All information shared on our Investment Guides is reported in good faith and is up to date to the best of our knowledge. Visi Jabon endeavours to keep you informed with the most current laws & regulations by constantly reviewing the most reliable links and information provided. We have sourced the best up to date information for this Guideline- Visa Permits & Immigration from Indonesia- Investments website as it provides comprehensive advice. www.indonesia-investments.com For further information and or comments readers can also contact us at- info@visi-jabon.com Visa, Permits & Immigration In general foreigners need a visa to enter Indonesia. However, recently the government allowed an exemption for citizens of a number of countries. In this section we explain which person requires what visa: for example those who visit Indonesia for less than 30 days for tourism purposes, those who are to attend a business meeting, those who want to work and reside full-time in Indonesia, or those who seek to enjoy their retirement in Indonesia, and others. One thing we would like to point out here is that the government of Indonesia sometimes has the tendency to (rather rigorously) change rules or policies, and therefore it is always a good decision to consult an Indonesian embassy when you decide to visit Indonesia, or, in case you want a business consultancy (agent) to handle your immigration matters you can contact us. Particularly for work and resident permits it is easier to let an agency do the paperwork and handle (most of) the visits to the immigration office (although today many processes are done online), rather than waste your time and energy on these matters. And, in fact, sometimes the Indonesian immigration officers are not even aware of the latest changes, which can make it a stressful event. A good agency has its network within the immigration office and can contact a higher officer to solve any possible problems. Visa-Free Entry Since March 2016 the government of Indonesia allows citizens of 169 countries to enjoy the visa-free facility, implying they do not need to arrange a tourist visa prior to departure to Indonesia. Through Presidential Regulation no. 21/2016 on Exemptions of Visit Visa the Indonesian government allows citizens of 169 countries to enter - and depart from - Indonesia through 124 immigration points across the Archipelago. This visa-free entry is free of charge. Citizens of countries that are not among the 169 nations that were exempted from the obligation to obtain a visit/tourist visa prior to entry to Indonesia, will need to arrange a visa at an Indonesian embassy abroad. Through the visa-free facility the Indonesian government aims to boost the number of foreign tourists that visit Indonesia.
After you obtained the visa-free visit facility at the Indonesian immigration point, you are allowed to stay in Indonesia for a maximum of 30 days. This facility cannot be extended or changed into another type of permit. As such, you will need to leave the country within 30 days. The process to obtain the visa-free entry facility at the immigration point is easy (but can only be obtained by citizens of the 169 countries that are mentioned in the table below). All you need to do is to show your passport to the immigration officer (make sure your passport is still valid for - at least - another six months from the date of arrival in Indonesia) as well as a (return) ticket that shows you will leave the country within the next 30 days. You should now have the free entry stamp in your passport. Contrary to the 30-day tourist visa that was used in the past, the visa-free entry into Indonesia can be used for a wider scope of activities than for tourism only. Besides tourism, the visa-free visit facility can be used for family visits, social purposes, arts & culture, government duties, to give speeches and visit seminars, join international exhibitions, attend business meetings in an office, or when in transit to another country. In case you overstayed because you cannot travel (for example because you are being treated in hospital), you should have someone contact the immigration office to explain your situation (and try to collect written evidence regarding the communication with the immigration office). We would also like to emphasize that you cannot take up employment or generate any kind of income when visiting Indonesia using the visa-free visit facility. That would be an abuse of the facility and can lead to a big fine and deportation (which makes it more complex to visit the country in the future). If you want to stay longer than 30 days in Indonesia you will need to exit the country and re-enter using the visa-free facility. Not unoften, foreigners fly from Jakarta to Singapore in the morning and return to Jakarta in the evening, hence securing another 30 day-period in Indonesia. If you do this you are not breaking any laws but in case you frequently re-enter Indonesia within a short time-frame using this facility, then you can expect to get some questions at the immigration office when re-entering Indonesia because immigration officers can suspect that you are actually (secretly) working in Indonesia (which does constitute a law-breaking offense). So, only do this if your purpose in Indonesia is allowed by the facility. Visa-Free Entry Facility: Purpose Leisure, Tourism Family Social Art and Cultural Government visit Giving Lecture or attend Seminar Attend a meeting held by Head Office or Representative Office in Indonesia Continue journey to another country Be careful not to overstay the facility because there is a IDR 300,000 (approx. USD $23) per day penalty. If, for whatever reason, you overstayed then it is advised to travel to the airport as soon as possible and contact the immigration point to explain your case (the longer you wait, the worse it gets). Length of Stay - 30 (thirty) days (not extendable) Requirements - A valid passport with minimum validity of 6 (six) more months - Return ticket (or at least a ticket to a foreign country) that shows departure within 30 days from arrival
