201 Comments

1. Mary on February 11, 2017 at 08:40

   I want to travel to Bali and Kathmandu, Nepal this coming fall. It is cheaper for me to buy a round trip ticket to Bali, spend a week there, go to Nepal for a week, fly back to Bali, and then fly home. I am wondering if I would be able to do that? Does the Bali visa allow for reentry? I will only be traveling for a total of 15 days and I am American if that helps.

   Thank you!

   Reply
   • Ketut on February 22, 2017 at 17:09

     The visa on arrival is a single entry visa. As you are a US citizen you will get a free visa on arrival so it doesn’t really matter for you. Have a wonderful trip!

     Reply
2. Susan on February 10, 2017 at 11:10

   Hi, I paid for visa on arrival and have been to immigration and applied for 30 day visa extension. I have been given a return date in 5 days. Do I have to physically stay at the hotel address I have given them or can I move and come back in 5 days?

   Another option can I pay the hotel up to my return date, but go elsewhere? So The address I’ve given them is actually my accommodation as well. I am still within my original visa 30 day period until after my return date in 5 days.

   Reply
   • Ketut on February 22, 2017 at 17:07

     This is likely to late but nobody will check whether you are actually in the hotel so yes, it is possible to leave the hotel and move elsewhere.

     Reply
3. brad on February 9, 2017 at 21:55

   I booked to go to bali, but Im going travel on an “emergency” passport from US. It is and looks like a real passport, but only has one year validity and maybe 8 pages…Do you think i have a chance of getting in the country if the airline lets me on the plane?

   Thanks.

   Reply
   • Ketut on February 22, 2017 at 17:06

     Normally an emergency travel passport can only be used to return home and it is more likely that the airline will refuse you to board the plane as they will be responsible to get you back out of Indonesia should you be refused entry. I am however not 100% sure and hope that you will come back here to share your experience so we can learn as well. Good luck!

     Reply
4. Engg on January 4, 2017 at 15:38

   Hi ,

   I Booked a ticket to BALI from Delhi via Kuala Lumpur through Malaysia Airlines, while booking ticket online site asked for VISA type in which i selected Tourist visa. Even though i don’t any tourist visa as per my understanding BALI visa is on ARRIVAl so now i am worried as i mentioned Tourist VISA while booking flight which i don’t have as it will not create any issue at Airport to me while travelling from DELHI to BALI.

   Regards

   Reply
   • Ketut on January 6, 2017 at 15:35

     You will be fine.

     Reply
5. Shantanu on October 18, 2016 at 16:15

   I am Indian and travelling from New Delhi to Jakarta and then to East Kalimantan via Kuala Lumpur by Air Asia. I want to know the following:
   1. Do I need to transit visa at Kuala Lumpur? I have got same airlines leaving from Kuala Lumpur that is Air Asia
   2. While entering Indonesia, at Jakarta Airport, do I need to pay for Visa on Arrival or is it free Visa? Do i need to pay USD 35?
   3. When I leave from Indonesia, do I need to pay the exit fee at Jakarta or East Kalimantan Airport?
   4. How much time it takes for Visa processing? I have heard that it takes longer time for visa on arrival at Jakarta airport because only two counters.

   pl reply

   Reply
   • Ketut on November 1, 2016 at 15:01

     1. I am not familiar with visa regulations in Malaysia.
     2. If you are from India you can choose the 30 day free visa (not extendable) or the USD 35 visa on arrival (extendable by another 30 days).
     3. The airport taxes are included in the tickets since February 2015.
     4. I am not familiar with the visa queues in Jakarta. In Bali it goes pretty smoothly.

     Reply
   • anshul setia on November 16, 2016 at 00:13

     i m indian planing to visit indonesia. i want enter indonesia from bali and return to new delhi from surabhaya.what type of visa i need to apply.

     Reply
     • Ketut on November 16, 2016 at 13:40

       If you come as a tourist then you can get a free 30 day visa on arrival (no need to apply in advance).

       Reply
6. M. Ali on October 11, 2016 at 20:00

   I am a Pakistani National, working in Saudi Arabia, I am planning to visit Bali Island, do I need a prior visa to land in Indonesia?

   Reply
   • Ketut on October 14, 2016 at 17:25

     Yes you need to apply for a visa before travelling if you are from Pakistan.

     Reply
7. Frank on September 6, 2016 at 23:45

   I am planning to travel to Indonesia and spend a total of 20 days in Indonesia with the family all US Citizens, is there an entry tax and exit tax we will have to pay that is not included in the air ticket price? For the looks of it and if I understand properly there is no need for us to get a visa on arrival, the free entry permit should apply since we are not spending 30 days in the country, is that an accurate statement? Thank you in advance.

   Reply
   • Ketut on September 9, 2016 at 14:30

     There is no entry or exit tax providing you enter the country on the free 30 day visa.

