2007 regarding Extension of the Sosial Budaya:
As the local bureaucracy is expanding, new fees were recently introduced in Bali (Immigration Denpasar, Jalan Panjaitan):
– the Visa Extension Fee was raised from Rp. 200.000 to Rp. 250.000
– Instead of the Stamp (Rp. 6.000) you have to pay now as well for the Application Form and Red Envelope (another Rp. 10.000)
– All Documents (Passport, Forms, Sponsor Letter) have to be copied (Photo Copies costs Rp. 1.000 in the Immigration Department instead of Rp. 100 outside)
– A parking fee of Rp. 500 was introduced for Motor Bikes
Happy extension!
July 5th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Hi,
Anyone know if they have any forms I could dounload?
So I can add to my collection.:)
entry visa
August 16th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
[…] Indonesia introduced a Visa-On Arrival (VOA) for maximum 30 days with respective fees only back in 2004 – before you could get a 3 months stamp for free. The bureaucratic processes to attain and extend a Social Visa are legendary. Although there were some rumours of longer VOA (up to 120 days) a few months back, those have yet to materialize. […]
September 2nd, 2007 at 11:05 pm
[…] When I was going to Singapore for my bi-annual Visa Run last week, I brought my Laptop with me, because it showed occasionally some flickery display. Sometimes white colours would turn into green light shining through the LCD, pretty strange behavior. Looked like a cable inside the thing was lose or not properly installed. No problem, I thought – still warranty. Down at the Asus Service Center in ‘The Adelphi’, right next to Funan IT Mall, I unluckily tried to to reproduce the error for the Service Staff to see – when disaster stroke. […]
October 9th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Hi,
Six months ago went to singapore to extend my social visa, very quick easy. Wanted to go to Thailand this time round for a change of scene.
Can anyone help me with where I need to go in Thailand and how long it takes etc.
Thanks
Michael
October 16th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I never tried it in Thailand, but the process should be similar. In Bangkok it would surely be the easiest and most efficient way to do it. Maybe someone did it already and can give some review?
February 16th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
hey!
I want an indo visa for 60 days, I’m from holland, but now travelling in oz! is it possible to get the visa here in autralia!
thanks,
mell
February 16th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
mell, that should be perfectly possible. Usually the process is like this: drop by the Indonesian Embassy and apply for it there. It’s usually a straight-forward process, filling out a 1-page form, leaving 1-4 passport photos, paying the fees (around USD 50) and picking it up 3 days later. Good luck!
March 11th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Just add some more information,
Actually for the 3rd and 4th extension for Social Culture Visa, the letter and documents are has to be submitted as well into ‘Kantor Imimgrasi Wilayah’ or briefly in English are: Immigration Office for Province, this office located at Jl Raya Renon Denpasar.
And by it’s natural the processing time will exceed from normally 3 working days up to 10 working days.
Cheers,
April 9th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Somehow I personally think that Indonesia Government has to create more simple procedure for foreigner to be able to stay longer in Indonesia instead of make a trip to surrounding country just to obtain a new visa, and this will also somehow keep them spend their money in Indonesia…
Maybe pay another 5 or 6 Million Rupiahs for a new Social Visa valid for another 6 months, as that amount is about equal with what people has to spent to travel overseas to get the visa, keep the money home!!
Cheers,
April 9th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
balidreamhome – that’s a great idea! I wish they would follow through with it. The Philippines did the same thing about 8 months ago, so hopefully Indonesia will follow suit…
April 10th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Indeed that will be fantastic if that ever happen to Indonesia, unfortunately I am not sure that this will happen soon unless if the decision maker is a person who exactly know what they’re dealing with other wise is just a wishful thinking (sorry!)
cheers, Bintang time!!
April 16th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Beware at the embassy in Canada, I tried to get a social visa with an individual as my sponsor and it got refused as their final judgment is that I need to have a corporate sponsor. And that’s even if they told me I could when their emailed me a few days before.
I just got that answer today. I have 3 weeks left to get one by different means. I hope I can avoid the Visa on Arrival.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Hi Nicolas,
The policy at each of Indonesian Embassy are not the same and it could be that they have wrong understanding as the social visa (which only need personal sponsorship) with Single Entry Business visa which needs corporate sponsorship unfortunately both visa has the same index code number: 211 both visa are valid for 6 months and extendable while you’re in Indonesian on a monthly bases.
Sometimes the sponsorship has to be signed over stamp duty (Rp. 6,000 materai). If you can arrange to make a stop over in Singapore that will be much easier.
Good Luck!!
May 18th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
hey mate,
if i wanted to stay in bali for a year, without working, do you think my best option would be on a social visit visa? ive had a look around and it seems they are on valid for six months. what might the best course of action be do you think? and how would i go about re-newing the social visa after the 6months, and what are the surrounding costs?
Thanks Heaps, sorry about all the questions
Cheers
Dan
May 19th, 2008 at 10:59 am
@ Daniel,
The option for you is Single Entry Business Visa or Social Culture Visa, both visa are valid for 6 months, the deferent is that the business vis is issue based on a Bali residing company but Social Culture visa is issue based on a personal invitation.
Why is only two option, because if you are not employed by a company in Bali or above 55 years of age then you can not have a KITAS and working permit or retirement visa which allowed you to stay in Bali / Indonesia continuesly 12 months.
As the social vis is only valid for 6 months, then by the the end of the visa you need to do the same procedure by visiting one of Indonesian Embassy in surrounded country such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia or Thailand.
lot’s of foreigner living in Bali using this arrangement to be able to stay in Bali in a longer period.
Cheers,
Channel1
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Channel 1, thanks for helping out Daniel. I agree with your recommendation. As I don’t work I use the Sosial Budaya myself and it’s quite a straight-forward process.
You basically have to leave the country every 6 months. A return flight to Singapore is usually the cheapest way to apply for a new Visa, which can be done there either within 3 days (DIY for SGD 75) or 1 day (via an agent for around SGD 180).
May 24th, 2008 at 10:21 am
my pleasure buddy, cheers
June 2nd, 2008 at 6:35 am
so for a newbee from usa…when one arrives in bali we get a 30 day visa ..is there no way before arrival to get a visa for say 2 months?
June 4th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Yes, there is another way, it call Socio Culture Visa this visa required sponsorship or invitation letter from Indonesian, and this visa has to be obtain from Indonesian Embassy in your home country in L.A or other part of USA.
Once you have it, the visa is valid for 90 days until you use it for the 1st time and upon arrival in Indonesia / Bali, you will granted 60 days to stay.
For more detail you may visit my website.
Cheers,
June 5th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
channel1 is right as usual. :D
June 5th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
:D :D :D
Cheers buddy, we should have a bintang sometime!!
June 13th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
You can get a 60 day tourist visa (no sponsorship needed) if you apply ahead of time at an Indonesian embassy in the US. Cost ~$45. If you wait until your on the plane, your only option will be a 30 day visa.
June 14th, 2008 at 6:15 am
Channel 1 or Chris,
How do you get a personal invitation for 6 month visa? Social visa..being a first timer ..is it hard to obtain? obviosly flying in and out is bit of a pain and expensive..any thoughts…… I wanna go there SOOON…please help.
June 14th, 2008 at 11:32 am
@ Ravi,
Actually is quiet simple what you need to do is contact visa agency in Bali and tell them what you’re aiming for and they will response to your question and assist you step by step to obtain the Socio Culture Visa.
But please be noted that for several nationality such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, or some country in Africa, Indonesian government are very strict and even the simplest visa the requirement is quiet complicated.
Good luck.
June 18th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Channel1,
I am heading over to Bali in August and am trying to stay as long as possible. I have no contacts in Indonesia, is the multiple entry visa the way to go?
June 19th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
@ balibound
Multiple entry business visa is only good for a person with intention to travel to Indonesian for a business orientation and or invited by his business partner for a future cooperation. This visa is valid for 12 months but the problem is each visit is only for 60 days and is not extendable while you are inside Indonesia.
Considering that you are having no sponsor and no employment contract then the only option left is Socio (social) culture visa or Single entry business visa, both visa have the same visa index number and valid for 6 months with monthly extension after the 60 days upon arrival. Each extension is good for 30 days.
The sponsor for social visa is an invitation letter by Indonesian individual while Single Entry Business visa is invitation by a company residing in Indonesia.
The visa has to be obtained from any Indonesian Embassy prior to your departure to Indonesia.
Hope this help,
Cheers,
July 11th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Can anyone tell me, I want to make the social budaya in Kuala Lumpur, what do I have to do, I always go to Singapore to arrange it.
But it will be my first time in KL.
Help?
July 11th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Here is some information from my friend whose recently back from KL for the agenda Social Culture Visa:
We got back safely last night and I have an update for you!
Visas from KL are now QUICKER and CHEAPER than Singapore! Al you need do is go to Embassy at 9am and staff check your documents. you need 1 copy of the following:
Sponsor letter
Sponsor KTP
2 passport photos
First page of passport with photo
Recent visa – if you have one
Recent extension – if you have one
Exit stamp from Indonesia
Entry stamp into Malaysia
When checked you fill out form, pay 170MYR…and then come back at 3.30pm and pick up visa!!!!!!!
Cheers,
July 17th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
New requirement by Immigration office to Social Culture Visa holder and this is a compulsory. For the second extension each visa holder has to come in person to the Immigration office to do a digital finger print and photograph.
So if you’re planning to go out of Bali, you better adjust your time schedule.
Cheers,
Channel1
July 19th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Thanks for all the great additions here, channel1! My latest experience is now, that the sponsor needs as well a Bali ID (KIPOM) to extend the Visa in Jalan Panjaitan/DPS. Before it was okay to have one from Jakarta or else (in Singapore it’s never a problem), but maybe we were just lucky.
That amounts to another Rp 50.000 every 3 months. Arglglggl! :((
Regarding the developments in KL – that’s a good thing! Will check next time in Singapore, if they can make it in a shorter time frame. Or fly right away to KL, if Air Asia offers a good deal. Guess the Visa Agents will be out of business soon….
July 19th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Channel 1, Thank you for your information..I have all my documents, I normally extend in Singapore, so it won’t be a problem then..tq.
July 21st, 2008 at 11:33 am
@ Bianca,
My pleasure and wish you all the best with your trip to Singapore, cheers
July 24th, 2008 at 3:21 am
Does this mean that if I have a sponsor from Lombok I can’t extend it in Bali?
How are the rules considering where your sponsor is from?
Thanks for the information!
July 24th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
@Sandy,
For a person with Lombok ID card acting as his/her sponsor as long as the visa holder residing in Bali then the extension should be done in Bali plus the sponsor must show that he/she has a KIPEM or temporary ID card for Bali, the latest news is that the Immigration office will require the visa holder to come in person to the Immigration office to give digital finger print on the 2nd extension of Social Visa.
July 31st, 2008 at 7:35 am
At the moment I’m staying in Jakarta with a Kitas and my Indonesian wife as the sponsor for the first year. For the second year my wife can not be the sponsor so I need a ‘good/big’ company to extend my Kitas.
On one of my job interviews I heard there is a new visa or a new rule since 1,5 year (that not many immigration offices even know of) that it is possible for the wife to be sponsor for the second year again to extend the Kitas.
I’ll call with different immigration offices in jakarta today, but have any of you heard of this new rule for extending the Kitas?
I also found a website http://www.rami-services.com/amasis.html where you need to pay a big amount of money and you become an investor and they arrange your kitas and will be the sponsor, but i have big doubts if it’s really trustworthy and not just a big scam
July 31st, 2008 at 10:47 am
@ Chris B,
Hi Chris, regarding to your explanation I am presuming that you are under a Family KITAS, which also shows that you are sponsored by your (Indonesian) wife, and surely that should be no problem to extend it for the second year.
If somebody told you that you haev to search for a’big’ company to sponsor you then this will mean that you will change the KITAS from a family KITAS into a Working KITAS and surely you have to cancel your present KITAS and travel overseas to do the same procedure as the 1st KITAS with consideration to pay US$ 1,200 yearly (non refundable).
