Bali Expat Forum - Bali Travel Forum

Coming from the US. I won't have a return or onward ticket which I've heard can be a problem. but I'm having some troubles with my passport coming late, and my friend is using an agency to sponsor me, and they need my passport number before they proceed. If I can't get the sponsor letter by the time I leave the region where I live that has an Indonesian consulate, would I be better off just going for the 211?

is it any harder to get the 211 than the sosbud? Is my lack of an onward ticket going to really affect anything. Also I won't be able to show much money in the bank at that time. I am getting the payout of an investment when i turn 21, but that happens a few days after I need to apply for the visa. just in case any of you know specifics of USA to bali, I will be applying for visa in Los Angeles, unless you could point me to an indonesian consulate in the New England Area.

Cali - Although I have always had a return ticket booked, at the time of applying for my visa it has never been issued so I have not provided proof of an outward ticket. Nor have I ever been asked to show my outbound ticket when travelling. However I am not sure if that is because when you check in for your flight to Bali - the airline obvioulsy sees I you have a return booked also.

CalitoBali, Mimpimanis makes a good point, the airline won't let you board if they think you need an onward ticket. They can get into a lot of trouble from the destination country if they board people without the requirements.

I advised you in your earlier post on this topic to ask your specific questions at the Indonesian consulate or embassy, and I really recommend you do that rather than rely on opinions on a forum. As I've said before, visas in Indonesia are not entirely black & white and it can be difficult to get to the exact rules, as they do seem to differ from country to country. For example, people travelling from Europe have sworn that an onward ticket is a requirement for their visa, while I have not had to have one when travelling on a social visa. BUT my circumstances are different from theirs, my sponsor is my husband and maybe it makes a difference - WHO KNOWS because the Indonesians will never tell you.

The 211 visa IS the social visa, but it can be issued under a different purpose. What you are referring to as the 211 is an extended tourist stay. The difference between a 211 social visa and a 211 tourist visa is that you don't need a sponsor letter to apply for the 60 day tourist stay, as the purpose is for an extended tourist stay only, and it is for 60 days. You can then convert your 211 tourist visa into an extended 180 day visa in country by way of a sponsor, so in effect it become a social visa.

However, as far as I know you WILL need an onward booking out of Indonesia for any type of tourist stay, including the 211. That is not a fact - only what I've gathered from others. You need to talk to the issuing consulate or embassy to find out what you really need to do.

Where were you coming from mimpimanis?

thanks for your post freogirl, i have been trying to contact the consulate and no one ever answers and all mailboxes are full

Well you can do it by mail, and here's all the rules and what you need to get a visa issued in the USA for Indonesia
http://www.embassyofindonesia.org/consu ... itvisa.htm

Ain't google wonderful?

I was coming from UK.

If my SosBud were to hypothetically, get rejected for not having a return ticket, would I still be able to get my VOA, or would I be blacklisted, because I was rejected?

Re: Onward ticket: When I first came to Bali I had an onward ticket from a different airline than the one I traveled on and I don't think they ever asked me if I had one. However, I have read about Thailand that it depends on the policy of the airline. Then when I entered Bali, no one asked me for my onward return ticket at immigration. Honestly I was really annoyed because if no one ever asked me for one, then why did I buy one in the first place? (I planned to exit Indon to Malaysia via ferry- I never fly unless necessary)

Then when I applied for my social visa in Kuching, Malaysia, they also did not ask me if I have an onward ticket. In fact, I never needed the onward ticket and I finally went to Malaysia Air and got a refund (although I could not get a full refund).

If you think you need an onward ticket for visa app, but you don't really intend to use it, you can buy a one way refundable ticket, from Medan to Penang, and then you will be able to get most of it refunded- but its a hassle. Or you could just buy a cheap ticket from Asia Air et al, and just consider it the cost of business.

Re 211 social visa vs. 211 tourist visa, I have read several people claim that the tourist 211 visa can be extended up to 6 months just like the social visa, but nothing is consistent with these visas, I can assure you. It may all depend on the whim of the person you are dealing with. Unless you go through a visa agent, who have it all ironed out ahead of time, but it will cost you about double to extend.

I doubt very much that they would refuse you a visa on arrival if you are denied the social visa, but it is only for one month and cannot be extended, except illegally, and it is very costly- about 160 USD for one month.

There are many Indonesian consulate in the US- why don't you call a different one? I would guess the policies are all similar (though you can't be sure about that!)

One more thing on onward ticket: You said on other post that you want something for like 200 USD. I bought my one way from Medan to Penang for 103 USD, and then when I got the refund I got about 67 back. But the price may have gone up since then. Also, make sure its a refundable ticket. And you will have to go to the airport in Bali with the credit/ debit card you used to purchase it in order to get a refund- no credit card= no refund.

You could also go to the consulate without onward ticket, and only if they ask for one, then you could quickly go out and make a reservation. But if you don't have one, even if the consulate gave you the visa, you would still be risking that the airline/immigration, will not let you in without one.

Well they asked for an onward ticket and refused to go any further without it. when i told them my friend got his visa without it at the same office he told me to give his name so he could be reported to immigration. Needless to say i got out of there quick.

anyone interested in helping a first timer on a visa run around sept 15th? If you are planning to go soon of course

Hi, calitobali

Getting a Social Visa for Indonesia is not all that hard, or complicated (usually). If you have an Indonesian friend who's prepared to "sponsor" you and you're using an agent here as well, I'm not sure what all the hassle is about.

Sure - your passport was late (doesn't help) - would normally mean go back to square one. The potential problem of having/not having a ticket out of Indonesia is hard to address categorically.
From what you wrote:

...when i told them my friend got his visa without it at the same office he told me to give his name so he could be reported to immigration...

That person is a problem. Sad but true.