     Reply
8. Laura on September 2, 2016 at 17:22

   Hey first of all thank you for all this valuable content.
   My question is now:
   Is there something like a minimum time between entires into the country? I voluntarily paid for the VOA as I planned to stay longer than 30 days but now the extension process is colliding with my travel plans and I am considering to flying into Kuala Lumpur and then back to Medan, Sumatra instead as its only 15€ more expensive and saves multiple days. Now my issue: my departure date in Indonesia from the VOA would be the same as the entry date of my visa free stay (I’m German so that shouldn’t be an issue)
   Is that possible or do I have to spent a day or two outside of the country?
   Thanks for the support!

   Reply
   • Ketut on September 6, 2016 at 13:54

     Hello Laura, there is no law that says how much time is required between visas or visits. You can leave Indonesia in the morning and return to Indonesia the same afternoon. Many visitors do this.

     Reply
9. Kirk on August 23, 2016 at 05:39

   For the free 30 day visa, is it possible to book your departure flight after you arrive. I would like to stay in Bali but not sure for how long depending on the weather and so forth.
   So can I book my flight while there when I want to leave before 30 days is over??

   Reply
   • Joel BERNANOS on August 28, 2016 at 14:13

     Hi Ketut

     I live in new caledonia (french island in the south pacific),and i would like to know if i need to pay a visa at the arrival airport.

     Thanks for the answer

     Reply
     • Ketut on August 31, 2016 at 14:28

       It depends on which passport you have and what your nationality is.

       Reply
   • Kirk on September 1, 2016 at 10:45

     If I had a return ticket flying from Bangkok to home would that be ok?? Then buy my air ticket from Bali to Bangkok later while I am there?

     Reply
10. khalil on August 19, 2016 at 16:12

    Hi dear

    I am an international student , have got an admission from UM university and got a student visa to stay 60 days then to extend from the university
    but i need to leave the country for a week and come back
    when I come back can I apply for a new visa or remain on the same visa I have already got as it still valid
    thank you

    Reply
    • Ketut on August 22, 2016 at 17:00

      I am not sure if I understand your question. A student visa needs to be applied for in advance of travelling. If your visa on only valid for 60 days and then you leave the country, when you come back what visa do you plan to be on? A regular tourist visa or again a new student visa?

      Reply
      • khalil on August 22, 2016 at 23:52

        Thank you for your kind reply.
        My question is that I am going to do a phd degree in Indonesia
        I applied for a research visa and got it (60 days stay) and now I have arrived to Indonesia
        because I need to bring something from my country so I have to leave Indonesia for a week and then come back to Indonesia to pursue my study.
        should I remain on the current visa I have now or when I leave my current visa expires and must apply for a new one as the current one is still valid
        thank you

        Reply
11. Jesse Larson on July 4, 2016 at 11:10

    Hi Ketut!
    I am just curious if I can ask your opinion! I’m from the US and visited Bali for the first time this past December, and stayed for about three weeks! While there, I met some people that I became really close with (and fell completely in love with Bali), so in May I went back for 7 weeks (I just got home a few weeks ago), and did a visa run to Singapore half way through that time. Each time I just used the free, 30 day visa! Now, I’m really hoping to go back this fall for another month or two, but I’m really concerned about the fact that I will have already entered the country three times on that free visa in the past year! Do you think i’ll have any issue with that? What would happen if they think I’ve used it too many times? Would they just not let me into the country?

    I’m also thinking about doing the thing where I chose to pay the 35 dollar entrance fee and then extend my visa 30 days so I can stay 60 days total the next time I go, but I want to make sure that thats a solid way to do it! Do you know if people ever have issues with that?

    Thank you so much, I know this is a long comment!

    Reply
    • Ketut on July 7, 2016 at 15:48

      Hello Jesse, there is no law that says that there is a limit on how often you can visit and I don’t think you will have issues if you do not abuse your visa. If you are worried that the multiple stamps will give you an issue (and I don’t think it will) you can always get yourself a new blank passport. Yes you can choose to pay a USD 35 visa on arrival and then extend it by another 30 days while in Indonesia.

      Reply
12. Deb on May 13, 2016 at 23:32

    Thanks for having this forum 🙂
    my husband and I are traveling from USA to Japan for 10 days then to Yogyakarta and area for 4 nightes (then Bali). We are told that we need a visa and were given this link
    https://indonesia.visahq.com/?js_widget_requirements_link
    for $129 each….
    can we instead pay $35 on arrival in Yogyakarta? we surely don’t want to risk not being admitted into the country 🙁
    thanks

    Reply
    • Ketut on May 16, 2016 at 20:55

      Hello Deb, the website you link to needs updating as you can now also enter/exit Indonesia on a free 30 day visa through Yogyakarta as well as Bali. If you are a US Citizen then there are no special advance arrangements you need to as long as you have a passport with at least 6 months validity from date of arrival, a totally empty page and a departure flight from Indonesia within 30 days from arrival.

      Reply
      • Chai Sook Sian on May 17, 2016 at 08:04

        Hello Ketut, I don’t know why my previous comment didn’t appear, but I promised to leave you feedback on my entry through Yogyakarta on April 15 2016. I can now confirm that the immigration officer gave me a visa exempted stay for 30 days (on a French passport) without my saying anything, even though Yogyakarta wasn’t on the official list of visa exempt airports of entry. That was quite a relief and a pleasant start to my holidays!