I am not sure with the offer to be an investor in a company to be able to have a sponsor and a KITAS, this is a little bit fishy for me as there are few things you must understand such as a personal tax identification number and actually the company sponsor should be an active company otherwise this are another scam form which create to absorb money from a person who doesn’t really understand and aware on how it works. Also do you really thing you can have proper information from them about your investment or this just weakening your position as a foreigner in Indonesia as you’re tight up to them :-)
I have my corporate agent located in Jakarta and surely he can assist you to extend your KITAS but I can not write it here as this is not my website and I feel bad to do promotion here (nomad4ever will angry to me :-) ), Please do feel free to visit my website and write me an email then I will inform you the person who can help you there in Jakarta.
Cheers,
channel1
July 31st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
@channel1
Thanx alot for the information about extending my Kitas and for the help so far.
My wife called this morning with the head immigration office in jakarta, but the right person to answer the question was not in at the moment. we got the request to go to our local immigration office in jkt timur and ask them to write a letter which we then can use to bring to the head office together with all kinds of documents like my passport, kitas and documents of my wife and then they can answer the question. (?!?)
sounds like me sponsoring the immigration ‘service’ just to get 1 answer.
my wife will try to call again later, maybe the person who answers the phone this time will give us some more/other infomation.
If you can provide me with your contact’s info here in jkt it would/could be of great help.
I’ll send you my email address to your blogspot as your other/private domain has expired a few days ago (nomad4ever wont be angry for promoting that site i think)
Thanx again,
Chris B
July 31st, 2008 at 1:59 pm
if things can be done by a reliable agent and save your from doing a trip to the office in reasonable cost, why bother yourself :-)
I have sent you an email of the contact detail, good luck :-)
July 31st, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Guys, thanks for helping out each other once again!
Chris B, that’s the problem with plenty of services in Indonesia, some people seem wanting to help you, but actually they just want to empty your wallet. Officials and governmental institutions are no difference. Better always check ID/company and double-check, before handing over any amounts of money to unknown people.
My own Visa experience is limited so far to the VOA (Visa on Arrival) and Sosial Budaya. Just wanted to add for the last one: they now do the fingerprinting (which is necessary with the 2nd extension) with an electronic fingerprint reader here in Bali. All 10 fingers – but no ink anymore, so no more black fingers.
August 11th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Hi, I am from Ecuador. I applied for my visa before entering to Indonesia. I is valid for two months, but it expired on August 28th and my ticket back home is September 1st. I am going to enter to Indonesia (Jakarta) on August 20th, do you think that I can ask in the inmigration in the airport if they can extend my visa just for 4 days more?
Thank you for your help
August 12th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Hi Meche,
The meaning of the visa expiration on August 28th is the date when the visa is using the first time to enter Indonesia, normally the visa valid in two months before being use for the first time.
As you are entering Indonesia on August 20th, the sixtieth day will be on October 18th.
The best thing is look at the back side of your departure card, there is a stamp on a green color by immigration officer when upon arrival in Indonesia entrance gate, in that card is indicating how many days you may stay in Indonesia from the arrival date.
Please be noted that your arrival date also counted! If in that card is written 60 days then you have nothing to worry but if what written there is 30 days then your visa will expired on September 18th
Hope this help, have a great day.
Cheers,
August 15th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Funny thing happened to me today, when applying for my 3rd extension of the Social Budaya. I only have to come back now in 2 weeks (usually 3 days) for payment. Are there some changes going on? Or are they just getting away from the practise that I have to play courier for them, transporting the documents to the other ‘kantor’ around the corner and picking it up for them? Channel 1, do you know more??
August 16th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Hi Chris,
The processing of the 3rd & 4th extension of Social visa is always took longer time especially now when they apply a new system called e-office. This system is a media to collect the data and make an online registration of all visa holder in Indonesia.
This will bring the whole visa arrangement into the next level which is good for our country unfortunately the operator of the ‘machine’ seems doesn’t have enough training before the system was actually applied.
The step by step of extension now are:
1. Submit the passport & sponsor letter for extension to immigration locket.
2. They will do the data entry (digitally).
3. Bring the whole data and everything to the immigration officer section Foreigner Control Supervision (WASDAKIM).
4. Data Entry (again).
5. Scanning the passport.
6. Send the information to the Central Immigration Province which located in Renon for Bali Province.
7. Pay the extension cost to the immigration counter.
8. Placed the extension stamp on the passport.
9. Another scanned for the passport which already extended.
10 Recollect your passport.
So now we can imagine how many people are doing their extension at the same time and this create some certain delay in processing time of the visa extension.
I do believe that Immigration doesn’t has any intention to ‘push’ you to use agent service for extending your visa, but is only a matter of processing time.
Plus especially form Bali area you have to deal with Public Holidays and Ceremonies :-)
Hope this help.
Cheers,
August 16th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Channel1, many thanks for the enlightenment and additional information. So let’s hope that overall the process is getting quicker and more painless, once they are used to the new procedures. That’s probably good news! =D>
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:22 pm
I and my wife are planning to travel around Asia for a year, and would love to visit West Papua (irian jaya) . The problem is, 30 days visa is just not long enough to do so while we would also love to stay in Java and Bali for a while. This means we will have to extend our Visa for maybe two more months. Is this possible, and how are we to go about this?
August 24th, 2008 at 9:52 am
hello I have just returned from indo spent 2 nhalf months surfing. done one visa run to thailand returned indo for another 30 day visa. I left jakarta 18 august with 15 days left on visa. (Bad move) I now wish to return to jakarta indo.night 24th august- flight ticket on hold. Does anyone know if I return to indo now for 3rd visa with 2nd visa (even though I have left the country) to have expired in another another 9-10 days approx. 02/09/08. other than customs questioning my intentions for returning so soon. should there be any problems due to visa dates. e.g. am i supposed to wait the full time of 2nd visa before re entering the country. any info be appreciated. Thank you Shane
August 25th, 2008 at 11:31 am
@ Markie,
Regarding to your plan you may ask to Indonesian Embassy in your home country to give you a 60 days tourist visa but unfortunately the Tourist Visa is not extendable so every time your visa expired you must travel to surrounding country at least for 1 day and return to Indonesia to gain another 30 days. Social visa also not suitable for you as your position will be in many different place and this will create a problem in extending your visa.
@Shane,
There will be no problem for come back to Indonesia with another tourist visa, as tourist visa is single entry so every time you leave the country while your visa is still valid, automatically your tourist visa is canceled
Hope this help, cheers & happy traveling..
August 26th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Hello I’m going to Bali for six months and I don’t know of anybody who can sponsor me as this is my first time there. Can you explain to me what is the easiest way around this problem? I would also like to know where I apply for my visa living in northern Ireland? How much also would it take to realisticaly take to get by each month, basic living! I’m bring £3000 is that enough? Any light on theses subjects would seriously help! Thanks, great site!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Hi Leroy,
What you need to do is get a sponsorship from registered visa agent and also let them work for your visa extension and other matter regarding to the immigration requirement in Bali.
My company also providing services for this arrangement.
The living cost on basic living approximately is Rp. 3,000,000 to Rp. 5,000,000 a month but not including the accommodation and Visa cost for 6 months is Rp. 3,000,000 if you let the visa agent work for your visa. Transportation will be another additional cost for you if you willing to have a variety tour but if you ‘dare’ to drive rental motor bike here then the cost is very cheap let say Rp. 400,000 for the motor bike rental per month and gasoline is Rp. 6,500 per liter.
Please also be prepare with your International drivers license and also health insurance or travel insurance.
3000 pound will be ok for 6 months.
Cheers,
August 27th, 2008 at 10:55 am
@ Leroy,
Sorry forgot to let you know that the visa called social Culture Visa and is valid for 6 months upon arrival in Bali with monthly extension before the first 60th day over.
The visa can be obtain under sponsorship of Indonesian National at the Indonesian Embassy in your home country. Approximately the cost for the visa is US$ 80 payable directly to the Indonesian Embassy visa counter.
Cheers,
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:32 pm
this is all silly. you can now get a 60 day tourist visa from any embassy out of indo, and extend it in the country up to 4 times 30 days each time, total 6 months, and you can do this at any immigration office in indo. and its cheaper, and simpler. no need to mess around with social visas anymore. dont pay a visa company for a social visa, its a waste of money
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Wish you all the best Lilly,
Cheers,
October 5th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Hello Channel1,
I’ve got my Social Budaya in KL. TQ for all your info it was all done in 24 hours time.
TQ
October 6th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Hi Biateca,
You’re very welcome and also thanks to Nomad4ever for creating this nice forum :-)
Cheers,
October 11th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
HELP !!!
I am going to Bali on Oct.27. I will be there until April 2009. I am a Canadian resident and the maximum the Indonesian consulate will give me is a 60 day tourist visa.
I just read above Lily’s comment that you can extend the visa for 30 days up to 4 times? Is this true???
I really don’t want the hassle of having to do a Visa run to Singapore or Malaysia.
Please Help.
Thanks,
Jamie
October 12th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
[…] Yes, they have Working Visas (KITAS) or Retirement Visas, but those exclude everyone below 60, who doesn’t work. The Social Visit Visa is a joke in itself! Anyway, here are some more details on how it works. […]
October 13th, 2008 at 6:00 am
Hi Nomad4ever.
Did u provide a link above? Unfortunately I don’t see one.
What can I do to extend my travel visa for up to 6 months without having to leave Indonesia and do a border run?
Thanks,
Jamie
October 13th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Jamie, although I heard about the possibility that you can extend a normal tourists visa (NOT the VOA – Visa on Arrival one!), I can’t confirm that, as I always used the Sosial Budaya.
What did the Indonesian Consulate tell you, can you extend in-country?
Maybe someone else can also comment on that? :-/
October 13th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Hi Jamie,
Please check the index code on your visa sticker, the location of the index code is on the upper right of the visa sticker if the number is 211 then you are ok, and surely is extendable in within Indonesia without necessary to travel to surrounding country.
The extension can be conduct 4 times on a monthly bases.
Cheers,
October 13th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Hi Chris,
The requirement for Retirement Visa is Minimum 55 y.o and for a working KITAS, a person may still qualified although pass 55 y.o.
Cheers,
October 13th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
So Channel1, is it true then, that you don’t need a Sosial Budaya anymore to stay up to 6 months in Indonesia? No need for a sponsor anymore, just ask for the extendable tourist visa in the Indonesian embassy where you apply?
October 14th, 2008 at 12:07 am
Hi Chris,
In some cases with my previous clients, they got a tourist visa with index code 211 this index code is indicating a social culture visa or Single Entry Business visa which both of the visa has the same validity for 6 months, and indeed extendable in within Indonesia.
Also in some embassy they issue the visa without even ‘bothered’ to write the sponsor name on left down below the visa sticker, and this also extendable as long as the index code is 211.
Some of my clients also tells me that they can ask for a tourist visa directly for 60 days this are happen is Oz & United State :-)
As long as the index code of the visa is 211 then surely is extendable :-)
Cheers,
October 14th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Hi Chanel1
Would I request a visa code 211 from my embassy? I apply for my visa on Wednesday.
Thanks!
October 14th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Hi Jamie,
You can ask for the visa under the code of 211 but surely the embassy has prerogative right to give it or rejected, but when you apply for a Social Budaya Visa which is valid for 6 months using sponsorship then they always give it to you.
Wish you luck :-)
Cheers,
October 27th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Channel 1,
I received a code 211 from my embassy on my visa. Now what is my next step to extending the visa?
Jamie
October 28th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Hi Jamie,
The index code 211 is indicating a Single Entry Social Visa or Business Visa, both visa are a six months visa.
Upon arrival you are granted 60 days counted include the arrival date, and before the 60 days expired, at least 1 week before, you may extend the visa by submit the extension request letter made by your sponsor into the immigration office in Bali.
The processing of extension is in within 7 – 10 working and during the extension process your passport will be under immigration custody.
Please contact your sponsor for the extension. In some cases the Indonesian Embassy issue the visa without stated your sponsor (located on left down below of your visa sticker) if that’s what you have now then for extended your visa you may use any Indonesian person to do the extension or any visa agent to do the work for you.
