Bali & Indonesia Visa

Are you currently planning your trip to Indonesia? Most tourists primarily go to Bali, Lombok, or Java. Don't forget the beautiful small islands like Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan, or of course, the Gili Islands.

There are 4 options to obtain a visa for Indonesia:

Option 1 applies to most tourists. Most travel to Indonesia for between 2 and 4 weeks for their vacation. It's quite simple.

Upon arrival at the airport in Jakarta or Denpasar (Bali), you'll receive a stamp in your passport, granting you a visa for 30 days. This tourist visa is currently free for Germans (as of December 2016) but not extendable.

Always ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months and has at least two blank pages.

If you intend to stay longer in Indonesia, check which of the other options applies to you.

The tourist visa for 30 days that can be extended must be collected at a different counter upon arrival at the airport. This visa currently costs 35 USD (payable in US dollars, Rupiah, or by credit card).

It is best to have the money counted in US dollars. This makes the process faster. You will receive a receipt (double copy), which you will give to the officer. In return, you will receive a sticker in your passport. Be sure not to lose the receipt, as you will need it when you wish to extend your visa.

You can either extend your visa yourself or let an agent handle part of the tasks for you. The advantage of using an agent is that you only have to be present in Denpasar once instead of three times. This primarily saves you time!

Since November 2016, new conditions apply. The renewal can no longer be fully managed by a visa agent.

1. Fill out forms and pay

You can fill out the form at a visa office and submit your passport. Then, pay the agent the fees (which vary; ours was 650,000 Rupiah).

You will hear back from him after about 5 working days via WhatsApp, SMS, or email. Surprisingly, we received the message that we needed to be in Denpasar the next day at 9:30 AM.

Address: Jl. Taman Jimbaran No.1, Mumbul, Kuta Selatan, District Nusa Dua

The appointment came two days (and one weekend in between) before the agent's suspected meeting. This was inconvenient, as I had just booked my ferry and accommodations on Gili Air. Fortunately, everything was uncomplicated (because it was off-season), and I could shift everything back by a day.

Unfortunately, no one can take care of the drive from Ubud (about 1 - 1.5 hours one way) and the wait time at immigration (1.5 hours for 3 minutes). Therefore, I advise you to apply directly for the 60-day visa if you plan to stay longer in Indonesia.

The third step is again handled by your agent. About two days after you went for the photo at immigration, you can pick up your passport again at your visa agent's office.

Info: Sometimes, during the renewal process or upon entry, a return ticket is requested. In our case, no one cared about this.

At the airport in Denpasar, there were info flyers to inform you about where you can extend your visa. I didn't find these in Jakarta.

This visa can officially be extended 4 times for 30 days each since July 2016. The great thing about this visa is that you can have it extended anywhere and don't have to travel from Ubud to Denpasar like I currently do.

You can obtain the 60-day visa at the Embassy in Berlin or outside Indonesia, for example, in Singapore. The embassy in Kuala Lumpur seems to refuse to issue these visas.

If that's too stressful for you, I recommend Visabox*. This visa service takes care of everything for you, and you don't have to deal with any stress. It saves you not only a lot of time (see point 2 on extending a 30-day visa for another 30 days) but also money (if you drive to Denpasar with a driver).

The Social Visa is primarily intended for students. This is a visa that is valid for 60 days and can be extended 4 times for 30 days, just like the 60-day visa. You must apply for this visa at the Indonesian embassy.

This visa allows for a stay of about 6 months (60 days + 4 times 30 days) in Indonesia without having to leave the country. In order to obtain the visa, a sponsor (university, employer, or friend) is necessary. For Bali specifically, the sponsor must hold a Balinese passport and must not come from Lombok. You can find more information on this at Indojunkie.

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