"Normally", you are supposed to have some exit ticket from this country. The Medan-Penang one was popular years ago. I know because I've had several in the past and have yet to visit Medan even once. It was with MAS (Malaysian Air Systems ?). I think that changed a few years ago - you couldn't "go" to Penang anymore - had to be Kuala Lumpur. Maybe things have changed again but I have been in the situation where I've been asked to show my exit ticket (occasionally). A bit of creative editing in Photoshop can work wonders for years.

Regarding the obstructive Immigration person you've encountered: You could re-submit your application to another one in another city. They're not all dick-heads! Again, years ago I encountered rude and unhelpful officials in Sydney (Australia). I got so pissed-off with them that I tried their office in Melbourne (by e-mail/phone). The Melbourne contingent were brilliant, friendly and efficient. There you go...
Best of luck.

thanks for the advice sanurian.

as far as reapplying I will be leaving LA tomorrow for Boston. LA is the closest indonesian embassy within 500 miles of anywhere that I will be before departing for Bali. makes more sense to just go to singapore i think.

Just to clarify though, who is the problem you referred to? my friend or the guy at the consulate office?

...Just to clarify though, who is the problem you referred to? my friend or the guy at the consulate office?...

Well now that you mention it, maybe both.

I was referring to the guy in the Indonesian consulate office.

You really seem confused and not very well prepared. I presume you have traveled abroad before (even to Indonesia)?
Be careful with your foreign friends. Hopefully, they are what they seem, but it wouldn't be the first time that somebody has been taken in hook-line-and-sinker. I hope I'm wrong.

Good luck in Singapore.

my friends are americans, not foreign to me if that's what you meant. I have not traveled abroad before. I felt I was pretty well prepared for my trip to the consulate, after researching it and asking questions here. the only thing I was missing was my return ticket, which turned out to be an issue for them.

So it looks like i'll just show up on my VOA and head to singapore before that 30 days is up.

FreoGirl wrote:visas in Indonesia are not entirely black & white and it can be difficult to get to the exact rules, as they do seem to differ from country to country. For example, people travelling from Europe have sworn that an onward ticket is a requirement for their visa, while I have not had to have one when travelling on a social visa. BUT my circumstances are different from theirs, my sponsor is my husband and maybe it makes a difference - WHO KNOWS because the Indonesians will never tell you.

I do not really agree. Visas rules are very clear in fact. The problem is more like: does the embassy or the Pejabat know them or feel like implementing them... If they genuinely don't know, it does not hurt to teach 'em a bit and if they don't want to implement it, it won't take you long to have them change attitude if they see that you know what you are talking about.
The visas (Visa singgah, kunjungan, izin terbatas alike) are regulated by the Peraturan Pemerintah nomor 32 tahun 1994 which in it pasal/article 14 says:

Pasal 14
(1) Permintaan Visa diajukan kepada Kepala Perwakilan Republik Indonesia
di luar negeri atau pejabat sebagaimana dimaksud dalam Pasal 5
dengan mengisi formulir yang telah ditentukan.
(2) Permintaan Visa sebagaimana dimaksud dalam ayat (1) dajukan dengan
melampirkan :
a. paspor;
b. tiket untuk keberangkatan dan tiket untuk kembali, atau tiket untuk
melanjutkan perjalanan ke negara tujuan;
c. pas photo; dan
d. keterangan jaminan tersedianya biaya hidup selama berada di
wilayah Negara Republik Indonesia.
(3) Ketentuan sebagaimana dimaksud dalam ayat (2) huruf b, c dan d tidak
berlaku apabila permintaan Visa diajukan untuk keperluan Diplomatik
atau Dinas.


Indonesiansists read and understand that an onward ticket is at all time requested (ayat 2. uruf b.). If they ask you or inform you about this requirement at the embassy is another story, and if the pejabat at the entrance point check it or not is again a different story.
One thing is sure: if you don't have an onward ticket to show when you apply, when you enter or when you want to extend your visa, you offer them a very simple way to refuse issuance/entrance or extension... or in another words, you offer them a very convenient excuse to ask for money.
So, in all case, it is better to have an onward ticket handy, since it is a legal requirement.

calitobali wrote:If my SosBud were to hypothetically, get rejected for not having a return ticket, would I still be able to get my VOA, or would I be blacklisted, because I was rejected?

Being blacklisted or deported is not that "easy". No worries to have. The law you want to refer is the Peraturan Pemerintah nomor 30 tahun 1994. Would be too long here to detail it but keep in mind that it is a quite a lengthy process which is time and effort consuming. Pejabat² will choose it s a last solution because it requires them to wet thir shirt, which is a thing they do not really like. I myself heard countless time from various imigration office/officers that I was about to be/in the process or already deported or blacklisted for serious contestations in different Kantor Imigrasi of Indonesia. So far, I never got blacklisted, or deported simply because there is absolutely no legal reason for it. I keep straight even if I love to give them a bit of hard time here and there. These drastic measures (deportation and blacklisting) are for serious offenses, not petty administrative mistakes or contestations.
However, any Pejabat Imigrasi would be perfectly fonded to refuse you entrance if you are unable to provide an onward ticket. BTW an onward ticket is any flight, boat or even bus ticket (going to Timtim for egs or from Kalimantan to malaysia) going out of Indonesia. I am used to keep a ferryboat ticket from Batam to Singapura which is normally valid for one year but that I keep changing/extending at the company office in Batam or Singapura (for a smile and a small fee) once a year or so. I think I have the same bloody ticket for 5 years now. I keep on entering/exiting Indonesia 5 or 6 times a year and I had to show it by request from an immigration officer maybe 4 or 5 times so far. It does happen, but this is rare.

Hope that all the above is clear enough and can provide a bit of information for the readers.