Getting the right VISA might be one of the most important first steps to exploring a country. It can save you a lot of hassle. If you’ve read our last blog post about extending your Indo VISA, you’ll know what I’m talking about. I speak from experience! Last month I was forced to do a visa run to Singapore thanks to my own stupidity!
Luckily for you, you don’t need to make that same mistake now! I did some research and here is everything you need to know about visa’s when you’re about to go on holiday in Indonesia!
Follow the next steps and you’ll be a-okay!
Before you come to Indonesia, think about how long you will stay. Certain VISA’s you can get from home, and it will make your stay a whole lot easier not having to extend them half way through your trip. Others you can get on arrival if you know where to ask for them!
Table of Contents
Types of Tourist VISA’s
1. Free Tourist Visa
The 30 day on arrival VISA is a VISA granted to tourist from 169 different countries, listed on this website. It is very easy to obtain and free. On arrival in Indonesia, just go through the normal immigration. You’ll get your Visa there. Remember this VISA is not extendable in any way!
Your VISA exemption stamp with date of arrival. Next to it the blue triangle is the exit stamp for when you leave the country.
2. Visa-on-Arrival
This VISA is granted to all the countries on this list. It is a very good VISA if you are traveling and decide on a whim to go to Indonesia, but still want to stay a bit longer than 30 days. You can only extend this VISA once, for another 30 days.
The VISA on arrival which is extendable that will be put into your passport.
It is not given at the normal immigration counter, so you’ll have to ask for it yourself! In Bali there was a little office in front of immigration where you can obtain the VISA. It will cost you 35 USD. You’ll get a receipt, hold on to this you’ll need it when you extend your VISA later on!
Don’t lose this one, you will need it to extend your VISA! Nope, the VISA in your passport alone wasn’t enough for Indonesian Bureaucracy.
Remember this VISA is only valid for 30 days unless you extend it! Check out this blog post for the full rundown of how to extend this VISA.
3. 60 day Tourist Visa
You can apply for this VISA from any country other than Indonesia, the cost will depend on where you get it. It takes up to 7 working days to come through and you’ll have three months until you have to enter Indonesia. If you know beforehand you are gonna stay longer than 30 days, this is your best option because it is a lot easier and saves you a lot of hassle in comparison to the extendable VISA on arrival.
You will need:
- Cash to pay the VISA in local currency. Most embassies don’t accept card payments.
- Photo ID or passport.
- Copy of passport. In most embassies you will be able to do it there but I wouldn’t count on it.
- Copy of your ticket traveling to Indonesia.
- Copy of proof of traveling out of Indonesia. They don’t always ask for it but it’s better t0 be safe than sorry. If you don’t have a ticket yet or don’t know where you will leave to, purchase a cheap ticket, ferry or plane, to one of the bordering country’s or buy a ticket that is refundable/changeable.
- Application documents: You can get them up front from the Indonesian embassy website or get them there and fill them in.
Note: A big advantage of a 60-day tourist visa over a 30-day visa on arrival is that the 60-day tourist visa can be extended four times for 30 days each, so you can stay for a total of 180 days.
Indonesia is a lovely country, and the ways to obtain a VISA are simple. If you had any other experiences with obtaining a VISA or have any questions, let us know in the comments!
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Laura is the lead writer at BackpackBeliefs.com, where she specializes in travel guides, cultural exploration, and sustainable tourism. With over 10 years of travel experience and a Master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology, Laura brings valuable insights to her readers.
For the latest travel tips and updates, connect with Laura on Facebook at @backpackbeliefs and Instagram at @backpackbeliefs. where she has 4,622 followers.