Cheers,
October 29th, 2008 at 4:57 am
Hi Channel 1,
I’m in Singapore right now. I fly into Bali at 9am.
Regarding the sponsorship, how do I go about obtaining a sponsor?
Regards,
Jamie
October 29th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Hi Jamie,
Actually the sponsor has to be prepared prior to your arrival in Singapore, but it seems that you are already there and just about to continue your trip to Bali.
The best way is postpone your departure to Bali and get a sponsorship, and for this my company are able to provide a sponsorship under some certain cost, and if you are required to have a service from our corporate agent in Singapore the the visa processing can be done in 24 hours.
Regards,
Channel1
October 30th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Hey,
I just got your mssage Channel 1. Unfortunately I arrived in Bali about 7 hrs ago. Am I out of luck?
Is there anything I can do to extend my stay?
Also, it is my first time in Bali and I am in Kuta. It’s an absolute madhouse. Can you receommend any places in Bali that are devoid of partyers and drunks?
Thanks,
Jamie
October 30th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Hi Jamie,
To get away from the crowded area you have to go and stay in Bukit – Jimbaran Area or close to Uluwatu Temple.
There is a nice beach called Dream Land and somehow if you’re sick of Kuta then I think that beach area is good for you.
Cheers,
November 21st, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Hi,
i had bad look and somebody crashed in my scooter some days ago.
I had to change my flight to Malaysia, because i still can’t walk.
BUT i only have a VOA and because of the accident i have to overstay my visa for six days.
Do you see a chance to extend the visa (for reasons of accident) in Denpasar?
Regards
Rick
November 21st, 2008 at 6:06 pm
motornomad, sorry to hear about your accident, hope everything will recover nicely!
It’s possible to extend a VOA for a few days, when there are serious reasons, but prepare to pay for it. And make sure that you visit the Immigration, *before* the VOA expires. It’s located in Jalan Panjaitan in the Renon area of DPS.
Worst case in my view is that you have to pay Rp.200.000 for every day of overstay. But probably less, if you go there before it expires and explain your situation. Just stay calm, friendly and ask them for their help and you will most likely pay less. Good luck!
Would be nice, if you could share your experience here after talking to the Immigration; for others in similar situations. Thanks!
November 22nd, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Hi Chris,
i will show up at the kontori immigrasi on monday and report about my experience.
Thanks
Rick
November 24th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Hi
I have been at the immigrations office in Jalan Panjaitan, but they sent me to the office next to the airport.
Despite the fact that i am walking on crooks, have a bandaged leg and two medical reports, they want an ACTUAL letter from my doctor, wy i can’t leave indonesia at the expiry date of my visum.
I got this letter now and will try again tomorrow.
The good news: The extension of my visum will be for FREE
Regards
Rick
November 24th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
motornomad, yep the Immigration Officers can be sometimes pretty full of themselves. And they love to send you around or make you come again and again with additional documents or whatever. One of the reasons why I finally gave in and moved to another country, after having to visit them about 20 times in 6 months for simple Visa Extensions. It was a big pain in the backside in the end.
At least you didn’t have to pay anything! Good luck for your trip home and your recovery! :D
November 27th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Hi Chris,
i met the immigrations officer next day with the letter from my doctor that i can’t fly. He agreed to extend the visum, but i have to come back next week do do this, cause he cannot extend the visum 7 days, just three. I also have to show my ticket for the flight to Malaysia, where i will continue my round-the-world trip on my motorcycle.
I’ll report next week.
Rick
November 27th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
motornomad/Rick, that sounds really good! Hope everything works out!
Your RTW trip with motorcycle sounds very exciting to me! Possibly to most of the readers here also. Do you have a website, where you report about your RTW trip? If not, maybe we can collaborate on a guest article together with some pictures here?
November 28th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Hi Chris,
if you don’t mind to read my reports in german language (the english section isn’t up to date yet, sorry)
Motornomads Blog
At least you can have a look at the MEDIA, where you find lots of pictures, videos and press releases.
It’s somehow funny to ride more then 430000 Kilometers trough the remotest areas without any problems just to have somebody crashing in you scooter on Bali. :D
Best regards
Rick
November 28th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Hi Chris:
Your blog is really helpful.
Do you have the phone number for any visa agency? Even better if you have one in Bandung. I need to renew my travel Visa.
Pls respond asap if you can. :-)
Thanks
Lilani
November 28th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
motornomad/Rick, thanks for the link, will read up on that!
Lilani, sorry can’t help with that. Never used any. But Channel 1 further above provides these kind of services, maybe he can help further. Just click on his name to link through his website.
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Hi Chris,
today i met the immigration-officers again. They insisted to have a letter of the embassy, but i denied that request because the german embassy wouldn’t write that kind of letter for me. We discussed the same thing last week and the boss of the office agreed to my point of view. So the officer today acted like his boss commanded him, but it’s not sure he will do again.
After buying a folder and making some copies i left the building with an important stamp in my passport.
Thak you
Rick
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:16 am
Congrats and thanks a lot for the update! By the way, nice site you have there, have to go read some more….
January 6th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
@lilly, interesting what you say. I would like a 60 day visa that I can extend. I am in the UK. The embassy here says I can get a 60 day tourist visa from them, but it cannot be extended.
Maybe I should get a Visa from KL or Singapore before entering Bali, as this visa can be extended?
February 27th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
hello, i am planning to arrived bali on 20/4/2008, my idea is to rent a house there for 6 months, i have been studing all visa requirements and i would like to know how can i get s spondsor invitation by a company or individual person as it will be my first time in bali i do not know any body
the opcion i have without this documents i 60 dyas visa thta supposed to be extended 3 or 4 times getting out indonesia each time
as i have beeen reading is not easy to get 4 times extension i need to geta social visa
if anyone can help me
March 1st, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Darren and Elena, if you don’t know anyone who could ‘sponsor’ you for an extended stay; there are always agents who can arrange that for a bit higher price. Just go through the comments and you will find plenty of information about the proper process. Or simply contact a few agents to compare their prices and offers!
Also it could be a good idea to get the Visa in Singapore, as they are more flexible with the extendable Visa options.
April 27th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Hi Chris, Great blog and very helpfull.
Just wondering if you could clear something up for me as I’m having trouble understanding all this red tape etc, there’s lots of conflicting information.
if you could clarify the below for me I’d be Gratefull, I may even buy you a beer while I’m enjoying my 3 months stay in bali.
1) can I get a 60 day visa from the local indo embassy here in the uk?
2) can I then extend it via the method above (Paying an indo company) for a further 30 days?
thanks, Chris,
April 29th, 2009 at 3:19 am
Murphy, both your questions can be answered with a ‘yes’. You should be able to get a 211 code Tourist Visa. It is initially valid for 60 days and can be extended 4 times for another 30 days for a total of 6 months.
May 20th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Hey I NEED help i want to go to Bali for a least 3months and not sure what visa i am best to get, it would be great if i could apply for a work visa once I am there. I would also like one that i can change if i decided that i want to stay there longer than 3months.
PLEASE HELP
May 20th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Polly, the best would be to get the Sosial Budaya Visa (for which you might need a sponsor) or the now available 60-day tourist visa (see comments above). In both you would get the first 2 months included from the embassy and are able to extend another 4 times (1 month each) for a total of 6 months, before you would have to leave the country.
You must apply at your local embassy to get the Visa in advance before coming to Bali. Don’t just come here without Visa, as you will get only a Visa on Arrival (VOA), with which you have to leave the country after 4 weeks, as it’s not extendable.
May 20th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
@ Polly,
Try to contact the closest Indonesian Embassy in your area and ask them if they can give you the 60 days tourist visa with index visa No. 211.
If so that type of visa is extendable in Bali and you may stay up to 6 months with monthly visa extension.
If they can not give you that type of visa then you need to have a sponsor letter made by Indonesian to apply for a Social Culture Visa.
Cheers,
May 20th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Hah, Channel1, my friend! This time I was 8 minutes earlier! :D
Hope everything is well in paradise? Have a great weekend ahead!
May 20th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Hi Chris,
:)) Indeed you’re quicker this time :-)
Bali is still fine but the temperature is getting pretty hot & dry, plus the road traffic you know it, it’s getting tough now to drive in Bali…
Wish you all the best buddy :-)
May 23rd, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I arrived in Bali about 1 week ago and I might stay for longer than 30 days. The customs officer at the airport gave me his telephone number and told me that if I wanted to stay longer than the 30 days the visa on arrival allows to give him a call. Just wondering if it is possible for a customs official to extend the 30 day visa on arrival?
If anyone could help me that would be great.
May 23rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
shaun, that sounds like some unofficial deal he is offering to you. He might be able to get you a new VOA sticker for whatever amount of money to better his own salary. It’s up to you, if you want to take him up on this offer. Surely it’s illegal, the worst thing that can probably happen to you (if caught) is that you can get expelled from the country due to visa violations, banned from further entry and maybe have to pay a (heavy) fine. VOA are definitely not extendable.
May 23rd, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Hi Shaun,
Please help our country to beat corruption by ignoring this type of crooks officer :-)
Nomad is 10000000% correct!! and he’s beat me again a couple of minutes…
Cheers,
May 25th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
channel1, thanks for pointing that out clearer than myself. It’s better to not use that offer and avoid supporting corrupt officers. Indonesia is struggling to reduce corruption (which is hindering the progress of the country immensely) and it can of course only succeed, if those crook officials who ask for money are ignored or even better – prosecuted.
May 26th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Thank you Chris,
It’s about time :-) to erased all of the unnecessary corruption activity even started by small matter but surely it will brings a good impact to my country…
Best Wishes !!
Channel1.
May 27th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Excellent, Thanks for the Info. I already have a one way flight booked to Singapore so I guess it won’t be too much to get a return flight.
Thanks again
May 27th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
shaun, you might want to check out also Jetstar.com, they have sometimes great deals, especially if you book in advance. Or book a flight with Lion Air through a travel agency in Bali, might be even cheaper.
If you are planning again to stay longer than 1 month, you could go to the Indonesian Embassy in Chatsworth Road in Singapore and apply for the extendable tourist visa. Then you will get initially 2 months and simply extend it up to 4 times for another month within the country.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
May someone could be answered my question?
I’m from Malaysia, I had already applied Student Visa before I arrived Bali for my Industrial Training. But I realized that MAX STAY ONLY 60 DAY(S). According the sponser letter I summit for apply Student Visa, the length of training is 90 days. So the MAX STAY IS ONLY 60 DAY(S)?
Now my Visa already past the valid date >MAX STAY ONLY 60 DAY(S)<, will it be a problem when I would like plan to Lombok visit???Will it be a problem when the day I back KL MALAYSIA???
PLEASE REPLY AS SOON AS POSIBBLE. THANK YOU A LOTS
June 18th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Hi Shirnie,
I am almost sure the visa you have now is either Social Visa or Multiple entry business visa please have a check on your visa stick to your passport on the upper right, there is an Index code is 211 the that is social visa and this visa is extendable but you will need a sponsor for this. By understanding that you are now overstay of your 60 days then the penalty charge for the over stay in Rp. 200,000 per day, but also you can not stay too long under ‘over stay’ situation as this will be a problem with immigration.
Please make a contact with local immigration office or reliable visa agent to solve your problem.
Cheers,
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Hi everyone,
Understood that getting a Sosial Budaya visa requires an indonesian sponsor, please advise how can I get a sponsor instead of making friends in Bali?
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:33 pm
tata, I bet Channel1 or any other agent can help you with that…alternatively get the Extendable Tourist Visa…
June 24th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Hi Tata,
The best way is contact to Indonesian Embassy closest to where you residing and ask them for a 60 days tourist visa as this visa has the same index code with social visa which is number 211 and this visa is extendable while you are in Bali… unfortunately not everyone who work at the embassy knows this :-)
If they required you to provide a sponsor letter then do feel free to email me for further arrangement.
Cheers,
Note: Nomad4ever
You beat me again and again buddy :-)
June 24th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Channel1, yeah – but only because I am the one to confirm comments of new readers. You have no chance!
June 25th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Hi all,
Just a short notification regarding the Social Visa.