        Reply
        • Ketut on May 17, 2016 at 13:17

          Thank you very much for taking the time to get back to us. Glad to hear that everything worked out well for you as expected.

          Reply
    • James on June 22, 2016 at 12:18

      I did not get a customs declaration or a voa stamp when i arrived on 18 jun. Should i be concerned when i leave?

      Reply
13. sks on May 4, 2016 at 23:21

    On arrival via cost is 35$ can I pay this with my credit card .
    As I hard they accepts only cash ?

    Reply
    • Ketut on May 11, 2016 at 16:41

      In Bali credit card payments are accepted

      Reply
14. Kishore on April 12, 2016 at 19:30

    I am Indian Citizen and travelling 1st May to Bali.
    Do I need to pay any departure tax in Bali while I leave? Visa fees is although excepted for Indians.
    Any other tax I need to pay in Bali?
    What currency I should carry? I anyways have USD?

    Reply
    • Ketut on April 20, 2016 at 22:26

      The departure tax is included in your ticket since February 2015 so you do not need to prepare cash for this. It is best to carry Indonesian Rupiah for payments in Bali. You can also pay some shops with US Dollars but they will give you a bad exchange rate.

      Reply
15. Chai Sook Sian on March 24, 2016 at 21:43

    Hi, as a French passport holder I was able to enter Indonesia in February 2016 (through Medan airport) without a visa. The entry chop stated “Visa exemption”; departure was from Padang 29 days later.

    I’m going back for a second visit on April 15, again for 29 days, but I’m afraid I may have made a mistake by booking a return flight Kuala Lumpur-Yogyakarta, Lombok-Kuala Lumpur, because I just realised that Yogyakarta is NOT on the list of entry airports for a free visa on arrival (VOA). Can I still enter through Yogyakarta, even if I have to voluntarily pay the VOA of US$35? The situation isn’t very clear: on the one hand, we are told that citizens of only 1 country (Libya) can obtain a (paid?) VOA; on the other hand it’s said that those wishing to extend their visa for another 30 days can choose to pay that VOA of $35. In my case, can I pay for the VOA even if I don’t have the intention of extending my stay, or MUST I really apply for a visa before entering Indonesia?

    Reply
    • Ketut on March 25, 2016 at 12:21

      Hello, normally you can just enter Yogyakarta and voluntarily pay the USD 35 visa on arrival. However, I suspect that now all international airports in Indonesia accept free visa entries and I think there is a chance that when you arrive in Yogyakarta you can also get the free 30 day visa. At the moment this is not very clear and I hope that after 15 April you kindly return here and let us know if you had to pay USD 35 or if they let you in for free.

      Reply
      • Chai Sook Sin on March 25, 2016 at 13:38

        Hi, thanks for your reply….it’d be great if things work out like you described! I’ll keep you informed, whatever happens.

        Since I’m in Penang, Malaysia, at the moment, I called up the Indonesian consulate here for clarification but no one answered my numerous calls! I’m afraid of being refused entry at Yogyakarta (can that happen?), so, instead of taking that risk, I’m willing to pay for the VOA (if I’m sure that’s accepted) or even apply in person for a visa at the consulate here (apparently applications online are available only in Indonesian!)

        I do feel that Indonesia isn’t encouraging tourism by having such unclear, complicated regulations, which are often not even understood by the immigration officials themselves at entry/exit points!

        Reply
      • teddy on April 14, 2016 at 12:03

        hi ketut,
        me and my family just arrived in DPS yesterday, currently we are holding free VOA 30 days, but then in realised that we are going to stay in Indonesia more than 30 days, is there anyway to extend the visa?(it says non extendable on yhe stamp:((

        Reply
        • Ketut on April 20, 2016 at 22:20

          Hi Teddy, unfortunately the free visa cannot be extended. The only way to stay longer would be to leave Indonesia briefly. This is what we call a visa run and can be a morning flight to Singapore and return the same day to Bali in the afternoon.

          Reply
      • Chai Sook Sian on April 20, 2016 at 23:22

        Hi Ketut, what you suspected turned out to be right! I entered Indonesia on April 15 through Yogyakarta airport, which isn’t one of the entry points for visa exempted countries like France, and was ready to pay for a VOA. But the immigration person didn’t ask a single question; he simply stamped “visa exempted” on my passport and I went through just like that, happy and relieved!

        Reply
16. Kelly on February 16, 2016 at 13:34

    Hello,

    I will be in Bali for 9hrs as part of a cruise in March 2016 . I received a minor criminal charge in 1995 ( 20+ yrs ago) my question is
    Will I get into Bali with the VOA ?

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Reply
    • Ketut on February 16, 2016 at 15:49

      Hi Kelly, sorry, I don’t know the answer to your question. I don’t think it will be an issue but if you want to be sure you can always check with your nearest Indonesian Embassy.

