Visa to Indonesia: Types of Visas and How to Apply

When you travel to Indonesia one part of your essential travel planning will be how to get an Indonesia visa. Fortunately the good news is that this is much easier than it used to be in recent years as the process has been streamlined and you can now get a visa on arrival for most passports.

One thing to note upfront however is that visa rules can and do change regularly and quickly in Indonesia so it pays to read up on the latest travel news before you arrive in the country in case there have been any last minute changes.

Types of visas for Indonesia – Tourist visas

At the moment there are two kinds of tourist visas available in Indonesia which are both visas on arrival.

The first of these is the free stamp which you can get when you arrive in Indonesia and is available for 169 different nationalities. This visa is valid for 30 days from the day of entry but you will not be able to extend it and will need to leave Indonesia and come back in if you want to spend more time exploring the country.

The other tourist visa is also available on arrival but you will need to pay a fee of USD 35 for this visa. The difference is however that this visa can be extended in Indonesia for an extra 30 days which means that you get two months in the country and will not have to leave and come back in again. As such, this is a good option if you plan to spend several months in the country. For this visa you will need to pay upfront in US dollars so make sure that you have the exact amount with you when you arrive, even though you can in theory pay with other currencies. If you want to extend your visa when you are in Indonesia then you will need to go to the local immigration office to extend it a week before it is due to expire, or you can pay a visa agent to do this for you which is more expensive but can save you a lot of time.

Do you need to apply for an Indonesian tourist visa in advance?

One thing to note is that you can also apply for an Indonesian tourist visa at a consulate or embassy before you visit although as the visa is available on arrival there is not much need for you to do this.

How to get an Indonesian visa on arrival

To qualify for a visa on arrival you need to make sure you have a return ticket out of Indonesia although you will often not be asked to show this. Still, airlines may ask for proof of a return ticket, or you may be asked for this when you arrive in Indonesia and if you do not have one then you may not be allowed to fly or you may be refused entry until you purchase one. You also need to have a passport which is valid for six months from the date that you plan to leave Indonesia and this is strictly enforced as part of the visa policy. Unlike many other visas in other countries there is no need to bring a photograph as part of the Indonesian visa requirements.

What if you overstay your visa?

If you overstay on your visa for Indonesia then you need to be aware that this is a serious offense in Indonesia. The current overstay fee for Indonesia is IDR 300,000 per day, so if you overstay by a week then this can get very expensive very quickly and can also land you in trouble with customs and immigration authorities. If you overstay on your visa and are not able to pay the overstay fine then you will be taken to immigration detention until you are able to pay off the fine and also pay for a ticket to leave Indonesia, so it is really not a good idea to bend the rules when it comes to visas in Indonesia.

Social Visa – how to apply and the documents required

If you want to stay in Indonesia longer than one or two months then you can also apply for a social visa. This is valid for six months in the country although you will need to have a local Indonesian national to sponsor you. This can however be arranged through a visa agent who will act as your sponsor although you will need to pay a visa agent fee for this.

As with the tourist visas to Indonesia, you will need to have a return ticket out of Indonesia to show that you are indeed planning to leave and you will also need to have a passport which has six months validity on it from the date that you are due to leave. You will also need to fill in several visa forms to complete this kind of visa but a visa agent should be able to help you with this, or you can ask at a local immigration office.

How to get a visa for Indonesia:

Make sure you have a passport which is valid for six months from the date of departure.
Make sure you have a return ticket.

A thing to note is that Israeli passport holders can travel to Indonesia but they need to apply for a visa in advance. There have however been some reports of visas to Indonesia being denied if the date of travel is too close to the visa application date, so if you are applying for a visa in advance of traveling to Indonesia then make sure to leave as much time as possible to avoid disappointment.

Another thing to note is that if you are traveling through Jakarta you may need to transit which requires you to change terminals. In this case you will sometimes have to enter Indonesia and get a visa on arrival and then technically leave again which is frustrating as a transit passenger. This also however depends on your flight connection and the terminal you will fly into and out of so you need to make sure that you have the money for a visa if needed as there is little way to check if you will need a visa in advance.
Indonesia visa resources:

Where to look for information concerning a visa to Indonesia?

As Indonesia visa rules change so quickly and so often it is best to check the latest information on visas before you travel to Indonesia. A good place to start is Bali.com which has the latest visa advice for all nationals who want to visit Indonesia:
https://www.bali.com/visa-indonesia-entry-requirements-bali.html

British citizens can get the latest information about getting an Indonesian visa at the Gov.uk website:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/indonesia/entry-requirements

American nationals can get the latest information for visas to Indonesia US Department website:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Indonesia.html

For a list of the different visa requirements for different passport holders visiting Indonesia you can check out:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Indonesia