As experienced by some of my clients, travelers to Indonesia whose eligible for a visa on arrival they may contact to closest Indonesian Embassy and ask for a 60 days tourist visa instead of request Social Visa and has to provide an invitation letter (known as sponsor letter) made by Indonesian citizen and there are possibility in some of Indonesian Embassy they’re no longer provide social visa service but change that to a 60 days tourist visa.
For travelers utilizing Social Visa for a couple of times, please be alert that there is a policy of a local immigration office in Indonesia (for this case Immigration Office Denpasar – Bali) refuse to extend the visa under the reason that ‘the person has been to Bali couple times under social visa’ and they suspicious that the visa holder (s) are working in Bali, they will advise you to leave the country.
So far I haven’t figure out how to ‘escape’ from this :-)
Hope this information helps.
cheers,
June 25th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
That’s no good news, Channel1! And I thought the Visa Rules will be relaxed a bit further with the acceptance of this tourist visa without the need of all the sponsor formalities/bureaucracy. Seems like the Balinese Immigration is closing a loophole to get around their money-making machine.
June 25th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Hi Buddy,
I am not sure what is exactly they aiming for beside they work so slow now !!
Cheers,
June 29th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Hello Chris, Hello Channel1,
Thanks for your info. However, we checked with our local Indonesian Embassy website for the tourist visa info, they said that:
There are three types of Visit Visa are as you can read from http://www.indonesian-consulate.hk/new/index.php?do=content&language=eng&page=11&tipe=1
(( That’s means we cannot extend the visa without leaving Bali or to some near country for the extension……:-/ ))
In fact, I want to stay here for a period of 6 months without leaving, then maybe looking for some small business and consider to open a PMA afterwards. Please kindly advise the costs for the visa and setting up the PMA, is it one-time payment or annually?
June 29th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Hi Tata,
That’s why I was wrote in ‘some’ of Indonesian embassy they can give you a 60 days tourist visa with the index code 211 this doesn’t mean applicable to all of Indonesian Embassy, each embassy has their own policy.
In regards to your plan then the proper visa for you is not a social visa but a single entry business visa this can be obtain through a sponsoring / invitation letter by a Bali residing company.
For the last question I am very sorry that I can not answer it in this forum as this forum is belongs to “Mr. Nomad4Ever” and subject for Indonesian visa(s), you may email me to my private email and I will explain about setting up a business in Bali.
cheers,
June 29th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Alright, I sent a private email to you (Channel1), thanks so much!!
July 10th, 2009 at 4:50 am
hi channel1, schoenen tag chris
maybe you can help with some good advice.
i’m from austria (europe) and entering bali on the 16th juli with a social culture visa (code 211), issued by the indonesian embassy in vienna, austria.
my wife is from java and our son is a double-citizen (austrian/indonesian). we are planing to stay in bali for about 3 weeks and then move to yogyakarta for another 2,5 months. that means i will have to extend my visa and change my flight dates (malaysia airlines).
i’m wondering if all that is possible already at the beginning of the trip while we’re still in bali. we could relax for the next 3 months and besides that it seems to be a lot easier to do the job in bali than it is in yogya, or am i wrong? changing flight-dates would be easier in bali, too. malaysian airways offices are rare in java. one is in surabaya and one in jakarta, anyway both are far away from yogya.
any ideas?
thanx
RoRo
July 14th, 2009 at 10:53 am
robert fraisl, Visa-wise you shouldn’t have a problem, as with both, the code 211 and the Sosial Budaya Visa you don’t have to worry about the first 2 months. You will simply need 1 extension to cover the 3rd month, which can be easily done either in Bali, Yogyam Surabaya or Jakarta – or wherever you are at that point. Regarding the flights issue, I’m not sure if I got your problem right. You might also want to check open-ticket flights, then you are more flexible. :-/
July 14th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Hi Robert,
Under presumption that your wife is your sponsor then the best way to do is you may request a visa extension as soon as you are in Bali let’s say after a week or so.
The immigration then will extend you visa for another 30 days without waiting for you to reach your 60th day.
After the extension is done then you know exactly what date is your visa last so you may change your flight ticket.
Good luck and have a great time in Bali – Jogjakarta.
Cheers,
Channel1
July 14th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
hi guys,
thanx a lot for your answers… it helped us a lot.
we will let you know about our experiences with the immigration.
@ chris: nomad4ever rules… very nice forum that is
i used to travel for ages as well during the 80’s and 90’s (mainly before the internet connected us all) on kind of a hippie trail (extended version…) all around asia, australia and europe, making street music and stuff… if you’re interested you’re welcome to check out my facebook site (mit detailliertem lebenslauf):
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1558281279&ref=profile
@ channel1: thank you for your precise answer. precise as precise can be
i saw your homepage… very good… i will recommend it to everybody
now our trip can start… sampai jumpa
all the best – forget the rest
robert
July 15th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Hi Robert,
Sometimes in a place where you almost can not trust your own shadow is always wise to get complete and comprehensive information from many different source.
This ‘nomad4ever’ is the most updated information and very practical because by its written by travelers base on their experience.
Thanks for your compliment buddy, wish you have a great journey..
Cheers,
Channel1
July 15th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
robert fraisl, glad that we could help out! Enjoy your trip! :D
August 5th, 2009 at 10:30 am
For all of foreigner who need personal bank account in bali now a days quiet easy you just need two visa on arrival each times 30days for the last one year.. It’s great and free you dont have to pay the fee of opening account
do you want to know further….?????
August 5th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Personal Bank Account in Bali…?
To be exact is not 2 times but 3 times under visitor visa (tourist visa) and the only bank will give you the account is PERMATA BANK.
You may contact directly to PERMATA BANK for further information and visit by their representative.
Other option is also you may contact the big & authorized money changer, they will give you personal ‘receivable’ bank account for your perusal in Bali utilizing their main bank account and get updated from time to time.
By Indonesian Law, the requirement in opening a bank account still a KITAS (Semi Permanent Residential Visa) so those above explanation is based on the policy of the named Banks, NOT Indonesian Regulation.
Cheers,
August 5th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Dewi and Channel1, thanks – that sounds like good news. Makes haveing money directly in Indonesia lots easier…….now – if only the Visa regulations would be made more relaxed also….
August 5th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
My Pleasure buddy :-)
Keep my fingers cross for the better visa regulations :-)
Cheers,
August 16th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
how many times can i get a tourist visa for 30 days, eg stay a month, leave for a day then back again ?? would appreciate some good help
August 17th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
As far as I know there are not restriction, how many times you can renew a Visa On Arrival, neil. Although for long-term stay it can be quite cumbersome to fly in and out of the country, simply to renew your Visa. You might want to check your other options, like the Social Visa (Sosial Budaya) or the Extended Tourist Visa, with both you can stay in the country up to 6 months, before you have to leave for renewal again.
September 9th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Hi,
I’m hoping some one can help me, we are currently in Bali under the 30 day visa and will be flying out to Singapore to abtain a social Visa after 30 days. I want to stay in Bali for 12 months. I was wondering what the best way to go about this would be, and the costs involved in obtaining the visa either myself or through an agent. I’d prefer an agent to save me the hassle (any agent recommendations would be great). Should i feel confident in securing a 12 month rental villa ,I’m not sure how much of a formality the process is and would hate to commit to a 12 month rental and not secure the visa. I have several options for sponsors but i would also like to know what is involved on their part to be a sponsor. Any assitance would be much appreciated and any information you have to share in relation to us living in Bali for the next 12 months based on others experience would be much appreciated. Looking forward to any help you can provide
Cheers
Cindy
September 9th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Hi Cindy,
it should be no problem to stay for 12 months in Bali, so go ahead and get your rental secured. The cheapest choice is to obtain a 60 day tourist visa in an embassy abroad and extend that for 4 times totaling 6 months. After that you have to leave the country for one day getting a new Visa and come back. Another possibility is the 12 month business visa with multiple entry but this one forces you to leave the country once every 60 days. There are ways to don’t do that and many agencies will offer them to you for a 1.500.000 Rps “fee” but bare in mind that this is illegal and you are actually bribing a corrupt immigration office with that money.
September 9th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Hi Cindy,
Jurgen reply is correct, there are not much option left for a person who like to stay continuously 12 months in Indonesia if they are not working or retired.
The simplest visa is indeed Social Culture visa or currently you may request the Indonesian Embassy in your home country to give you a 60 days tourist visa, this visa is extend-able in Bali for 4 times 30 days.
Multiple Entry Business Visa is suitable for a person who will traveling many times during the year between Bali and other country because by its natural each visit is only for 60 days and to get it you must obtain an approval letter from Immigration General in Jakarta and sponsored by Indonesia residing company.
Good luck.
September 19th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
What essentially is the difference between a sponsor “invitation” and a “sponsorship” letter? Same thing? Secondly, can ANY Indonesian national with an ID document be a sponsor? We go to Bali every year. Earlier this year we got a 60-day “211” from local Indo Embassy. They said they would waive the sponser’s letter THIS time, but I assume next year we will have to get one. Could I use my regular driver in Bali as a sponsor? He has ID etc but no proof of funds in the form of bank statements etc.
September 20th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Hi, Q for “Channel 1” if thats ok. We go to Bali every year and until this year, on a 30-day VOA. This year we went for 90 days so we got a 60-day “social visa -211” from local Indo Embassy. No sponsor letter when applying for visa, but they said we will need one next time we apply. Two terms used before on this blog regarding a sponsor’s letter are “invitation” and “sponsorship”. The SAME thing or not? Can any Indonesian resident with an ID document be a sponsor? We used Bali IDE for our 30-day extension and they said that next time I could use my regular driver as a sponsor. True? This chap is a friend and is Balinese with ID etc but not able to produce bank statements etc. He leads the simple life! Would a sponsorship letter (+ copy ID etc) suffice for initial visa application here in NZ as well as the extension (we only need one extension per trip) in Bali? Would really appreciate your comments. Thanks.
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:29 am
Hi Derek,
Greetings,
The term ‘sponsor letter’ and invitation letter, both are mean the same in applying social visa, but since the Indonesian embassy now able to issue the 60 days tourist visa then the sponsor letter or invitation letter is not really necessary as you may proceed with request to the embassy for a 60 days tourist visa and this visa code is 211 which is the right code for Social visa and or Single Entry Business Visa, those visa has 6 months validity and can be extended while in Bali.
I think what the embassy officers mean with next time you need a sponsor letter is in term of extending your visa before reaching the first 60 days since arrival, this can be solve with a request letter to extend and this letter is addressed to Immigration office in the area where you stay (Kuta or Denpasar).
This arrangement should be fine and acceptable, no bank account is needed.
Hope my information help.
Have a great day,
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I believe any Indonesian can sponsor your visa. When I got my social visa in Penang, all I needed was the invitation letter and a copy of my sponsor’s KTP.
Some people will tell you that you can extend a 60 day tourist visa, but I don’t think it is legal. You need a social visa and your visa will have your sponsor’s name written on it, to stay up to six months.
September 22nd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Thanks to Channel 1 and Mike for info. Looking forward to next year’s Indonesian trip!
September 22nd, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Hello Mike,
A 60 days visa is works fine and exactly the same with social culture visa, and the index code also same number 211 this number indicating a Social Culture Visa or Single Entry Business visa and this visa is Single Entry and valid for 6 months with monthly extension.
The different between a Social visa with invitation letter is that the name of the person who send you the sponsor or invitation letter is stated on the lower side of the visa sticker but under a 60 days tourist visa, no name will written there but in term of extend the visa there you will need an Indonesian national to provide you a extension request letter addressed to Immigration office locally and a copy of her/his ID (KTP) card. This process is absolutely Legal as has to be done through the immigration office locally.