Visa on Arrival (VOA) Rather similar to the visa-free facility is the visa on arrival in Indonesia. However, the main advantage of the visa on arrival is that you can extend it by 30 days (hence you can stay in Indonesia for a total of 60 days). But there is a fee involved and the extension requires a bit more of paperwork. Like the visa-free entry facility those who obtain a visa on arrival have the purpose to visit Indonesia for tourism, family visits, social purposes, arts & culture, government duties, to give speeches and visit seminars, join international exhibitions, attend business meetings in an office, or when in transit to another country. It cannot be used to take up employment in Indonesia. This would be an abuse of the visa on arrival (which is regarded a serious offense). Likewise, be careful not to overstay this visa as you can expect a IDR 300,000 (approx. USD $23) per day penalty. If, for whatever reason, you overstayed your visa on arrival in Indonesia then we advise you to travel to the nearest immigration point as soon as possible and contact the immigration officer to explain your case (the longer you wait, the worse it gets). In case you overstayed because you are not able to travel (for example because you are being treated in hospital), you should have someone contact the immigration office to explain your situation (and try to collect written evidence regarding the communication with the immigration office). The visa on arrival in Indonesia is (initially) valid for 30 days only and you will need to visit the nearest immigration office to extend it by another 30 days. Sometimes people forget that the day of arrival and the day of departure count as one full day. So if you arrive on 1 January then you will need to leave the country on (or before) 30 January. If you depart on 31 January it would mean you have to pay a one-day fine. The visa on arrival in Indonesia is a single entry visa, implying it terminates when you leave the country. The procedures to obtain the visa on arrival are fairly simple, provided you have the three required items: (1) a passport that is valid for at least another six months, (2) a ticket that shows you are leaving Indonesia, and (3) USD $35. You must first go to the counter and pay the USD $35 for the visa on arrival (cash only) and to receive your passport entry stamp. After this you walk to another counter where you will receive the counterfoil visa (visa sticker). Lastly, you will have to go through the immigration checkpoint. Now you are free to enter Indonesia. Welcome! A small piece of advice: check whether the immigration officer indeed gave a visa on arrival stamp in your passport (and not the free visa facility stamp). The two are similar and can confuse the immigration officer. However, it can be a costly mistake: not only do you lose USD $35 (the visa-free facility is free of charge) but, perhaps much worse, you have also lost the possibility to extend your visa for an additional 30 days (the visa-free facility is not extendable). How to Extend Your Visa on Arrival in Indonesia? Those who want to extent their visa on arrival are advised to start the process at least one week before expiration. Even better: at least 10 days before the deadline because Indonesia is known for its lengthy bureaucratic hurdles and if you did not bring the required paperwork (see below) then your visit to the immigration office was in vain. Meanwhile, the earliest time allowed to extend your visa on arrival is 14 days ahead of expiration (therefore it is not possible to immediately extend it when you have just arrived in Indonesia). To extend the visa on arrival you will need to visit the nearest immigration office (in Indonesian: Kantor Imigrasi) two or three times. You need to bring (or obtain when visiting the immigration office for the first time) the following: Obtain (and fill in) two forms ("Formulir untuk perpanjangan pertama visa kunjungan" and "Formulir Perubahan Data Orang Asing") as well as a folder. These forms and folder are free of charge and should have an English version. Your passport (valid for at least another six months), including the original visa on arrival. Make sure you bring photocopies of the front/signature page and of the original visa on arrival page.
A copy of your sponsor's identity card (an agency can act as your sponsor but this will require an additional fee). Photocopy of a ticket that shows you will leave Indonesia. IDR 350,000 (approx. USD $26) to cover the costs. A small additional fee may be required for the digital fingerprints and picture they take of you. If you are a citizen of a nation that is not mentioned in the country list below then you cannot obtain the visa on arrival when arriving at the immigration post in Indonesia. Instead you will need to arrange the appropriate visa at the Indonesian embassy in your home country. If you want to stay longer than 30 days in Indonesia (or the extended 60 days) you will need to exit the country and re-enter using the appropriate visa (or visa-free entry facility). Not unoften, foreigners fly from Jakarta to Singapore in the morning and return to Jakarta in the evening, hence securing another 30 day-period in Indonesia. Requirements - A valid passport with minimum validity of 6 (six) more months - Return ticket (or at least a ticket to a foreign country) that shows departure within 30 days from arrival - Pay USD $35 (and additional costs when extending the VOA) Visit Visa You can arrange a visit visa at an Indonesian embassy if you want to stay for a longer period in Indonesia. With a visit visa you can stay in Indonesia for 60 days. However, you can extend it four times, each time by a 30-day period, hence you can remain in Indonesia continuously for a total of 180 days. Recently, Indonesia introduced the five-year multiple entry visit visa. Foreigners can arrange a visit visa (in Indonesian: Visa Kunjungan) at an Indonesian embassy in case they want to stay for a longer period in Indonesia. With a visit visa you can stay in Indonesia for 60 days. If you do this you are not breaking any laws but in case you frequently re-enter Indonesia within a short time-frame, then you can expect to get some questions at the immigration office when re-entering Indonesia because immigration officers can suspect that you are actually (secretly) working in Indonesia (which does constitute a law-breaking offense). So, only do this if your purpose in Indonesia is allowed by the visa. Visa on Arrival (VOA): Purpose Leisure, Tourism Family Social Art and Cultural Government visit Giving Lecture or attend Seminar Attend a meeting held by Head Office or Representative Office in Indonesia Continue journey to another country Length of Stay - 30 (thirty) days; can be extended once by another period of 30 days However, you can extend it four times at the local immigration office in Indonesia, each time by a 30-day period, hence you can remain in Indonesia continuously for a total of 180 days. Although it is allowed to use the visit visa for tourism purposes, it is mostly used by foreigners to visit their friends, family or partner or for social-cultural (educational) purposes such as a course, research or training (often named Sosial-Budaya visa). To obtain this visa at the Indonesian embassy outside Indonesia you will require an invitation letter from your sponsor. This sponsor can be an Indonesian individual, an expat with a temporary (ITAS) or permanent (ITAP) resident permit, or an Indonesia-based institution (for example an educational/training center).