      Reply
    • Eamon on February 28, 2016 at 03:33

      My daughter is planning to go to Bali start of June. She and friend will be working at a restaurant/cinema to get experience of Events Management for Uni course (Uni sanctioned trip). They will not be paid but will get meals at the restaurant. They are planning on staying 6 months. Have visited the Embassy website but still confused as to what sort of visa to apply for and where. Any help appreciated!

      Reply
      • Ketut on March 2, 2016 at 14:06

        Hello Eamon, that will likely be considered as work even if it is not paid. Your daughter will be taking away the opportunity for an Indonesian citizen to do the job. I would visit the Indonesian Embassy or ask the school or restaurant to take care of the proper paperwork to be legal.

        Reply
17. colin on February 16, 2016 at 00:06

    Hi . I plan on visiting Bali for 50 days.
    Can i just get a free 30 day visa stamp , leave the country for a few days after say 25 days then return to bali and have a renewed 30 day stamp?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Ketut on February 16, 2016 at 15:48

      Hi Colin, that is correct. You can leave Indonesia in the morning and return to Indonesia in the afternoon. We call that a “visa run” and this can be done in one day. If you only do this once or twice then you will have no issues. If you do continues visa runs over several months a year then the immigration officers will get suspicious (illegal work) and may refuse you entry.

      Reply
18. Robert on January 30, 2016 at 22:23

    Hi good day
    I want to ask im holding philippine passport me and my wife together with my 5 friends are going to batam for 2D1N tour by agent my wife and her 5 friends are working in singapore
    My question is i leave manila going to singapore sin-batam-sin
    Do i need visa for only 2 days? Because my friend told me that you need to stay in indonesia for minimum of 5days
    Please reply thanks

    Reply
    • Ketut on January 31, 2016 at 15:00

      Hi Robert, if you have a Filipino passport then you get a free 30 day visa on arrival. There are no limits on how long you have to stay minimum as long as you don’t exceed 30 days. There is no law that says you need to stay minimum 5 days. If you only stay one or two days then that will not be a problem at all.

      Reply
    • Robert on January 31, 2016 at 15:04

      Thank you for the information

      Reply
19. Zeeshan Mian Muhammad on January 26, 2016 at 16:49

    Assalam O Alaikom Rookaya

    I m a Pakistan National and living in Kuala Lumpur from the last 9 years. I saw the news of visa on arrival for Pakistan Nationals. Please let me know that will i get the VOA on Kualanamu Airport in the middle of 2016 for hari raya?? My wife and son are Indonesian Nationals from Medan.

    Reply
20. Rookaya on January 19, 2016 at 22:12

    Hi

    Thanks for the very useful info!

    Just to be extra certain, is the VOA a multiple entry or single entry visa?
    I am South African and do not need to pay for the visa. I will be flying into Bali and staying for 1 night, and then flying to KL the next day for 4 nights, and then return to Bali for another 4 nights before returning to South Africa. My international flights are into and out of Bali airport. Can i do this on 1 visa?

    Any advice would be appreciated.

    Regards,
    Rookaya

    Reply
    • Ketut on January 21, 2016 at 13:54

      Hello Rookaya, the VOA is for a single entry so you will get a visa for your first night and then a new visa when you return after KL.

      Reply
21. UNNIKRISHNAN on January 18, 2016 at 13:59

    Hi Ketut
    Thanks for the all the very useful information in your blog. It helped me a lot in my last
    visit to Jakarta and Bali. Now I have some questions…

    Is there any limit that number of times one can get visa free entry to Indonesia
    Is there any time gap between each entry
    I am planning my next visit by 24th Of this month
    Awaiting your valuable reply

    Thanks once again
    Regards
    UNNI

    Reply
    • Ketut on January 18, 2016 at 17:08

      Hello Unni, I am happy to hear that the information we share was useful to you on your previous visit.

      As for your question, there are no limits on how often you enter the country on the free visa. You can leave Indonesia in the morning and return Indonesia the same day on a new free visa. However, if you do this VERY often (4, 5, 6 times per year … ) then the immigration officers may notice all the free visa stamps in your passport, get suspicious and ask you questions.

      Reply
22. John on January 6, 2016 at 10:12

    Hi Ketut. Thanks. I passed through immigration at DPS on 20 December 2015 and the VOA was $36 AUD.

    Reply
23. Nicholas on December 30, 2015 at 12:33

    Hi Ketut. Thaks for a very informative blog. Are there any roules that you have to leave Indonesia from the same airport you arrived in? I’m in Indonesia on a free 30 days VOA, entering the country via DPS and leaving via CGK. Thanks in advance for your reply.
    Nicholas

    Reply
    • Ketut on December 30, 2015 at 12:59

      Hello Nicholas, thank you very much for visiting our blog and glad to hear you find the information helpful. If you are on a free visa then you can arrive in Indonesia through the Bali airport and depart from Indonesia through Jakarta airport as these two airports can process free visas. Have a great trip Nicholas!

      Reply
      • QML on August 18, 2019 at 09:06

        I’m a Canadian citizen and purchased the VOA upon my arrival into Bali early August. I want to avoid the rigamarole of extending my Visa.

        Is it possible to leave before the first 30 days are up, and re-enter in a few days (on a visa exemption, ie: less than 30 days) to avoid paying overstaying fees?

