Visa Waiver

Indonesia allows visa free entry to the citizens of 15 countries. The nationals of these countries who are going on holiday, attending conventions or engaging in similar such activities are allowed to stay in Indonesia of up to 30 days without a visa. The visa is not for employment and is not extendable.

The citizens of the following countries are eligible: Brunei, Cambodia, Chile, Ecuador, Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region), Laos, Macau SAR (Special Administrative Region), Malaysia, Morocco, Myanmar, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. These visas cannot be extended or converted to another type of visa.

Visa on Arrival

All visitors entering Indonesia by way of visa-on-arrival must have a return to point of origin, or onward destination ticket on their person when passing through immigration into the country (E-tickets are acceptable), or be able to present sufficient evidence of the means to obtain one to an Immigration official. This is often checked, and visitors who are unable to fulfil this requirement may be denied entry.

Visas on arrival can be issued to nationals of Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Argentina, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and USA for a maximum of 30 days, generally extendable once only for another 30 days at a local immigration office inside Indonesia.

Obtaining a visa from an Indonesian embassy or consulate before travelling is also possible and will allow you to go through the immigration channel for visa holders rather than the sometimes congested VOA and Visa Waiver channels at the immigration check-points. Pre-issued visas for tourism, social and business visits are normally issued for a period of up to 60 days visit duration.

Visa on arrival fees: A visa on arrival is issued for a stay of up to 30 days, the cost is US$35, but can be paid in all major currencies. In general, the VOA is extendable once for an additional 30 days. This can be done in an immigration office inside Indonesia for an officially published fee of IDR250,000, it is recommended to do this ten days prior the visa expiration date. No other currency is accepted at the immigration office. the fee is IDR250,000 paid in cash.

How to get visa on arrival :

  • Before arriving, fill in the arrival/departure card provided to you. This card will be your visa application form.
  • When you arrive, go to the bank counter and pay the required amount for your visa. You will be issued a bar-coded receipt.
  • Take the receipt to the Visa on Arrival counter where your arrival/departure card, passport and receipt will be recorded by the officer. A visa sticker will be issued and stuck in your passport.
    Proceed to the immigration counter for your passport to be stamped.
  • As always, there may be variations to this layout, especially at the smaller points of entry. Bank and visa counters may be placed together. Anyhow, your visa must be applied for before you reach the immigration counter.
  • Upon arriving, the arrival card will be detached from the departure card by the immigration officer, and you will have to keep the latter until you depart from the country to avoid any troubles later on. Make sure that the departure card is stamped with the correct number of days of your stay.

Visa before Arrival

Nationals of countries not listed above are required to apply for visas through the nearest Indonesian Embassy or consulate. Single-entry visas are valid for 60 days and fairly routine if pricey at US$50-100 depending on the individual country and prevailing exchange rates. Multiple entry visas are also available but, as the issuance policy varies in different embassies and is occasionally changed, it is best to inquire at your nation’s embassy well in advance of departure. Normally, Indonesian embassies and consulates stipulate 3-4 clear working days for processing; however, applications may take at least one week to be processed.

The citizens of 15 countries need to obtain an approval from the immigration services head office, the Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi in Jakarta. The 17 countries are: Afghanistan, Israel, Albania, North Korea, Angola, Nigeria, Pakistan, Cameroon, Somalia, Cuba, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana, Tonga, Iraq.

Those affected must have a sponsor in Indonesia, either personal or company. The sponsor must go in person to the Immigration Head Office in South Jakarta (Jakarta Selatan) and must produce a photocopy of applicant’s passport, a supporting letter and the applicant’s photograph. When it is approved, the Immigration Head Office will send a copy of approval letter to the applicant.

More information: Indonesia Immigration Services