In the invitation letter your sponsor should mention the following: Full name, address and passport number of the foreign visitor Purpose of the foreigner's visit to Indonesia Address where the foreigner will stay during the visit Estimated duration of the foreigner's visit to Indonesia Include a copy of a recent bank account statement that shows the sponsor can cover the foreigner's living expenses and transportation costs during the visitor's time in Indonesia Include a copy of the sponsor's identity card After your sponsor has provided you this letter you need to visit the Indonesian embassy of your choice for the following: Visa application form; fill in the document you obtain at the Indonesian embassy for the visit visa (visa kunjungan) Give the invitation letter from your sponsor (including the copy of your sponsor's identity card. In case your sponsor is an expat living in Indonesia, you need a copy of his/her ITAS/ITAP and passport) A copy of your (electronic) round trip ticket that shows the departure date to, and from, Indonesia Your original and undamaged passport (valid for at least six more months) One or two photographs (head shots) Pay the visa fee (for the initial 60 days the price should be around USD $45) About the copy of the round trip ticket, it is possible to have a departure date from Indonesia beyond the initial 60-day period. However, considering the visit visa has a maximum of 180 days (including the four extensions) the departure date from Indonesia cannot exceed the 180 days after the planned entry into Indonesia. The documents you gave to the officer at the Indonesian embassy will be processed in Jakarta and therefore it can take about 4 (four) days before a decision is made and the visa is granted (but of course your request can be rejected). If approved, a telex visa will be sent from Jakarta's immigration office to the Indonesian embassy abroad and you should be notified by the embassy to collect your passport, complete with visit visa. Once issued, you have to enter Indonesia within 90 days. If not, the visit visa expires. If you visit Indonesia for the purpose of meeting family, attend business meetings, or for governmental visits, then you can request a multiple entry visa, implying you can leave and re-enter Indonesia various times during the 60-day period. If you do not request this facility, then immigration will grant you a single-entry visa, implying you can only enter Indonesia once during the designated period. Per June 2016 Indonesian authorities set the validity of a multiple entry visit visa at five years (revised from the previous one-year validity). Foreigners who want to visit Indonesia to meet family, friends, to attend courses/training or to conduct research can apply for this five-year visit visa. Once you have entered Indonesia using this five-year multiple entry visit visa you can stay in Indonesia for a maximum of 60 days. But - contrary to the single entry visit visa - it is not extendable! So you will need to leave and re-enter the country to obtain another 60 days in Indonesia. We want to emphasize that you are not allowed to work in Indonesia with the visiting visa. This would be an abuse of the visa and constitutes a serious offense. Extending Your Visit Visa in Indonesia If you want to stay longer than 60 days in Indonesia under the visit visa, then you can request for an extension at the local immigration office (be aware that this request can be rejected). You can extend the visa four times, each time by a 30-day period, thus in total you can spend 180 days in Indonesia with your visit visa. Each extension is estimated to cost around IDR 250,000 (approx. USD $19). Make sure that you start the process about 10-14 days before the deadline.
In case the immigration office rejects your request, ask for a document that cites the reasoning for the rejection (in Indonesian: Surat Keterangan Penolakan). It is mandatory for the immigration office to provide this document. If you have not done anything illegally during your stay in Indonesia (for example taking up employment) and delivered all required documentation (such as departure ticket and other required documents mentioned above) when requesting the extension, there should not be any reason for immigration to reject the request. You can visit the immigration division head at the local regional office (in Indonesian: Kantor Wilayah) to file a complaint. Make sure that - when you request to extend your visit visa - you visit the immigration office nearest to your temporary Indonesian address that was mentioned in the original visit visa application. Additional Information for Former Indonesians and Family Per June 2016, ex-indonesians (those who were born Indonesian but later took citizenship of another country, usually for marriage) and their family (spouse and under-aged children) can obtain a multiple entry five-year visit visa.with this visa they can stay in Indonesia for an initial period of 60 days. However, it can be extended twice, each time for an additional 60 days, hence in total people can visit Indonesia for 180 days using this visa. We have also provided the direct link for this Guideline Reference: Visa Permits https://www.indonesia-investments.com/business/working-living/visa-permits-immigration/item296 Visa Free Entry Visa on Arrival Visit Visa