Cheers,
October 7th, 2009 at 1:41 am
Okay here’s a question. I have friends in Bali and will be visiting them in a month. I havnt proposed to them the idea of sponsering me yet. Im worried that it may be alot of paper work and jumping through hoops for them. Maybe I should just get the 60 day extendable tourist visa. Also arriving in Bali with my visa, weather it be a social budaya or tourist visa, will I still need a return ticket apon arrival? or will a bank statement be enough? Oh and I make jewelry and will be bringing a small amount of hand tools, gems and wire to make jewelry as it’ is my hobby. I was told that through customs they may think Im selling it and ask for a deposit or even confiscate my supplies. I was told I could declare it but what if the supplies have been turned into earrings and necklaces??? on my way back they may think I had them made for me to sell back in the states?? or am I overthinking this whole thing? ahaha
best Bridget
October 7th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Hi Bridget,
The 60 days tourist visa will works exactly the same with Social visa and single entry business visa as both visa has same index code number: 211 those visa are extendable in Bali in which then you will need an Indonesian Person to act as your sponsor and write an extension request letter to immigration.
A return ticket normally will be questioned by the air craft and randomly happen in Bali but there is a possible to happen to you, so well prepared is pretty suggested.
About bringing in ‘small amount’ hand tools is wise to think the way the officer will see it, you may think is only small amount but they can determine is big amount :-) also if you carry sharp-end tools to the air carrier I do not think that you can pass the x-ray on your departure airport.
Cheers,
November 4th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
We went on a honeymoon trip to Bali, we stay in nusa dua. When we booked tour, I was taken aback by the very low price of the hotel, and I was afraid that he would disappoint me, but no, the hotel was amazing … very cozy, clean, spacious rooms .. beautiful garden with pond, and in it are teeming with “mad” fish, near which were stopped by the tourists to feed them with bread, a green area, and I would not call it a small, all matches hotel.. The people at the pool is not so much, and I will refute the rumors that have to get up at 7 am, to take a lounger on the beach, free lager can be found at any time. Guide services world without limite, we have not used, because had time to get acquainted with a woman who gave us the contacts of the local English speaking driver, he told me many interesting things, very cheerful, a wonderful man and a tour takes twice as cheaper.he give us various gifts and tell details, where to go, where good and reasonable prices. His name putra, since its well known, in case the need to leave his phone number: 081805338662 you will not regret it. In general, Bali is very beautiful and exotic place, there are very friendly people! entertainment very much, enough for all, both for youth and adults. We are pleased to be back there and I advise everyone to go there to fly … it’s unforgettable!
November 5th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
andre, am i right when i assume that your real name is putra and you’re just doing some advertising for yourself here? :D
November 30th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Howdi all
I basically need to extend my visa as I received a 30 day visa on arrival and have 34 days in Indonesia (flew to Bali, and am to fly out of Bali on the 22 dec). Changing my flight appears a next to impossible mission.
I have read through most of the posts, but at this stage I am confused!
Is there still an office I can go to, sign the forms and get it all done in a few days? or must I hire an agent, and if so can i get a recommendation?
I am in Flores at the moment and realize I will have to travel for this, so another Q: is there a service on Lombok or must I head back to Bali?
Thanks in advance for any help on this !
Ria
November 30th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Hi Ria,
There is no way to extend your Visa on Arrival, by its natural that visa is Single Entry and Non Extend-able visa.
The only way is that you must travel out of Indonesia at least 1 day and back to Indonesia get another Visa on Arrival (could be just for 7 days cost US$ 15).
By knowing that you are in Flores now it will be easier then fly to Bali is going to East Timor and get the visa on arrival on the way back to Flores.
Cheers & Good Luck.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
RiaJ, it will be next to impossible to extend your stay beyond the 30 days, as you are on a non-extendable VOA Visa-on-Arrival. You will have to pay a steep fine for your overstay, most likely something around 500.000 Rupiah per day or more. That can be done upon your departure at the airport. So much about the legal situation.
There are other options also; new VOA stickers and stamps can be acquired for money here, it seems that most travel agencies provide that service also for anything around 1-5 Mio Rupiah. Although it’s illegal and would mean supporting corruption.
I would recommend that you rebook your flight if possible or simply pay the overstay fine and plan better ahead next time. Still, enjoy your trip – Flores and Lombok sound like a good destination right now!
November 30th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Hehe, of course Channel 1 beat me again….hey buddy, are we on this weekend? I heard you met Jurgen, so maybe we can all catch up in Skygarden or some other venue?
November 30th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
@ Chris,
The overstay penalty is Rp. 200,000 per day.
Cheers,
November 30th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
@ Chris,
I would happy to, the only problem is sky garden is a bit too late for me can we start earlier like 7 / 8 o’clock night ? as I am retired ‘night bird’ lol…. or maybe Saturday noon let’s say 3 o’clock that will be n.i.c.e. time for a very cold bintang :-)
November 30th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Ah okay, my bad – but better/cheaper for Ria. Yup can do other time also…will coordinate via Jurgen…
December 1st, 2009 at 10:16 am
Thanks a million for the speedy reply guys!
My options are slim and had I the time or opportunity I would have planned better, next time next time.
Enjoy the beers!
December 28th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
I have a two month visa that I got before I arrived to indonesia. I am extending it one month at a time now. Can I fly to australia and stay there for three weeks then fly back to indonesia and continue on with my current visa or do I have to get a one month visa on arrival?
December 29th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Hi Wes,
Your current visa is a 60 days tourist visa and that visa is have the visa index code: 211. This visa is a SINGLE ENTRY visa, so during the validity of the visa if you leave Indonesia (let’s say to Australia) even for 1 days your visa will be automatically canceled.
You must apply for a new visa while you are in Australia or get a visa on arrival when you enter back to Bali.
Cheers,
January 3rd, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Hi All,
I have a question regarding the sponsor’s letter. I am coming to the end of my 60 days on my social visa. When I go to extend at the imigrasi what does the extension letter need to say? Do I just get my sponsor to write please extend this visa and sign it? Also when extending do I need to show proof of funds in my bank account etc?
Thanks for the help guys,
Nick
January 3rd, 2010 at 11:15 pm
Hi Nik,
Less or more the letter has to say the request to extend your visa and the letter has to mentioned your details and your sponsor details addressed to the head of immigration in your staying area (i.e Kuta, Denpasar or Singaraja).
The sponsor must certify his/her copy of ID card (KTP) and signed the extension request letter, there is no requirement to show a proof of funds.
Good luck.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Thanks Channel 1.
One more question, if my sponsors ID is from Java, is this ok? I read above it might have to be a Bali id? Can you confirm?
Thanks again
January 11th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Hi Nik,
In the case that sponsor holding Java ID card then must be certify with temporary Bali ID or known as KIPEM, then the extension process will be ok
Cheers,
January 22nd, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Update January 2010 regarding Extension of the Sosial Budaya:
2nd Extension costs now 265.000 Rupiah and a photo is also already taken (which was done before only at the 3rd extension). Another step in the procedure to make things more complicated.
For both extensions, 1st and 2nd, I had to come 4 times to the immigration! I tried this time the Kantor Imigrasi near the Airport, the only difference to Jalan Panjaitan in Denpasar is, that’s it’s easier/faster to reach via Jl Sunset/Bypass than fighting your way through DPS’s traffic chaos. The attitude of staff over there and the bureaucratic processes are similar.
January 25th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Hi,
Hi Chis, thanks for all the good info. I’m currently staying in Jakarta (parents are expats) on a SosBud that i have extended twice and need to extend for a 3rd time pretty soon. On a couple of websites it says i need to go to a kantor waliyah first before i do this a 3rd time, do you know anything about this? Also I’m planning on coming to Bali to do some volunteer work/travel soon and was wondering in you opinion do you think it will be less hassle to go out of the country and get a brand new visa (social, tourist?) or do you think i should just finish my 3rd and 4th extentions of the Socbud visa? (Not sure what the immigration is like in Bali but in Jakarta it’s relatively straightforward assuming you have all the documentation, although i don’t recommend trying to get a visa extension if your sponsor goes on the Haj… Trying to explain to several officials in broken Indo that he couldn’t sign his letter because they don’t have fax machines in the Arabian desert was quite a struggle).
Any thoughts would be great on the visa situation.
Regards Mike
January 27th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
why social visa…? 2 months tourist visa that can be extendable for 4 more months..no sponsorship… S$65…2 days ..1 photo..in singapore..now the VOA extandable for 30days..
January 28th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Just a small addition to Robert,
VOA remain NON extend-able and still valid for 30 days. The update is that now the 7 days visa is no longer applicable so there is only one visa on arrival which is cost US$ 25 for 30 days.
About 60 days tourist visa is correct.
Cheers,
January 29th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Channel 1, are you sure about that? The Jakarta Post from 2 days ago as well as the Website of the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore clearly state that since January 26th 2010 the VOA is extendable by another 30 days.
Please let us know!
January 30th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Jakarta, January 29, 2010. Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Ministry has imposed Regulation No. M.HH-01.GR. 01.06 Year 2010 on Visa Arrival date January 12, 2010, this regulation effectively held on January 26, 2010 (Jakarta, January 26, 2010).
Provisions stipulated in the decree of the Minister of Justice and Human Rights are among others:
1. Tariff Single enactment of EUR 25 for 30 (thirty) days stay, which was previously applicable rates of the two rates EUR 10 for 7 (seven) days and USD 25 for 30 (thirty) days.
2. That the visa on arrival permit can be extended visit to 1 (one) times longer than 30 (thirty) days, and can not be converted into a Limited Stay Permit
3. Can be given to Special Economic Zone area defined
4. Addition subject to the state of East Timor
With the implementation of this provision is expected to stakeholders such as, tourism, representatives of foreign countries residing in Indonesia can be better understood and will not experience problems when coming to Indonesia, and expected the same with this policy will increase the foreign tourists coming to Indonesia so that could increase foreign exchange.
February 4th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
hi, could anyone fill me in- does a sponsor become responsible for the tourist they agree to sponsor. what negative impact would it have on them? we are desperately in need of a sponsor to extend our 60 day soc bud in bali- cant get across the country on our bike fast enough for the 60 days. but how would i go about finding a sponsor who will agree to it? don’t want to ask too much of anyone or anything. any ideas? cheers, nicky (www.globegallivanting.blogspot.com)
February 8th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Hi Nicky,
By it’s natural, the sponsor will and has responsibility as long as the tourist still stay in Bali and this are slightly complicated for you as your intention is traveling across Indonesia, not only Bali and by factual if once your social visa is extended in Bali and using an Indonesian residing in Bali as your sponsor, in order to extend for another period then the extension must be done through immigration office in Bali.
I’ve been check your blog and I am impressed with your traveling journey on a motor bike, and as I mentioned before this will create complication is extending your visa, Social Culture visa is good for 6 months in which before the first 60 days expired you have to extend it on a monthly bases and in this point you will need an Indonesian Nationals to draw a letter addressed to the immigration head office where you are residing to extend your visa.
You may extend this visa for 4 times, please be noted that upon the 2nd extension (the 4th month) by procedure you will required to come to the immigration office for giving your fingers print and photograph.
By the procedure the 3rd and the 4th extension will take a longer time and in many cases you will not see your passport until when it’s done.
The problem with you is you may extend the 1st extension in Bali, but what happen for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th extension when you are actually not in Bali ?
Cheers,
February 18th, 2010 at 3:20 am
Guten Abend Chris, (or whoever that is willing to help..)
I already read this whole thread and i find it very useful!! thank you very much!
I am Indonesian who’s currently studying in Germany.. me and my boyfriend are planning to move to Bali and live there, of course he and I have to work for a living.. maybe it’s not that complicated for me to find a job there, but the problem is, do you know the most effective way for the expats to find a job in Bali?? I’ve heard like headhunters or stuff.. or even apply for a job yourself.. but is it a good idea? We would like to run a business but we think a settle job is easier for the beginning..
My boyfriend works in a very good company here, but what confusing me is, he has already 6 year professional experience but the companies in Indonesia are usually looking for someone who has min. bachelor degree.. he got only Ausbildung (Sie verstehen schon was ich meine oder?)
So that’s the problem. Es waere schoen, wenn Sie mir hilfen koennten.
Danke Vielmals!
February 19th, 2010 at 11:37 am
Astrid, finding a job in Bali as an employee can be as easy or difficult as anywhere else. Just bear in mind that the average salaries are much lower here than for instance in Jakarta. Many local people are flocking to Bali to for luck or fortune and there is always someone who is willing to work for less. Employee Salaries start as low as 1 Mio Rupiah per month, I’m not sure, if you would be able to survive on that. Also, Head Hunters, Agents or whatever else could help you to find a job are not very common here.
