Summary of the Ins and
Outs of Indonesian National Visa Policy.
Effective February 1, 2004, Indonesia
introduced wide ranging changes in the
national visa-free and visa on arrival
system.
Visa Free on Arrival
In the past the nationals of 48 nations
were given a 60-day stay (visa free) upon
arrival at an Indonesian international
gateway.
Under the new rules effective
February 1, 2004:
- Only 11 countries and territories
will be eligible for a "Visa Free"
facility, they are: Thailand, Malaysia,
Singapore, Brunei Darussalam,
Philippines, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR,
Chile, Morocco, Peru and Vietnam.
- Nationals of the aforementioned
countries and territories will be issued
with a 30-day stay permit without charge
upon presentation of a valid passport
with 6 months remaining validity.
- The Visa Free Facility is not
extendable or convertible into another
type of visa.
Visa on Arrival
Beginning February 1, 2004, the nationals
of 21 countries will be able to obtain a
"Visa on Arrival" processed at the gate of
entry following the payment of an official
fee.
As of 28th May
2007 the Indonesian Government had
granted visa on arrival favor to 63
countries to be able to purchase the
visa on arrival facility upon their
arrival in Indonesia's designed Gateway
at 15 airports and 21 seaports.
They are:
The citizens of the aforementioned
countries must hold a passport with at least
6 months remaining validity at the time of
arrival, present a completed
embarkation/disembarkation card provided by
the airlines, be able to demonstrate they
have sufficient means to live during their
stay in Indonesia, not be listed on any
official blacklist of individuals prohibited
from entering the country, and pay the
stipulated fee to obtain a visa.
- The Visa on Arrival fee for
citizens of eligible countries is US$ 25
for a 30-day visa.
- The Visa on Arrival is
non-extendable and cannot be converted
into another class of visa.
- Immigration authorities promise the
visa purchasing system will take no more
than 3-5 minutes per applicant. 6
payment counters, a bank and a money
changer have been set up to process
payments.
- Once payment is completed the
tourist will proceed to an immigration
counter for final inspection of
documents and visa issuance. This will
take significantly longer than 3-5
minutes!
Visa on Arrival at Limited
Gateways
Initially, the visa on arrival facility
will only be available at the following
international gateways:
- Airports: Medan, Pekanbaru,
Padang, Jakarta, Surabaya, Bali and
Manado.
- Seaports: Batam, Tanjung
Uban (Bintan), Belawan (Medan), Sibolga
(Sumatra), Dumai, Teluk Bayar (Padang,
Sumatra), Padang Bai (Bali), and
Jayapura (Papua).
Applying for Visas Before Arrival
Citizens of countries not included on a
visa-free or visa-on-arrival lists must
apply for a visa overseas before arriving in
Indonesia. Citizens of any country wishing
to stay more than 30 days must also apply
for an appropriate visa at their nearest
Indonesian Embassy or Consulate before
traveling to Indonesia.
Special Facilities
A certain number of special facilities
are being introduced in connection with the
new visa policy, including:
- Tour Agents are able to arrange
express handling for groups at no
additional charge by presenting the
completed immigration cards, passports
and applicable visa fee.
- Passengers who overstay their visa
period for a short period of time can be
processed immediately at the airport by
paying US$ 20 for every day they
"overstayed" their 30 day visa.
- Airlines that experience technical
difficulties or delayed flights can
apply for their passengers to be
exempted from paying any "overstay"
penalties.
Types of Indonesian Visas
At present their are six types of visas
granted to foreigners in Indonesia:
- Visitor's Visas
- Temporary Resident Visas
- Permanent Residence Visas
- Special dispensations for Ships'
crews
- Free Visas on Arrival
- Visas issued on arrival for a fee.
Visitor Visas
Within the category of Visitor Visa there
are 4 classes of visitor visas:
- Sosial Budaya Visas - literally a
Social-Cultural visa usually issued to
visit families and dependents, for
individuals to visit a social
organization with which they have an
affiliation, and to those involved in
cultural exchanges of training programs.
- Business Visas typically issued to
business people on short term work
assignments, negotiations, or training
assignments.
- Tourist Visas available to
nationals of countries not eligible for
a free visa on arrival or a visa issued
on arrival for a fee and issued to visit
tourism sites or assist in the
facilitation of foreign tourists
visiting Indonesian.
- Visitor Visas for those on
Government Service issued to the
employees of foreign governments and
international organizations on
assignment in Indonesia or private
foreign contractors employed by the
Indonesian government.
Stay Permits
- Limited Stay Permits are given to
individuals holding limited validity
entry permits including children and
dependent of foreigners on temporary
resident visas and the Indonesian-born
children of an Indonesian mother.
- Permanent Stay/Residency Permits
are given to the Indonesian-born
children of foreigners holding permanent
residency in Indonesia and foreigners
who successfully apply for permanent
residency in Indonesian.
Overstaying your Visa Period
Means usually that you have to pay,
around US$ 20 a day. If there are legitimate
reasons for your overstay, like illness or
transportation problems there might be
exemption. If possible report your overstay
at the immigration office.
Special Note
The above information is only meant as a
general guide to visas available to
foreigners in Indonesia. Complete details on
immigration requirements can be obtained
from the Consular Section of your nearest
Indonesian Embassy.
