Visa for Long Term Stays in Bali and rest of Indonesia

Below are the two types of most common visas for non-professional longer term stays.

You should note that the date of arrival in Indonesia is counted as day one of the permitted stay and the date of departure is also counted as a full day even if the flight leaves just after midnight.

Visa on Arrival

As the name states, this is a visa you can purchase when you arrive in Indonesia at designated entry points by paying US$35. The VOA is a single entry visa good for up to 30 days and can be extended ONLY ONCE for an additional 30 days for another $35. So essentially its $70 visa for a maximum stay of 60 days. You can also apply for this visa before you travel at your respective country’s Indonesian embassy/consulate if you’re not a slacker.

Social/Cultural Visit Visa

For people who want to stay longer than 60 days, a social/cultural visit visa may be your best bet. Commonly used for those overseas coming to study, for research, training programs or to visit family members, the visa allows you to stay for 60 days, but can be extended up to four more times, for a maximum of 180 days total. Applying for this visa takes a little more effort because all good things in life must be earned and you must do it while you’re out of the country.

• You’ll need:
  • A letter of invitation/sponsorship from
    • an Indonesian citizen
    • a foreigner with a Temporary (ITAS)
    • Permanent (ITAP) Resident permit
  • A photocopy of the sponsor’s ID card (KTP or ITAS /ITAP)
  • A photocopy of the Kartu Keluarga (family card)
  • A copy of your bank statement from the last two weeks, or a letter from the bank stating that the applicant has a sufficient fund
  • Proof of return or onward ticket booked for a date no later than 6 months after your date of entry into Indonesia for the maximum stay
  • Your passport
  • Two passport photos
  • Completed application form which you can get here
  • Visa fee
• The letter of invitation/sponsorship must include:
  • The full names and addresses of the visitors
  • Visitor’s passport numbers
  • Description of the purpose of the visit
  • Principal addresses during the stay
  • A guarantee that the sponsor will cover all living expenses, transportation costs, and any other costs incurred during the visitor’s time in Indonesia

The validity of the social/cultural visit visa will be three months from the date of issue. If you want to extend this particular visa, you must apply for the extension in the same wilayah (district) as the address stated by your sponsor’s identity card. This means that if the KTP of your sponsor has been issued in Java, you must apply for all extensions in Java and not Bali.

If you do happen to overstay your visa, you will be fined Rp 200,000/day for every day, then deported once you have paid the fine. The maximum fine for overstaying a visa is Rp 25 million and 5 years in jail, so just don’t do it!