You would have to find a job mainly based on your skills and by asking around, applying in the appropriate industries (here it’s mainly furniture, clothes manufacturing and tourism, hotel, food and beverage industries obviously). You didn’t mention, what exactly you are looking for, but as a job market, Bali is honestly pretty limited.
February 19th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
You didn’t mention your BF’s profession, but it is very difficult to find a job in Bali for foreigners. The only industries are basically agriculture, handcrafts and tourism. Your best option would be to start a business, but that is also difficult as it can be very competitive.
February 25th, 2010 at 3:35 am
Chris & Mike
Thank you very much for the reply, I really appreciated that. He is mechaniker in a world’s best packaging company. He’s a professional in his field. He wants to quit soon and seach for jobs in Indonesie. I wonder if there’s such company that has so machine he ever built here..
Yeah i know it’s pretty hard and competitive as well.. I just wonder if any of your friends have gone here just for vacation, but then found a job and live permanently here.
Thanks for the answers tough :))
April 2nd, 2010 at 9:31 am
Great site ! Thanks lord that are still nice people like you Chris helping others !
I am planning a sabbatical year in 2011, moving with my wife and 6yrs old boy to Bali.
As far as I understood my best option here would be to apply for a 60days extendable tourist visa (code 211) for the three of us. Is that correct ? On the 2nd extension, does my 6yrs old son also have to go to office for finger printing process ???
Thanks in advance for your help !
April 3rd, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Andre, I’m not sure about the fingerprinting process for your 6-year-old son. Better inquire in the Indonesian Embassy, where you apply for the initial visa. Maybe it is even enough, that he registered in your or your wife’s passport, but better ask the Embassy when applying.
April 11th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Could anyone pls let me know if extension is applicable on Visa on Arrival?? Please let me know asap!!!!
April 12th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Hi Maria,
You can get a 30 day extension for the 30 day visa on arrival, giving you a total of 60 days.
Cheers
Cindy
April 12th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Hi Andre,
Just an additional to what Chris said,
Indeed your 6 y.o son also have to come to immigration for finger print procedure.
Cheers,
April 12th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Hi Channel1, can you confirm that for the extension of the VOA one has to go to the Kantor Imigrasi up to 3 times? Like Andrew Blaine mentioned here in comment #17? Is it not like simply paying the fee and getting a new sticker? :-/
Cindy, thank you for helping out Maria!
April 12th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
No, especially for Visa on Arrival extension process mostly the candidates only come 2 times to the immigration office, 1st time is to fill the extension application form and pay the necessary cost and 2nd time (normally in 3 working days) the candidates may come to collect the passport back.
But for Social Culture visa indeed the visa holder needs to have a sponsor letter, and the confusion might be happen because now visitors to Bali they can request a 60 days tourist visa from Indonesian Embassy in their home country (one of my friend from Brazil got straight 90 days !!! ) which can be extended 4 times on a monthly
basis (similar like Social Culture Visa) there is possibility you may have to come to the immigration office 3 times or more… hope my information help…
Cheers,
April 12th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Channel 1, thanks for clearing that up! I thought there was some confusion in the comment by Andrew mentioned above. But it looks, that now we have it sorted.
April 17th, 2010 at 11:50 am
IMMIGRATION BREAKING NEWS.
For every visitor to Bali – Indonesia under VISA ON ARRIVAL, start from 22 April 2010 must follow the procedure of Giving finger print and photograph at the immigration – airport and the photo will be printed at the visa.
Cheers,
Channel1
April 18th, 2010 at 2:29 am
Hi there Chris!
Thanks for being such a trooper providing all those information.
I am planning on coming to Bali for a year with my husband and my daughter (6). I was checking out schools in Bali but only found 3 international but one year fees are very expensive ($10000). Are there any other local schools (English speaking) that are cheaper?Don’t have to be in Bali-as long as it is by the seaside. Thanks.
April 19th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
marta, sorry – I’m the wrong person to help you with that. I don’t have kids and no idea which schools and school fees for international schools would be competitive in Bali or Indonesia. Nor if there are any. Maybe someone else can help? :-/
April 22nd, 2010 at 10:47 am
Channel1,
Thanks for your help. It’s awful that I have to take a 6 yrs old boy for finger printing :-(
Marta,
We have been searching for school for our son. Canggu Community school might interest you. Annual tuition at Us$6,000. Their website is http://www.ccsbali.com.
Hope it helps!
April 27th, 2010 at 8:58 am
Very useful info, thanks for that! One question about applying for the 60 day visum. It says you have to show your ticket when applying, however since I plan to stay for 3 months (so one extension) it’ll show this on the ticket. Will this be a problem when applying for a 2 month visum? Do you tell them that you will extend it locally or just not say anything about it?
cheers,
Kristof
April 27th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Hi Kristof,
Sometime your flight ticket booking will do good for visa application and I think also best if you can provide open ticket for your further flight from Indonesia.
Good Luck.
Cheers,
Channel1
April 30th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Hey Channel1,
I have a further flight from indonesia but it’s 3 months after my arrival. I presume this might be a problem when applying for the 60 day visa?
Kristof
May 7th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Hi Kristof,
No that’s will be fine because the embassy will issue a single entry visa for only 60 days and then you can extend it while you are in Bali, so this will be good for you.
Cheers,
May 9th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Regarding the fingerprinting of children, there was an article in the Bali Times recently, Andre and Marta. It mentioned, that children under the age of 14 don’t have to be fingerprinted. Hope that info helps a bit to ease your immigration worries. Check the article out here.
May 19th, 2010 at 5:19 am
Chris, thank you for the information. Very helpful. I wonder, does that also mean no need for fingerprinting on visa extension for adults ? Does that mean no need to go in person to visa extension procedure ? Does that mean that if you hire a visa agent, they can do the work for you ? Yes to these 3 questions would make our life in Bali much easier !
Cheers,
May 19th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Andre, for your questions, the answers are pretty clear. Definitely you would have to fingerprint for the 2nd extension, if just for verification purposes. You have to go to the immigration office in person to do that. Using a Visa agent wouldn’t prevent you from it, although it would reduce the paperwork for you.
However, as I understood from a recent article in the Bali Times, the whole fingerprinting process at the airport/initial immigration is under review – again. So it’s currently not clear, when and to what extend they will follow through with it again.
May 20th, 2010 at 5:22 am
Chris,
Thanks again. Let’s wait and hope for the better :-)
July 13th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Hi Chris, I have got a job in Indonesia and moving with my family to Jakarta. I wanted to take your help on some clarifications I have. Can my family and I come on VOA to Jakarta taking the 30 days and convert it to work permit which the company would be giving us? in that case whether the process of work permit would be completed in 30 days and after that should we leave out to near by countries and travel again to Jakarta? your clarity on this would be highly appreciated. tks
July 15th, 2010 at 10:10 am
Hi Barath, the correct procedure is coming to Indonesia on a VOA then get the necessary paperwork done from your employer. With this paperwork you need to leave the country again applying for a KITAS (work permit Visa) in any Indonesian Embassy, possably Singapore.
July 17th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Greetings,
I wish to come to stay in Bali for a total of 6 months. Clearly the Sosial Budaya is the one for me. My biggest issue is sponsorship. I am traveling with my daughter, who will just be 2yrs. Will she need a “sponsor” of her own, seperate from mine?
And what if I have never met anyone who currently lives in Bali? Is it illegal to be sponsored by someone who has never actually met me… or my daughter? And is it possible to find a sponsor from over seas and if so do you have any suggestions?
If all of these things are not possible… then what should I do? If I were to fly in for a 30 day visa… can I find someone while I am there… who can then sponsor me for the 6 month social visa? Will I have to leave the country first and re-enter in order to have that happen?
Would greatly appreciate the answers from someone who is truly in the know.. I have heard many different things where pple from Bali tell me just come …. to matter… you can just pay for a visa when here…. to Balinese who say…. oh… you will never be able to stay longer then 45 days!
Thank you again!
And thank you for this service in general!!
in2it4life@gmail.com
July 17th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Hi Barath,
The more efficient procedure is send you documents (every one’s copy passport, marriage certificate, Birth certificate of your kids, Curriculum Vitae, copy of your graduation certificate and photograph to your employer in Jakarta) they then can process the visa and work permit application to Immigration General and Man Power Department.
As soon as the visa and working permit is approved, the immigration will issue a letter called Telex Visa, with this letter you may come to Indonesian embassy in your home country or in Singapore on the way to Jakarta under this arrangement, then the cost of traveling to Singapore with the entire family can be avoided :-)
The processing time for approval of visa and working permit is should be less then 30 days.
For your information, VoA (visa on arrival) can not be convert into a working visa but indeed can be extended for another 30 days.
Good Luck and cheers,
Channel1
August 25th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Hello everybody!
i got a VOA in sumatra 10 days ago, and i wanna extend it for another 30 days in bali, but i dont know if the extension starts from the day my VOS finish (14th of sep) or in otehr hand starts from the day the extension is completed.
I mean, do i have to apply for my exyension only on the last week of my firt visa o can i do it before??
help, help, help please!!
thank uuuu
maria
September 5th, 2010 at 12:19 am
Hello, I’ve read through this post and all the comments and the only one similar to my situation was Chris B up in comment #38 but I’ll pose the question anyway. My wife is an Indonesian citizen and we have two sons who are now also Indonesian citizens and we want to live for an extended period of time in Indonesia (1-2+ years) to be closer to my wife’s family. As a US citizen what are my options in terms of a long term stay visa? Thanks!
September 14th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
im in bali now and have tried to get visa for longer stay they say no way got to go and come back . i really didnt want to do that but hey if i must i must… is there any other way?? :-/
September 14th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Hi Lorrayne,
For your information, a visa on arrival or also known as 30 days tourist visa can be extended for another 30 days.
You will need to come to the immigration office nearby the airport and get extension or you may contact visa agent they will be able to assist you in this matter.
Cheers,
September 15th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Hi thank you very much for info. we are about to go today…
September 23rd, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Hi, I have a social visa and my initial 60 days are almost up….time for my first extension. I’m just wondering how far in advance I need to go to the immigration office in order to smoothly take care of this (I’m not using an agent). Thanks.
September 24th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
David, 3 days before expiry are usually enough. You would probably have to go there up to 4 times anyway and will get the new stamp only after expiry of your initial 60 days, but it’s just important, that the first visit is on time. I found the immigration at the airport working a bit more efficient than the one in Renon/Jalan Panjaitan, but I would simply use the one which is closest to where you stay.
September 28th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
In addition to Chris,
In order to extend the social visa or 60 days tourist visa, a letter from an Indonesian national and the copy of ID card (KTP) is necessary, also as the letter will mentioned the address of the visa holder in Bali, then the address is indicating where the extension process has to be done, for example if the person stay in Ubud, then they must do their extension at Immigration office in Renon Denpasar, if they stay in Lovina then has to do it in immigration Singaraja and if they stay in Kuta area then they can go to immigration near by the airport :-)
About going to immigration up to 4 times along the extension process, you are very right :-)
Cheers,
December 2nd, 2010 at 11:55 am
Breaking “freaking” News…
Sad to say but to all of you who are staying in Bali under Socio Culture Visa or known also as Social Visa, you can be a target for a Fiscal Tax payer upon departure from Indonesia if you are staying more then 180 days (6 times 30 days) in Indonesia within 12 months !!
So if you are a regular visitor to Bali under 6 months visa and the at the end of your visa validity you’re travel to Singapore and get the same visa to stay another 6 months in Bali, then you are possible target for “Fiscal Tax” payer upon departure from Bali. The fiscal tax is IDR 2,500,000 per person.
Although this happen randomly but it is good to know instead of get unnecessary surprise at the airport….
Cheers,
December 2nd, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Ola Eko! Those are indeed horrible news. Do you know, if they are planning something similar for the other visas, if you stay longer than 180 days within the country? Would make sense, but what makes sense in regard of visas anyway, lol!
