Visa options

Jimbo

The kind of visa you need is the Sosbud visa which will give you 2 initial months and is extendable to 6 months. The snag is that you have to be invited by a person or organisation. You will also need them to apply with you for the extentions which is difficult to do if you are always on the move. No easy answer fits your questions and I have no real solution for you.

slowlori

Thanks Jimbo, Would it not be possible to get a 60 day visa in KL and then do Visa runs every 60 days to extend it?

slowlori

Hi, I'm hoping to travel to Indonesia next Summer to stay for a few months, ideally six months or more. I'd like to visit different places within that time, but to stay in each place for a couple of months. Does anyone know how easy and practical it is to (a) get the 60 day visa and (b) repeatedly extend it? One thing of concern is that I want to keep my plans flexible and I understand that I will need to show return travel documents at the embassy to secure the extension. If I had a ticket showing that I will be flying out of KL or Singapore at a future date, will this suffice (ie it will not be a ticket to and from Indonesia, but will show that I will need to leave Indonesia)? That way I assume I will be able to change where I enter and exit Indonesia based on how my plans pan out. Are the authorities quite tight on people extending their visa for no obvious reason other than wanting to enjoy the country? Hope someone can help with my rather lengthy question! Slow

Roy

With a sosbud visa, you will not need to leave Indonesia for your four 30 day extensions after the first 60 day visa has expired. You can do that right here in Indonesia at an immigration office. Given that you are a first timer at this, I would strongly suggest that you consider using a professional visa agent, such as PT Bali IDE…the link being right on the top of this string. The peace of mind is well worth what you might save in trying to do this on your own. “Penny wise, pound foolish” as Ben Franklin once put it. I haven’t been asked to show a ticket out of Indonesian when renewing my visa for many years, but for first time visa applications, they may still require this…I simply don’t know. Keep in mind that this topic is constantly plagued with various conflicting stories. It’s not that these stories are necessarily urban legends, rather it is the inconsistency between the visa issuing offices of the various Indonesian embassies, as well as the same inconsistency to be found in the Indonesian immigration offices…including by various officers within the same immigration office! Cheers and enjoy your 6 months in Indonesia!

Jimbo

Yes you can do a visa run and you can come on a tourist visa for 60 days as long as you get it before arriving in Indonesia. Then you can apply at the nearest embassy and renew it. Some agencies will sponsor you for a sosbud visa but Bali IDE will not and require a sponsor. If you did use them and travelled outside of Bali you would have to leave your passport there for the renewals which is not a good idea as by law you should have it with you. You maybe able to get over this problem by having a notorised copy. Whatever you decide good luck to you.

slowlori

Thanks all, I think I will stick with the 60 day tourist visa and head over to KL every couple of months. I think that will keep things more flexible. Thanks again for your help.

Roy

Sounds like a good plan to me. As I noted in my first post, one can find a lot of disparate information about this topic floating about out there, particularly from those who live here, and those that don’t. :wink:

Normy

Hi All, Am new to this forum. Have been reading visa info on past posts. I wish to travel to Bali for extended holiday next year and am trying to get my head around the various options. If I use a 60 day tourist visa obtained in Perth I would need my ticket to Bali plus ticket say Bali to Kl from airasia dated for the 60 day expiry. Then while in Bali extend monthly to the max 180 days, changing the airline ticket departure date with airasia. (If possible). Am I on the right track ? Or way off.? Normy

ronb

Yes - many do that - but the legality of the extensions is questioned in some threads on this forum. To avoid that doubt, go to Singapore after 60 days and return with a social visa.

Markit

Having flown in many times on the Visa On Arrival (VOA) basis I have never been asked for my return ticket or any other ticket. When renewing the VOA after the inital 30 days I was asked for the return ticket but only when I tried to renew the visa myself. Why don't you just get the 6 month Social Visa from your home Indo Embassy forgoing all the complications here? Or arrange to pick it up on transit through Singapore - also possible with some clever scheduling.