        Reply
24. Jasmine on December 28, 2015 at 07:37

    Hi Ketut, nama saya jasmine orang indonesia dan partner saya orang inggris. Dia akan datang ke Bali untuk pertama kalinya masuk ke Indonesia maret 2016 rencana nya dia mau ke bali dulu untuk 5 hari dan kita punya rencana traveling ke thailand, vietnam untuk 3 minggu brangkat dari bali. Setelah selesai traveling dia bisa balik lagi ke bali gak dan tinggal selama 30 hari pakai free visa? Dan kalo trnyata dia mau stay untuk lebih lama selain bayar voa bisa gak dia keluar dari indo trus masuk ke indo lagi pake 30 hari free visa? Terima kasih 🙂

    Reply
    • Ketut on December 29, 2015 at 15:10

      Hi Jasmine, saya akan jawab dengan bahasa indonesia biar orang lain bisa mengerti juga 😉
      Your husband can enter on the free visa if he has a British Passport. He can stay for maximum 30 days. This free visa is not extendable. If your husband wants to stay longer than 30 days then when he arrives in Indonesia he can ask to pay the USD 35 visa on arrival. This visa on arrival can be extended once by another 30 days. After 60 days on a visa on arrival your husband will have to leave Indonesia.

      Alternatively your husband can also do a “visa run”. He can enter the country on a free visa. After 30 days he can leave and return to Indonesia the same day (e.g. Singapore or KL or elsewhere). Your husband can also apply for a 6 month business or social visa before travelling to Indonesia.

      Good luck Jasmine!

      Reply
25. Collemine on November 24, 2015 at 17:20

    Hello
    I have a visa of 60 days.I want to stay 4 months .Can I make an extension of 30 days in an lmmigiration office in Indonesia ?
    Thanks
    Bernard

    Reply
    • Ketut on November 25, 2015 at 12:07

      Hi Bernard, if you have applied for the 60 day visit visa at an Indonesian Embassy before travelling then you can extend this visa in Indonesia 4 times by 30 days giving you a maximum stay of 6 months (60+30+30+30+30).

      Have a look here to find contact details of the three immigration offices in Bali.

      Reply
26. sushi on November 19, 2015 at 15:34

    Very informative/detailed article and drafted very well as well with all necessary information.

    Reply
27. Glenda on November 14, 2015 at 19:26

    Hi my husband & I will be stopping off in Bali for 1 day only in February as part of a cruise. Does the 30 day free visa apply to us even though we will be at the port? Can I download it from the Internet ? We will be travelling from Singapore. The cruise company want to charge us 65 dollars each if they obtain a visa for us.
    Thank you in advance for your help.

    Reply
    • Ketut on November 15, 2015 at 14:03

      Hello Glenda, there are 9 harbours in Indonesia that can process free visa arrivals. Unfortunately, there are no harbours in Bali on that list. Therefore, you will need to pay for the regular 30 day visa on arrival. The charge for this 30 day visa on arrival is USD 35 per person. Note that this is a “visa on arrival” and not a pre-arranged visa before travelling. It may be that your cruise line will arrange a visa on your behalf before travelling to Bali.

      [Edit May 2016; there are now 88 harbours where you can arrive and depart Indonesia on a free 88 visa including a couple of popular harbours in Bali]

      Reply
28. Sinead on November 10, 2015 at 22:29

    Hi. We want to fly to sulawezi from singapore. We will have a layover in jakarta for 2 hrs 30min. We were wondering if it possible to get the free visa on arrival in this time as I read it is not possible in sulawezi. We have a dutch passport. Thank you for your help

    Reply
    • Ketut on November 10, 2015 at 22:41

      Hello Sinead,

      You will process immigration formalities at the first airport you land. Therefore, you will get the 30 day free visa upon your arrival in Jakarta, not Sulawesi. Your flight from Jakarta to Sulawesi will be a domestic flight (not an international flight).

      Reply
29. Miha on November 3, 2015 at 17:00

    Hello Mr Ketut!

    Congratulations for the useful blog. We are sport group from Slovenia ( cca 25 persons) aged 14 to 50 years which will stay in Jakarta for 10 days. Slovenia is on the list of free OVA so the visa for slovenia citizents is free and whole group can proceed directly to immigration line. Is this correct? Should the group leader tell at the imigration line that we are group so the immigration procedure will be smoother. Thank you in advance for your reply

    Reply
    • Ketut on November 3, 2015 at 17:17

      Dear Miha, thank you for visiting our blog and very glad to hear you find it useful. When you arrive in Jakarta you can go ahead and skip the visa on arrival payment counter as you are entering on a free 30 day visa (not extendable). You will still need to process immigration formalities one-by-one and maybe you will be faster if you split over several queues rather than all 25 wait in the same queue. The queues in Bali are pretty fast nowadays and I expect the Jakarta airport immigration queues to be smooth as well. Have a wonderful trip!