Is there any way around it? Like applying for a tax number like the locals? Or do you need a KITAS for that? Hope those are really only random checks to cash in some more tea money and if it’s my turn I can talk myself out of it.
January 2nd, 2011 at 6:21 am
Hello, and thanks again for all the useful information on this blog. I am still trying figure out what kind of visa I should get for a trip to Surabaya, Indonesia. I would like to stay for 5 months, so I am wondering if I could just get a visa on arrival and fly to singapore when it expires for a day or so and fly back and get another one. Is that possible?
Also, I have considered applying for a tourist visa with an index 211. Would I need a sponsor to renew it after the initial two months?
Thanks again!
January 3rd, 2011 at 12:26 pm
Hello everyone,
The good news on this early new year 2011 is that Indonesian Government finally revoke the policy of Fiscal Tax, so there will be no more nightmare with Fiscal Tax.
@ Adam,
Hi Adam, you may get visa on arrival and then have it extended for another 30 days, but at the end of the second 30 days you have to fly to eother Singapore or Kuala Lumpur and back to Indonesia to gain another 30 days visa and then (again) extended for another 30 days.
But if you visit Indonesian Embassy in your home country before depart to Indonesia, you may apply for a 60 days tourist visa which then can be extended as much as 4 times. Each extension is good for 30 days but in order to extend it you need an Indonesian national to draw a letter addressed to the immigration head office in the area where you will stay and on the second extension, you must come to the immigration office to do the procedure of giving your fingers print and photograph.
Have a great time in Surabaya.
Cheers,
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:50 pm
@ Channel1
Thanks for the information. How long would I have to be out of the country before I could get another Visa on Arrival? I have heard that it is 24 hours, but I just want to make sure.
Also, do I need a sponsor to get the tourist visa the first time or is that just on my 3rd renewal?
Thanks again!
January 4th, 2011 at 11:25 am
@ Adam,
Indeed to be able to get another visa on arrival, what you have to do is just leaving Indonesia and back again, even at the same day is fine and no problem.
About the sponsor visa, let’s say in the case you have 60 days tourist visa, then starting on the 1st extension (or at the end of the 60 days) you need a sponsor letter by Indonesian national.
Cheers,
January 30th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Hey Chanel1
Been a long time lurker and appreciate all your info here.
Question: Fingers prints and foto for the social budaya visa…understood that’s on the second round of extensions, but have an immigration service guy telling me it just got moved, and is now a requirement for the first round of extensions.
True?
Much thanks. – AB in Berawa.
PS: Can you recommend a good immigration renewal service as I don’t have much faith in the guy I am employing for this task.
April 26th, 2011 at 6:14 am
:)Hi CHRIS,If its okay, can you please give me steps on what Iv’e got to do to extend my visa in Bali, Iv’e got an Australian Passport, and I’d like to stay in indo for at least 2-3 months for a family thing. umm…if it’s okay, would you know the address? ;;)
Thanks so much..
April 26th, 2011 at 7:16 pm
AB in Berawa, the rules change all the time. The only reliable answers you will get at the immigration office or doing the extensions via an Agency. Channel 1 is such an agency, therefore he probably wouldn’t recommend any other. The only thing I can recommend is to shop around for your concrete problem, as prices vary a lot. The reliability of agencies or visa service providers differs generally not that much.
sycronize, reading is the key here, it’s all in the article above and details and specific cases clarified in the comments below, your question is unfortunately too general, I don’t know what I could add to avoid you reading it.
July 13th, 2011 at 7:28 am
Hi there!
I have a socio cultural visa that expires August 1st. I have been living in the Maluku Islands, but I believe my sponsor address is in Jakarta. I am going to Bali on July 22nd and will be flying DPS-CKG back to US on August 10th.
Am I able to extend my visa for 30 days in the Bali Immigrasi office in the airport? Do I need a sponsor letter for my extension?
Thanks so much!
Nellie
July 14th, 2011 at 10:08 pm
Hi Nellie, if your 6-months Sosial Budaya is up on August 1st, you can’t extend the Visa within the country legally. You would have to leave the country and come back and for instance get a VOA for $25. Of course there are other options, overstaying would cost you 200K Rupiah per day and possibly a jail sentence, which is rarely executed, but used to extort money from you.
Another option would be to bribe an immigration officer, which is very common here, but not recommended of course! Maybe Channel 1 can say more about it, if there are other ways?
July 14th, 2011 at 10:15 pm
Hi Nellie & Chris,
There is no other arrangement for Nellie, if she insisting to be in the position of ‘overstay’ then the penalty is very clear that is IDR 200,000 oer day, but I do believe this will be followed with a long list of questions from ‘curious’ immigration officers and I have to say that if this happen is not going to be pleasurable :-)
To Nellie, please kindly try to change your departure flight ticket to adjust with your visa expiration date that’s the best.
For more information please do feel free to contact me through my email.
Regards,
Eko – Channel1
August 13th, 2011 at 2:55 am
Hi,
Little problem here.. will obtain the social Culture Visa here in Germany for a 6 weeks stay in Indo, then I go to Australia for 6 weeks and get back to Bali.
My problem is that after OZ we arrive in Bali, stay for 4 days and fly to Maluku for 30 days and I haven`t considered that I might not be able to extend my VOA in Ambong(Sorong is probably worse). Is it possible? Otherwise, does anyone believe a german citizen can get a social Culture Visa in Australia before coming to Indo..?
Otherwise they won`t put me in jail for 4-5 days overstaying, I just have to stand the questioning and pay 200k per day??
August 13th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Hi Nic66,
Indeed you may obtain for a Social Visa in Australia, but you will need a sponsor letter for this.
In regards Visa on Arrival, you may extend it immediately as soon as you’re arrive in Bali, go to the immigration office near by the airport and have it extend it there, the process approximately will take about 2 – 3 working days which is match with you schedule to Maluku.
Please be noted that upon Ramadhan Day and Indonesia Independence day, government offices will be loaded with many day off, 17 August 2011 then again from 26th August until 4th September 2011.
Cheers,
August 13th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Hi Chris, thanks for your fast reply. I thought I cannot extend my VOA just after I obtained it, only at the end.. like after 3 weeks?
If I could: Because of the weekend I only got 1,5 working days in Bali, do you think I could speed up the process(by paying a few bucks extra) and wait at the immigration office?
Last question: As for Australia, I would need a sponsor from Bali before I get to Australia? Sounds like my best bet. Thanks a million.. :D
August 14th, 2011 at 1:23 am
Sorry.. thanks, Channel 1
August 18th, 2011 at 4:02 pm
Hi Nic66,
Yes indeed if you’re looking forward to have a 60 days tourist visa or social visa from Indonesian Embassy somewhere in Australia, then you need a sponsor letter which is signed and attached with Indonesian ID card (KTP).
Cheers,
Channel 1
August 20th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
Hi Channel 1, thanks for helping out Nic66! As usual – u r da man, buddy! :D
September 9th, 2011 at 8:59 am
Hi Chris, Thanks for the info.., we are wanting to do a visa run from Bali to KL. In regards to the social visa, is there a sample somewhere of what the sponsor letter should look like? And other than a passport, 2 photos, and a sponser letter is there anything else one needs? e.g. Do I still need a ticket out of Bali by a set date? How easy is it to apply for this social visa my self once in KL?
September 10th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Hi Ross, if I’m not wrong you can download a sample letter from the embassy websites. Via a Google Search I found that one here, but they also change the format sometimes….so better check with the respective embassy. Normally you would need a sponsor for the region where you plan to stay or the airport you fly into.
Return ticket, they usually insist on one, but it’s up2you, if you want to take the risk to fly without one, can talk your way out of it or prefer to maybe pay some bribe, in case they insist on one.
If you have all the documents together, it should take no more than 2-3 working days at the embassy to apply for one.
September 13th, 2011 at 11:03 am
Hi
i’m another follower of this forum and i have tried my best to try work out what’s going on, but i am still so clueless!! so i’m sorry but i’m going to bug you with another question
my boyfriend and i am dieing to move to bali next year.
my boyfriend is a quite well known dj in melbourne and owns a bar but is selling it soon, he is hoping to dj over at the clubs in bali, and myself i will probably work i am multi-skilled so could pick up work doing anything really if i needed to. we are hoping to stay from 6 months – 1 year.
what would be the best way to go about gettting a visa? what type of visa? and any other information you could think could be of use?
sorry for such a long-whinded paragraph
appreciate your time
thank you!
September 13th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
@Ross,
The social visa at the Indonesian Embassy in KL indeed has to be done by yourself as there are no existence visa agent can be hired such as in Singapore. As long as you submit your visa application in between 10.00 o’clock to 12.00 o’clock, there is possibility to get your visa done at the same day afternoon time.
The sponsor letter fro social visa is some kind of invitation letter draws by Indonesian nationals to inform and invite you to visit Indonesia, this letter consist of the information of the personal details of the Indonesian person who invite you and your details.
The sponsor letter must be certified with copy of Indonesian ID (KTP) of your sponsor.
@Lizzie,
Talking about living in Indonesia for 6 up to 12 months is easy but to stay here and work is another story, because if your intention is just to stay here for 6 months, then you may come to the Indonesian Embassy and apply for a 60 days tourist visa, then extended in Bali for another 4 X 30 days.
For foreigner to be able to work they must have a working permit which is issued and granted by Manpower Department in Jakarta based on the application made by the company where the foreigner will be employed and obtain the approval of the visa from Immigration General in Jakarta for the visa.
Understanding that the profession of your boyfriend is Dj, this is quiet specific job as the visa and the working permit is only allowable for 6 months long and NON extendable. The sponsorship has to be provided by a company under the business activity of Impresariat.
Hope my information assist you all well,
Cheers,
Channel 1 – Bali
September 14th, 2011 at 8:10 am
@Channel1,
thank you so much for your reply i appreciate it so much. i’m so sorry to do this to you but i still have a few questions.
when you say…
is that on a social tourist visa? or can i just extend when i am over in bali?
also, if we were to do either of the above (social tourist or extend 4×30 day like you say), and come to bali. lets say after a month or so we find a company willing to provide all relevant information for us to work for them, could we switch to a working visa while being over there? or would we have to leave the country first? i have family that lives in singapore if that helps?
when you say…
if we wanted to stay longer, could we leave indonesia and re-apply then come back? how long would we have to be away for? is that possible?
sorry for all the questions.
thanks for you time
September 14th, 2011 at 11:53 am
Hi Lizzie,
The 60 days tourist visa actually has the same visa code which is 211 with Social Cultural Visa, and both visa is extendable in Indonesia for 4 times 30 days, the different is that 60 days tourist visa only available if you apply for this visa at the Indonesian Embassy in your home country, but for example if you apply this visa from Indonesian embassy in other country then you must supply the sponsor letter to.
This visa is not convertible to other type of visa, so in case you get a job, then the new visa regarding your job (working Permit and KITAS) must be apply and you have to travel again to the surrounding country to get the new visa.
There is possibility especially for your boy friend to re-apply for the same visa for another 6 months but please be noted that every 6 moths he has to do the same procedure from the beginning.
Cheers,
Channel1
September 14th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Hi Chris and Channel1, Thanks for the info regarding my original questions. It just so happens I applied (and am in Bali now) on a 60 day Tourist Visa in Australia, but I was under the impression it was not extendable? Is it extendable? I have now already organised flights out of the Bali for my visa run and to change over to a social visa, is this not neccessary now? Can I just stay in Bali and extend my Tourist Visa? OR could I also still fly out and use my existing Tourist Visa to come back in on (or can this only be extended in Bali) – meaning if I fly out my Tourist Visa is extinguished? Sorry also for all the questions.
September 14th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Hi Ross again, sorry I should have said I got my Tourist Visa in Australia, and from my reading the Tourist Visa from Australia on the IndCon website implies it is not extendable?
September 14th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
Ross, if it has the visa code 211, it is definitely extendable. Just have a look at it.