Normy

Markit wroteHaving flown in many times on the Visa On Arrival (VOA) basis I have never been asked for my return ticket or any other ticket. When renewing the VOA after the inital 30 days I was asked for the return ticket but only when I tried to renew the visa myself. Why don't you just get the 6 month Social Visa from your home Indo Embassy forgoing all the complications here? Or arrange to pick it up on transit through Singapore - also possible with some clever scheduling.

Thanks Ronb and Markit. I was thinking of social visa but I see on Bali Ide website you need an Indo cit sponsor. Don't know anyone here in Perth.

matsaleh

Bali Ide or Mas Travel (Retirement Visa and any kind of visa, Villa and Property | MAS Tours & Travel | Retirement Visa and any kind of visa, Villa and Property) will arrange a sponsor for you. Contact these companies by email and explain your situation.

davita

Normy wroteHi All, Am new to this forum. Have been reading visa info on past posts. I wish to travel to Bali for extended holiday next year and am trying to get my head around the various options. If I use a 60 day tourist visa obtained in Perth I would need my ticket to Bali plus ticket say Bali to Kl from airasia dated for the 60 day expiry. Then while in Bali extend monthly to the max 180 days, changing the airline ticket departure date with airasia. (If possible). Am I on the right track ? Or way off.? Normy

If you read the Indonesia Embassy websites it will say that the 60 day tourist visa is NOT extendable. As Ronb suggests it has been extended by some, especially in Bali, but it is not legal. markit suggests the Social Budhaya (Sosbud) visa as the best option as they can be extended after the first 60 days, monthly, up to a total of about 6 months. However, this needs a sponsor letter from someone qualified in Indonesia to be submitted with the application. Agents can perform this function, for a price. The visa on arrival (VOA) costs US$25 and is valid for 30 days and can be extended for another 30 days for another US$25. Beware... this includes the day of arrival so count the days. 2 more ports were sumbitted whilst I was writing mine so please read all.

jj_balind

Hi Normy, a 60 day tourist visa is not extendable, as others already have mentioned i would suggest to either get a social visa straight away or make a trip to Singapore after your initial 60 day visa. having un-extendable visa's extended is something that might be possible but i would heavily suggest against it. Of the 20 times i have entered Indonesia with a visa that "officially" requires you to have/show a return ticket i have only been asked to actually show it once or twice so i wouldn't worry to much about that. last time i entered they asked for it but after having a little chat with the immigration officer he didn't make a problem out of it. good luck with your decision...

Normy

Thanks matsaleh, davita, jj, for your advice, will probably try for 60 day tourist visa thro' perth Indon Consul. Buy 1 way ticket perth/bali and 1 way ticket bali/singapore (dated just prior to visa expiry). Get a social visa in singapore and re-enter bali. Thanks again to all.

PippiLongstocking

Hi all, Thanks for all the info posted - really helps us newbies... or intented newbies... I have a question about the retirement visa. My partner is over 55 years but I'm not. We we're married in Bali and have a certificate in Indonesian which I'm assuming states we we're married in the buddhist tradition in Indonesia. But we are not legally married in Australia. Do you think I'll be able to get a retirement Visa based on this? Many thanks.

Markit

For an old fogies visa (got one) go to Bali IDE and ask for Yoni (Indian for female genitalia - no relation). Will cost you 6 million and a trip to Singapore to meet Malek - for the visa, not the genitalia. Multi-exit visa (recommended) an extra 2 million.

davita

PippiLongstocking wroteHi all, Thanks for all the info posted - really helps us newbies... or intented newbies... I have a question about the retirement visa. My partner is over 55 years but I'm not. We we're married in Bali and have a certificate in Indonesian which I'm assuming states we we're married in the buddhist tradition in Indonesia. But we are not legally married in Australia. Do you think I'll be able to get a retirement Visa based on this? Many thanks.

If your partner is over 55 he/she can apply for a Retirement Kitas but needs to use an agent in Indonesia to sponsor and make the application. Depending on your marital status your spouse can apply for you as a spousal Kitas or, if as an unmarried partner, can sponsor you for a sosbud. An agent is your best advisor in this respect.