      Reply
30. bryce Mcm on October 23, 2015 at 12:38

    Does anybody know if there is a limit on how many VOA you can have in one year. Because this web site says it 2 starting Jan 2016 visaforbali.com/blog/new-2016-strict-immigration-rules-indonesia

    Reply
    • Ketut on October 23, 2015 at 12:55

      Hello Bryce,

      Thank you for visiting our blog and your question about the limits on yearly visa on arrivals. Just for the record, in the Indonesian Immigration Law there are no limits imposed on how often you can visit Indonesia on a visa on arrival.

      I have seen a copy of the immigration paperwork that is the source of the article you link to. There is some truth in it however it is not a new law but an internal memo (or a regulation as the website you link to says).

      In that memo it is mentioned that immigration officers need to pay extra attention to visitors who come on a third visa on arrival as it may be a sign that the visitor is abusing the visa on arrival to work illegally in Bali. Illegal foreign workers is a problem in Bali and the immigration department will make a extra effort to deal with this problem.

      If you are a Bali lover and just happen to visit Bali a lot then I don’t believe you will have issues. Normal visitors will have a hotel reservation for example that they can show. Illegal workers for example will not have a hotel reservation.

      You can read the English version of this memo on the Top Bali Blog.

      Reply
31. UNNI on October 20, 2015 at 16:30

    Hello

    I am from India. I am visiting Jakarta and Bali in the 2nd week of November. I am little confused about visa information because different websites have different Information.
    Earlier Indians needed a VOA for 30 days stays.. Does this rule have changed now? as per this blog.. now India comes under Visa free entry category country.
    So that means I don’t have to stand in the VOI counter. Rather I can straightaway proceed to Immigration counter. Is it correct?
    Awaiting your clarification
    Thanks and regards

    Reply
    • Ketut on October 21, 2015 at 19:20

      Hello, Indian visitors can already get the 30 day free visa.

      Reply
32. Lisa on October 15, 2015 at 15:31

    Hi Ketut,

    Once again a very clear description of all the airport processes.

    Are the official taxi fares still the same as in your article and how late do the taxis operate? My plane lands at 21:55. Will the taxi counter still be operating and plenty of taxis?

    Also, how long does it usually take to get through immigration and customs at that time?

    Thank you so much.

    Lisa

    Reply
    • Ketut on October 15, 2015 at 16:10

      Hi Lisa,

      Thank you for visiting our blog. The “official” taxi fares are still the same as published in another blog post. If you arrive in Bali at 21:55h then the airport taxi counter will still be open. I recommend you check the price for your destination in advance so when they try to overcharge, you will be aware and ready to negotiate back to the actual price.

      The time to get through immigration nowadays is not that long. Probably 5-15 minutes or sometimes even less if you are first of the plane. It also depends a little if you need to queue at the Visa On Arrival counter or if you can skip this counter and head straight to the immigration counter. The longest wait will likely be at the luggage conveyor belt.

      Have a good trip Lisa and please come back to let us know how the immigration queues were and how you did with the taxi.

      Ketut

      Reply
33. Sandra on September 26, 2015 at 15:44

    Hi Ketut!
    Me and my friend will be traveling in Asia for 4 months, starting with 2 months in Indonesia. Do you know the rules around how much Swedish snus ( tobacco under the lip, you know?! ) I can bring into the country for personal use? What is the fine if I exceed the limit? I’m Swedish and need my snus! 🙂
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Ketut on September 26, 2015 at 18:41

      Hello Sandra! The limit for tobacco is 100 grams per passenger. Will 100 gram of snus last you for 4 months? If you take more than 100 grams then you can declare this and you will be asked to pay an import tax at the airport. If you “forget” to declare this then the chance that they will see your snus is small.

      Reply
    • Toto Arianto on October 24, 2015 at 04:38

      hello all .. introduce my name is TOTO Arianto. My official caretaker Dirtjen Jakarta Immigration Office. I can help you to get a Visa Indonesia as a Visit Visa, Visa Live Limited and others. I am sure you will get the approval visa you want. Because I have a friend who works in the office of the Immigration Dirtjen Jakarta. If you want to use my services please contact me to my number 085695720018. Payment is done after your Visa APPROVED. Thank you

      Reply
34. bah on September 26, 2015 at 01:05

    i am iranian student in india
    i want com indonesia

    then for me visa need befor i come?
    i got ticket please tel me i study in banglore for 1 year

    Reply
    • Ketut on September 26, 2015 at 13:15

      Hello Bah, if you travel with an Iranian passport you will need to visit the nearest Indonesian Embassy and apply for a visa before travelling.

      Reply
      • bah on September 26, 2015 at 13:26

        i am in india now , then i have visa india , for indian doesnot need

        Reply
        • Ketut on September 26, 2015 at 18:44

          Hello Bah, it doesn’t matter from which country you are travelling. What matters is your nationality and passport. Do you have a Iran passport or an India passport?

          If you have an Iranian passport then you need to get an Indonesian Visa before travelling. If you have a India passport then (at the moment of writing) you can get a 30 day visa on arrival that costs USD 35 per passenger.