September 15th, 2011 at 6:13 am
@channel1
thanks again for your reply, i really appreciate it.
just wondering when you say
how would i apply for the social tourist visa? whats the difference between the 60 tourist visa and the social tourist visa?
thanks again, sorry for all the questions
September 15th, 2011 at 8:53 am
Hi Chris & Channel1,
Yes my visa does say 211, it also saids maxium stay length is 60 days. It saids nothing about it being extendable. Its also saids under the “type of visa” the letter “B”.
What I really need to know now is can I use this type of visa to leave the country and to return on? It does say it is “Single” entry.
If this visa is extentable, can I extend it by leaving the country or can I only extrend it by staying in the country?
So I am a bit confused.
KR Ross (Thanks for your conciderations)
September 16th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
@Lizzie,
What I mean is if you are still in your home country and then you come to Indonesian Embassy in your country then you may apply for a 60 days tourist visa, but you can not apply for 60 days tourist visa if you are not in your own country.
So in order to do that you must provide sponsor letter which is an invitation from an Indonesian National.
@Ross,
Index code 211 is either social visa or business visa and the letter B is indication for ‘visiting’, so indeed your visa is extendable without going to surrounding country.
Please be noted for either 60 days tourist visa, Social Visa those visa are SINGLE Entry, so you have to stay until the visa is expired, if you travel out of Bali or Indonesia during the validity of your visa, then your visa will be automatically cancelled.
Cheers,
Channel1
September 16th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
Hi Channel1
I wonder if they treat Australians somewhat differently under the Tourist Visa banner in Australia. If you go to any of Australian Indonesian Consults websites NON say the 60 day Tourist Visa is extendable – and if you go to the Sydney site which I use, it specifically says (under the Tourist Visa info) it is a 60 days maximum visa and if you want to stay longer you should apply for a Social Visa. My Tourist Visa says nothing about it being extendable. I have read in other blog sites since that Indonesian Embassy’s around the world apparently can apply similar visa’s differently, to different nationalities.
What do you think?
Have you had Australians use 60 day Tourist Visa’s, and been able to extend them?
I appreciate your thoughts.
September 19th, 2011 at 3:12 pm
Just go for a 60 days tourist visa and leave the extension to me, I do have plenty of clients with the same type of visa, no worries :-)
Cheers,
Channel1
September 21st, 2011 at 2:57 pm
hi Channel1,
just a couple more questions…
do i need a sponsor letter if i am just applying for a 60 day tourist visa? with no plan on extending it?
and if i am on the 60 day tourist visa, am i able to travel in and out of bali to singapore?
thanks alot
September 28th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Hi Lizzie,
The 60 days tourist visa doesn’t required a sponsor letter but sometimes the Indonesian Embassy will ask you to show the return ticket.
This type of visa is single entry which mean that you have to stay until your visa expired, if you travel out before the visa expired then the visa will be automatically canceled.
Cheers,
September 28th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
************************ NOTIFICATION ************************
Dear all,
Please notify that there is possibility for Bali visitor who will be arrive in Bali on October 3rd forward, the immigration will begin the procedure of ‘Fingers print and photo’ at the arrival immigration check point, before they give you the visa to enter Bali.
Cheers,
September 29th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Hi Channel1,
thanks for your reply!!
what happens if i do not have a booked plane ticket back home as i might stop over in singapore before i head back to australia, but will have to see at the end of the holiday in bali if i can affford to stop in singapore before going back to australia.
do i have to have a return ticket to be allowed into bali? what should i do?
thanks
October 3rd, 2011 at 2:35 am
Hello Channel1
I am a Pakistani, wanting to travel to Indonesia to attend a conference with my family. I have an invitation letter from the conference and my paper is also in the proceedings of the conference. I have also booked my return ticket from 23rd october to 1st november. I just wanted to know that what is the simplest, easiest and cheapest way to get an indonesian visa for me and my family
October 3rd, 2011 at 9:03 pm
Hi Chris. I just wanted to tell you I love your blog and I share your views on the world and the way we are meant to experience it… And thanks for all your info. I am moving to Bali in December so have heaps of things to organise… Need a business visa but have been mostly concerned with getting a sponsor, now I will be organising this with chanel1- what a relief, I’m on my way now. I had my childhood in Bali and now at 32 I have decided to return as permanently as the visa system allows. As a child we just left every 2 months which seemed fun and ‘normal’ (while ensuring me to be a very worldly little expat!) – has now changed. Maybe because then I wasn’t booking/paying for flights & accommodation!. Anyway thanks for your blog and keep being you – especially with the frustration at others who question why or how such a life could exist!! Would love to catch up in Bali when I’m there.
October 12th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
@Khayyam Masood,
Indonesian government especially immigration department has a few restriction in regards of Indonesian visa, to several countries and most of the visa agent in Indonesia are given warn NOT to provide services to those restricted nationals, unfortunately your country is include in this restriction, so my suggestion, please kindly contact the closest Indonesian embassy in your country and they will be able to assist you with the visa matter.
I am very sorry that I can not provide you further information.
@ Heidi,
Glad to know that my information helps and indeed this one and a very good blog :-) cheers,
October 13th, 2011 at 5:38 am
Hi Channel1,
thanks for your reply!!
what happens if i do not have a booked plane ticket back home as i might stop over in singapore before i head back to australia, but will have to see at the end of the holiday in bali if i can affford to stop in singapore before going back to australia.
do i have to have a return ticket to be allowed into bali? what should i do?
thanks
October 13th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Heidi, sorry for the late reply but many thanks for your friendly words! I’m glad you could sort out the visa issues with the help of Channel1. That’s what makes a site like this all worthwhile. As for your stay in Bali, I’m sure you will enjoy it and yes, let’s bump into each other, when you are around in December!
October 16th, 2011 at 10:51 pm
Hi Lizzie,
Actually you still can get the visa by the time you apply for it, and randomly the embassy officers will ask you to show the booking return ticket, but as you mentioned that you may take a short trip to Singapore before you are headed back to Oz, so you may as well tell this to them.
Another way around is, make an initial booking (proforma) using an online booking facilities and then have it print – out (print screen) :-) this will works …
good luck,
Cheers,
October 17th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Hi Chris/Channel1,
I’m currently living/working in Singapore. I have a New Zealand and Dutch passport. I would like to travel through Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi over a four month period. Do you know if a Social Visa would be an option for me? I don’t know anyone in Indo that could sponsor me, and I won’t be in the same place for long periods at a time.
Any advice is very much appreciated!
Cheers,
Alexander
October 22nd, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Hello Alexander,
Actually Social Visa is a good option as it is valid for 6 months, but this visa also require an extension which has to be done each month before the first 60 days is over, from the arrival date.
So there will be a slight complication as you will not staying in the same are for a long time.
also once your visa extended at one immigration office for example in Bali, then the rest of the extension must be done in Bali immigration office plus upon the 1st extension of social visa, you will need to come to the immigration office to do the procedure of giving your fingers print and a photograph taken.
So my suggestion is, apply for a 60 days tourist visa at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, and the at the end of it you may travel out of Indonesia, back in again using Visa on Arrival, then extend your Visa on Arrival for another 30 days, so that will cover 4 months of your trip in Indonesia.
Good Luck and have a nice trip..
Cheers,
January 18th, 2012 at 11:24 am
Hi there
i find this article and the comments very insightful. I came into a bit of difficulty when trying to get a social visa: I sent the indonesian embassy here in new zealand my passport (valid for at least 6 months), a sponsor letter, and itinerary of both my flights in and out of indonesia. However that was not enough, I needed $US1000 minimum in my bank account for every month of stay. Has anyone else needed to have all of those requirements for a social visit visa of 60 days?
From what i’ve researched, is that for a 30 day visa on arrival all you need is your valid passport, and return ticket. However the embassy said i also need $US1000 in my account for the 30 day stay.
On a personal note. I find all this visa stuff to be complete nonsense, anyone who knows anything about economics knows that ease of travel does wonders… the sharing of ideas and experiences… its priceless.
January 19th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
If you only want 60 days stay don’t bother with the social budaya. Just get a Visa On Arrival as you can extend it once for an additional 30 days.
On immigration, no one will ask you for bank statements etc.
Have funnnn. – AB
January 19th, 2012 at 4:32 pm
PS: The Indo Visa is just the beginning of the nonsense. -AB
February 7th, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Anyone have trouble lately with immigration when showing the Social Budaya/211 Visa?
My girlfriend and I came through and both of us, separately of each other, had an immigration officer ask why there were so many Indo social visas in our passport.
And this was not a bribe/fine style question where they smile and tell you that you can simply take care of the question there etc, we’ve had enough of those to recognize.
Technically speaking, when you go Social Budaya, you’re breaking the law, as the tenants for the visa (religious ceremony, relative etc) are always false.
Thinking maybe Indo is cracking down on Social B’s, as they realize there is money to be made forcing KITAS on expat Bali residents.
Makes you anxious when you’re in line and realize, they can deny you entry right there, and all you’ve invested in here (for us, rental house, car, really nice mountain bikes etc) will never be seen again.
June 15th, 2012 at 2:54 am
What is the procedure for those wanting to extend their kitas or work visa a bit longer? My company is starting ours a month early so we can find housing, but that means we will need a month or two of extension to work. Any help? Thanks!
July 5th, 2012 at 1:02 pm
Hi Ericka, sorry for the late reply, I was traveling the last 2 weeks with limited internet access. The best thing for you would be to ask a Visa Agent to arrange the paperwork for you, if your company doesn’t do that. Actually they should set up the Kitas together with the Kantor Immigrasi for you. Why wouldn’t they do that in your case?
July 12th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
Hi Ericka,
In order to extend the KITAS and work permit, fisrt thing to do is extend your work permit which involving the payment of US$ 1,200 to the Labor Department through BNI Bank.
After the working permit is extended then the process of extending your KITAS can be started by submitting the request letter to the immigration office in Bali, inclusive doing the fingers print, photo and signing your extended KITAS and you have to inform your agent if there are any change regarding your residing address and or company address in Bali, last but not least followed by organize the Multiple exit re-entry permit as without this permit you will not allowed to travel out of Indonesia.
That’s are the general procedure to extend a KITAS with working permit.
Good Luck…
Cheers,
ChannelOne
July 25th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Notification…
To all Indonesian Visa holder, please take notice that this August is loaded with many holidays and day off, Indonesia’s Independence day and Ramadhan Day so if your visa will expired at the latest week of this month, you need to extend your visa earlier in avoiding overstay which resulting penalty.
Cheers,
September 12th, 2012 at 3:19 pm
Thnx for this very useful info. Is there anyone who knows whether your passport needs to be valid for 6 months (from date of extension) when your extending it for 30 days?
September 13th, 2012 at 1:34 am
Hi Chris,
thanks for this long thread of comments and for your website.
I’m an Italian citizen and a US legal resident. I made a similar move to yours 11 years ago and now live in Maui (Hawaii). If you got five minutes, you might have a kick reading this: http://mauisurfreport.blogspot.it/2010/03/everything-is-possible-chapter-1.html
The past couple of years I spent a couple of months in summer time in Indo (waves are better), by getting a visa on arrival and a one month extension.
This coming summer, I’d like to spend 4 months. Also, I would prefere not to book a flight out of Indo until I decide where to go next.
What’s the way you would recommend me to do it?
Can I request a 60 days tourist visa at an Indonesian embassy in the US without having booked a flight out of Indo?
Can I even get a 30 days visa on arrival without having a flight out? And if yes, can I extend it 3 times?
Thanks a lot for your time.
January 31st, 2013 at 1:13 am
hello there!
i´m planing to go to indonesia after my trip to philipines and try to get a job there …i´ve been checking the indo embassy in my country (spain) and they offer the visa for 60 days (but you have to submit a special petition) but no sign about the social visa for 6 months…is the same but without the extensions??how do i get a local invitation letter if i have no contacts in indo?what do you know about the working visa people can pay on their own to work there as freelances (i´ve heard that´s the way diving instructors find the way…)and, if i only get my visa on arrival for 30 days how many extension can i do?unlimited??
wait…one more!! if i get the visa in the embassy but first go 1 and half months to philipines and then go to indo…when the visa will start counting???the day i enter the country or the day they give you the visa??
thanks a lot!!!