Bali Expat Forum - Bali Travel Forum

I will hopefully be moving to Bali next year with my balinese wife. I would like to know what is the best visa to have. I have been to bali before on a six months social visa but it's a lot of hassle getting it extended every month at the renon office. Can you get a yearly visa which can be extended every year without going to singapore.
I won't be working as we have land and somewhere to stay and only need enough money for food and visa expense which will hopefully come from the land and cattle we have. We won't be living it up too much. We only need somewhere to go bodyboarding and we're happy.
Also if anyone knows of any good bodyboarding beaches where the surf isn't too crazy (because my wife isn't a good swimmer) I would like to know.

Cheers,
Stu & Ayu

Please help, I have had no replies to what kind of visa is best for a year or more in Bali. Has anyone had any experience with getting a "12 month limited stay visa" or " 12 month multiple entry visa". We are not sure if we are going on a long holiday or permanently moving there but we will stay in Bali for as long as the money lasts. Every time I look at the indonesian embassy website they seem to change the names and prices of visa's and it isn't clear to which visa is the most suitable for our stay.
Please can you advise us what to do.

Never heard of a one year visa.

Kitas is 5 years, but If you don't work too expensive.

I suggest leave your passport at the "Renon Office" and just come back every 6 months.

(I am missing my 6 monthly holiday in S'pore)

We will be going to London next month for a new passport for my wife. we will have to ask about the 12 month visa.
Thanks for your answer Bert. You said "Leave your passport at the Renon office and come back every six months."
The last time I went to Bali for six months (year2000) I had to get it extended every month after the 60 day period and come armed with a new sponsor letter and 150000rp. Is it still the same procedure or are you paying a visa agent to do it for you and leaving your passport with them.

The link below give info about types of visa.
Visa Types and Fees :

http://www.indonesianembassy.org.uk/con ... _fees.html

Thanks for any help,

from Stu & Ayu

With the advent of more low cost carriers in SE Asia - Air Asia, Paradise etc, I forsee just leaving the country every 2-3 months or so and going to KL, Singas, Perth or the like and live on tourist visas - tidak masallah.

Any flaw in this?

This is only a dream. Would be a new President make this style of visa????

My husband still using Sosial Budaya Visa to stay in Bali. But me?? I got KMS + KITAS Directly in his country.

It's not fair!!!

Agree Iris...it's not fair. In the end though, I have learned to accept it as just another inconvenience and pain in the “you know where” to have it part and parcel of an amazing life on Bali. When weighing the pros and cons…these little things become just that…little things.

By the way…we have a huge oton ceremony coming up this Thursday for the Majapahit temple in our village. As such, Eri is totally strapped with her time.

As educated as she is, and so knowledgeable of the world around her, it still makes me feel so good just watching her hands deftly making the offerings that are so important to Balinese culture. In the Banjar, when it comes to ceremonies, there are no doctorate degrees, as all are one.

I’ll be “joining the boys” to make sate later tonight, or maybe tomorrow…but for now, Eri can’t even think about checking her e-mail. You understand. But still, “ma’af.” In the mean time…many thanks for that béarnaise recipe! We had a quick look at it last night, but it was so late, and she was so tired…we had to put it all “on hold” temporarily.

Many thanks Iris!

Yes Roy, I am so sad for my husband. He accept this situation. But I can't! I didn't stop to call my consulate in Marseille for this and I will not stop!! I can't accept for him...

Roy, finally I find a Balinese girl who's married with expatriate, still remember about her culture. I am proud of her, even I don't know her. I understand she is busy. I can't imagine with two childrens, banjar, etc. How both of you can have a time together? Only you and Eri.

You can make sate? My husband made a war with all of the meat for sate last year! In one hour, he made three sate! Well, he try and I am proud of him...

You're welcome and please don't be hurry

Hi Stu,

I am English too, married to a balinese man but we have our home in Lombok. I come & go between London & Lombok. In Lombok now till after Xmas. I use the social visa, which enables me the freedom to come & go. On the Kitas it gets to be a bit of a pain. I run a Lombok website & some time ago there was sombody posting who insisted that there is now a 12 month visa available but I never was able to investigate, maybe its worth finding out. He was based in Oz as I recall.

Good luck

Gemma

Hello Gemma,

What is Lombok like compared with Bali. I've never been there but would like to try one day. Me and my Balinese wife have just returned from London to renew her passport. We asked about the best visa for staying in Bali for a year, maybe two and was told to apply for a social visa then get it extended every month. I then asked about yearly visa's but was told that the social visa is the best. I then asked about how long the visa lasted before having to do a visa run to Singapore. He told me I wouldn't have to leave Indonesia after six months and just keep extending the visa every month of my stay. I was totally gob-smacked when he told me, as this would save stacks of cash. It would be brilliant if they changed the regulations. Have you or anyone else in this forum heard similar because I still won't believe it until it's stamped in my passport.

Stu & Ayu