          Reply
35. Michelle on September 18, 2015 at 02:59

    Hi…I am a little confused about the new free VISA for 30 days, as I am from Denmark. It is the first time for me traveling to Indonesia, and for the free VISA, should I go directly to the imegration line or should I still go to the VOA line, or where do I go to get the free 30 day VISA, when I am in the airport?

    Thank you ^^

    Reply
    • Ketut on September 18, 2015 at 12:42

      Hi Michelle, there are two counters. The first counter is where you pay the Visa On Arrival fee. As you are from Denmark you can skip this counter and walk straight to the immigration line.

      Reply
      • Michelle on September 18, 2015 at 19:57

        Thank you so much ^^ that was the part I was confused about, so when I get out of the plain I just walk directly to immegration?…It was because I was confused because they are called a free Visa on arrival, so I was confused if you get it on the VOA counter or the Immegration counter.

        Reply
36. MIKE on August 26, 2015 at 06:41

    Thank you guys. This is exactly what I needed to know! We are retired and will be in Bali for a few months and also travel about asia during or after visa approved periods. Thanks also to the forum for all the very useful info.

    Reply
37. MIKE on August 24, 2015 at 23:44

    Thanks for this info. Just so I understand – after my initial 60 day (30 plus 30) VOA I could simply leave the country and return to Bali and get a new 60 day (30 plus 30) VOA at the airport?

    Reply
    • Damon on August 25, 2015 at 08:20

      Hi Mike. Basically that’s what I always done. Before the advent of the free visa, the $35 (U.S.) voa was the only option. I’ve personally, several times flown to Singapore or KL on an early departure and arrived back in Denpasar by 3 or 4 in the afternoon.
      Please be aware that if you chose to extend your initial 30 voa ($35), by yourself, there are two immigration offices. Depending where you are staying determines which office to use!
      I stayed in Denpasar City and made the mistake of visiting the Kuta/Tuban office. Filled the forms, took my seat, waited a while only to be told I needed to go to Denpasar central!
      If your not up to the experience, pay an agent (could be $60-$80). In person it’s four daily visits and Rp355,000 (around $30).

      Reply
    • Ketut on August 25, 2015 at 12:19

      Hello Mike,

      That is correct, you can stay here for 60 days (30+30), then leave the country for a few hours and come back for another 60 days (30+30). There is nowhere in the immigration law where it says that you need to leave the country for a certain amount of time.

      Nevertheless, the immigration officer does have the right to refuse entry if s/he believes you are coming for other reasons than intended (VOA / tourism).

      If the immigration officer suspects that you are abusing the VOA and you are using the VOA to live and/or work in Bali then s/he might refuse entry.

      Having said that, I think you’d need to seriously abuse the VOA before they refuse entry as many visitors will do a 60+60 stay on a VOA. If you only do this once or twice they will probably not make a fuss.

      If you are planning on staying here longer than two VOA terms (60+60) then perhaps have a look at getting a 6 month social or business visa?

      Reply
38. MIKE on August 23, 2015 at 23:18

    Thank you. This is all very helpful advice. Can somebody clarify for me VOA extension. beyond the first 60 days. Can you simply leave the country and get another VOA at the airport on return without processing outside the country? I understand the process of extensions in Singapore etc but if one returned to Australia for say one month what to do? Is there a minimum time you must be outside the country before being able to return on a VOA?

    Reply
    • Ketut on August 24, 2015 at 16:07

      Hello Mike, there is no minimum required time you need to leave the country. You can leave Indonesia in the morning and return the same afternoon / evening.

      Reply
39. Kirk on August 23, 2015 at 22:22

    Thanks for the reply. I wasn’t sure as many websites claim that you cannot extend a free 30 day visa.
    But it defiantly makes sense , thanks for clearing this up!

    Reply
    • Ketut on August 23, 2015 at 22:35

      It is true that you cannot extend the 30 day free entry visa and if you “accidentally” overstay you will be charged a Rp 300,000 penalty per day you overstay. Another option – slightly higher in cost but not by that much – would be to leave the country for a few hours or even a night. E.g. fly from Bali to Singapore in the morning and return in the afternoon (or spend a night). Other that Singapore you could also do Kuala Lumpur in one day.

      Reply
40. Kirk on August 22, 2015 at 23:17

    Hi, I am a Canadian that is now entitled to a free 30 day visa, my question is what happens if I overstay by 2 days?

    Would there be a penalty of penalty of Rp 300,000 per day like Visa on Arrival?

    Just wondering as there is a cheaper and faster flight that I could take but is unfortunately 32 days long and I was wondering if it was worth the risk of staying longer??

    I am aware that I could probably go with the voa way and then pay for a extension but would not like to take that option.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Ketut on August 23, 2015 at 14:21

      Hi Kirk, the Rp 300,000 per day overstay penalty goes for any visa, not only the visa on arrival. I will edit the post so there is no confusion, thank you for checking Kirk and have a great holiday.

      Reply
41. Suzanne on August 22, 2015 at 21:51

    Hello

    My partner and I planning to visit Bali for a week or so in January however 3 years ago my partner received a minor criminal record. Do you know if this would cause any problems on arrival in Bali? Don’t want to book the flights flights unless we know all will be ok
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Ketut on August 22, 2015 at 22:07

      Hi Suzanne, I am sorry, I don’t know the answer to your question. I think you can find the answer at your nearest Indonesian Embassy.

      If I had to make a guess then I think the immigration officer in Bali processing your tourist visa will not notice this as I would be surprised if the Indonesian immigration department has an online system that keeps track of all criminal records from every single country. Unless your partner has an international search warrant and is wanted by Interpol or the FBI but I guess not 🙂

      Reply
42. OM NEIL on July 4, 2015 at 15:24

    WHY NOT BALIKPAPAN?WHY?THIS IS THE BEST SITE FOR CLARITY,MUCH BETTER THAN EITHER EMBASSY,BUT WHY NOT BALIKPAPAN?WHY?JUST MY LUCK!

    Reply
43. Luca on June 15, 2015 at 14:05

    As from 13.6.2015 nationals of the mentioned 33 countries won’t need a VOA anymore! I got this information from a German Blog on Indonesia. But if you decide to enter Indonesia with this new, free visa for 30 days, you won’t be able to extend it. If you need to extend, then you will have to get the “old” VOA (as described above) and pay 35 USD. Hope this info is usefull! Regards, Luca

    Reply
    • Ketut on June 15, 2015 at 17:32

      Thank you Luca and good luck to you!

      Reply
    • Damon on August 14, 2015 at 20:27

      Hi Luca, please comfirm to me that a 30 day visa free eligible passport holder (UK) has now got the option between a 30 day free visa and the previous (extendable) $35 voa.
      If so, personally, I would much prefer to extend than fly to Singapore or KL every 30 days.

      Reply
      • Ketut on August 14, 2015 at 20:46

        Hi Damon, I am not sure if Luca has noticed your question and I would like to answer your question on Luca’s behalf.

        As a UK citizen you are entitled to a non-extendable 30 day free visa. If you plan to stay longer than 30 days then you can buy the USD 35 visa on arrival. This then allows you a 30 day extension or a total 60 day stay.

        You can only extend a visa on arrival once. The visa extension process takes about 5 working days and three visits. During this time your passport will need to stay at the immigration office while the extension is on process.

        Some people actually prefer to do the visa run to Singapore which is faster (only one day lost instead of three days) and not that much more expensive considering you need to visit the immigration office three times (taxi $$$).

        If you plan to stay for longer than 60 days then perhaps have a look at getting a social visa which is good for 6 months. Have a good trip!

        Reply
        • Damon on August 14, 2015 at 21:14

          Terima kasih brother Ketut for your interest and swift reply.
          That has answered a nagging queary i’ve been unable to find elsewhere on the net and i’m still waiting on an answer from the Indonesian embassy !
          Once again thanks.

          Reply
          • Ketut on August 14, 2015 at 21:21

            Sama sama Damon. Thank you for visiting our blog and please come back and let us know how it went.

44. Samantha on June 7, 2015 at 15:23

    Hello,
    Just wondering about the sponsor portion of the paperwork for extending a VOA. This would be my first time in Bali and I don’t know anyone there who I could ask to be my sponsor. Do you have any suggestions on how to get around this? Do you just need a persons name and address? Thank you!

    Reply
45. Holly on April 17, 2015 at 09:47

    Hello, please can you advise how long a visa extension will take? Thank you

    Reply
    • Ketut on April 17, 2015 at 10:11

      Hi Holly, the VOA extension in Bali can take up-to 6 working days and will require three visits.

      On the first visit you bring your passport and complete paperwork. On the second visit they will take your picture, fingerprints and payment. On the third visit you go to collect your passport with the visa extension done.

      Remember that you can also apply for a 60 day tourist visa before travelling to Indonesia at your nearest Indonesian Embassy. This will save you valuable holiday time otherwise spent on Indonesian bureaucrazy 😉

      Reply
46. Del on April 10, 2015 at 12:25

    This was extremely helpful. Even though having travelled 3 times now to Bali, this saved me any confusion and was well set out and easy to understand. Thankyou 🙂

    Reply
    • Ketut on April 12, 2015 at 16:07

      Hi Del, thanks for visiting and glad to hear you found the information helpful!

      Reply
47. Tereza Lopes on February 18, 2015 at 18:31

    Amazing post and excellent description. Beautifully described each and every column about the process of making visa. I just loved the post.

    Reply
48. Vishal on November 15, 2014 at 00:28

    Excellent article. A very good compilation with minute details and pictures. Would be useful for new entrants.

    Reply
    • Ketut on November 17, 2014 at 13:02

      Thank you Vishal.

      Reply
49. Monica A Suparyanto on November 11, 2014 at 08:15

    It is never to late for improvement re VOA. Bravo!

    Reply
50. Ian Laing on November 6, 2014 at 05:35

    This free arrival without visa on arrival should have been done years ago. This will increase arrivals by tourists just for the time saved at the airport

    Reply
    • Don on November 29, 2015 at 17:36

      Not if you are an Australian. I will spend that money on a ticket to Phuket in future

      Reply

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