Is Moving to Bali Realistic??

[UluwatuWaves]

HI everyone. I am new to this forum and just opened an account yesterday. After travelling to bali on vacation last August I fell in love with the island and its people and everything else that encompasses it. Right now I live in washington, dc and I am thinking of taking a sabbatical to Bali and some of the other Indonesian islands as well but eventually settle down in Bali. So here is my question. How realistic is it to arrive In Bali/Indonesia with a tourist visa (30 day) and then be able to saty in the country longer thaan the thirty days without having to apply for the retirement visa because I am not over 55 yrs. or the work visa because I am not sponsored by a company there. i want to arrive in Indonesia and not have to leave and pay for a plane ticket every thirty days to be 'legal status' in that country. I have looked on various websites about Indonesian visas and all the different types but nothing is what i want. I dont neccessarily want to work in Bali but wouldnt mind doing so if giving the oppurtunity but basically i want to just come to Bali and chill for a year or so and soak aup the culture and do some writing without having to buy 12 round trip plane tickets to singapore or australia just to be "legal status" in the country. What should I do? Can I arrive in bali and then fill out the paper work to get a social visa once i find someone to sponsor me when I arrive there like a family or small business, something of that nature. It seems that the indonesian government dont like tourists or foreigners settling down for too long, or they just want to make it hard bureacratically. So I arrive in Bali on a tourist visa (30 day), find a sponsor, get the paper work done, and then hope for the best????
I would greatly appreciate any input as i dont want to be leaving every thirty days cause that is just stupid and economically inefficient. Looking forward to hearing some super advice

 

[charlie]

you have to have your social visa before you arrive. the 30 day voa is not extendable except for extreme circumstances. Have you checked out the visa link at the top of this page??

 

[charlie]

So I arrive in Bali on a tourist visa (30 day), find a sponsor, get the paper work done, and then hope for the best????

you could do that .... but you would have to then fly to singapore(for exmple) to get your social visa. A social visa is only valid for 6 months so you will still have to fly somewhere.

I have looked on various websites about Indonesian visas and all the different types but nothing is what i want.

What you are seeing is all there is.

 

[UluwatuWaves]

I see what you mean. That Visa service in Bali listed at the top of the web page says they can take care of everything on bali and all the hassles as they have connections and stuff. You pay them a fee to get you your visa but why would that require you leaving bali to go to singapore when they say they can get the social visa for you. How could I go about finding someone to sponsor me?

 

[Bert Vierstra]

Well, do you know anyone in Indonesia ??

 

[UluwatuWaves]

Bert and any other Indonesia/Bali Pro's,
Unfortunately I dont know any Indonesians or Balinese for that Matter except for our personal tour guide and driver and their respective families that we met when we were in bali last august. And I dont have their contact information anymore because I had it stored in my laptop and my laptop was stolen in thailand after we left Bali. i would like to stay in bali/Indonesia for more than thirty days without having to come and go to singapore or Australia every month. So what kind of visa would you reccomend? Can I meet someone in Bali when I get there and have them sponsor me? Can VISA Indonesia located in Bali sponsor me like they say on there web page? Also how did you first arrive in Indo. on a work visa or tourist. is it possible to arrive with my UK passport in bali with a 30 day tourist visa and then go the Visa service listed at the top right of this page and have them get me my social visa and sponsor me after paying them. Is it hard to find a sponsor? Thank you

 

[charlie]

How could I go about finding someone to sponsor me?

Bali Ide will sponsor you. Get in contact with them before you leave. You will only be able to get a social visa which is valid for 6 months. You can get this before you leave but obviously you will have to renew it at some stage if you are planning on staying for a year . ie: going to singapore after 6 months.

 

[charlie]

is it possible to arrive with my UK passport in bali with a 30 day tourist visa and then go the Visa service listed at the top right of this page and have them get me my social visa and sponsor me after paying them

it is possible and i answered that question before.

 

[Roy]

Hey “waves” what is this? Brand new to the forum and nobody has welcomed you yet? As Gomer Pyle would say, “for shame, for shame, for shame.” While I am not the official “welcome wagon” on this forum, let me first say...”welcome to the forum!” For my other fellow posters...”what’s up with your manners?”

So, how are things in DC? The flooding news, and the loss of the great elm next to the White House got some real play in the news here. Funny thing (not that the elm disaster is particularly funny), a money changer told me that they may no longer accept US $20.00 bills as they must be counterfeit, since the tree is gone! Man, I LOVE Bali!

Anyway, the advice you have been getting regarding visas is accurate. It’s a pain in the ass, but we all live with it....me more than many others, with three boys on Kitas, plus my own visa situation.

Charlie’s points are excellent. The vast majority of foreign expats in Bali use Bali Ide, and for good reasons. Those reasons are, they are professional, they know what they are doing, they have an excellent reputation with immigration, and their prices are fair.

 

[UluwatuWaves]

are you indonesian or australian? I just emailed Bali IDE and asked them about it and cost and everything so i should hear back from them. i think you got me confused about the 30 day visa. I know i can get the 30 day visa in indonesia when I arrive but can i get the social visa there as well or like you said you have to have the physical social visa in your hands before you land at bali thus not needing the tourist visa obviously. So i am correct in saying that there is no way for someome with a tourist visa to get a social visa while in bali and before the 30 days is up. You have to get the visa before you arrive. and your are 100% certain theat bali ide can sponsor me?
Thanks a lot for your help ,

Robert

 

[charlie]

So i am correct in saying that there is no way for someome with a tourist visa to get a social visa while in bali and before the 30 days is up. You have to get the visa before you arrive. and your are 100% certain theat bali ide can sponsor me?

BINGO !!!

and welcome to the forum !!!!!

 

[UluwatuWaves]

Thanks!!! I actually live in northern Virginia just outside dc but we have gotten 12 inches of rain in 5 days and the flooding is bad.... Yeah I am excited to come to bali for my second time... The whole visa thing is rediculous if you ask me... I think indonesia should allow tourists at least a six week visa like they do here in the usa for certain nationals. thirty days is pretty measly, there is so much to see and do... Roy, what do you do in bali? I was asking if charlie was indonesian or australian because i wanted to know if it is possible for a non-indonesian citizen to sponsor you. do you think it would be easier for me to get the social visa from bali ide or the local indonesian embassy up here in washington. can bali ide process my social visa all the way from washington. dont they need the actual passport? What do you think. Has it started to get crowded with the influx of foriegners coming over to bali for there summer vacations yet. I heard throught the grapevine that tourism is way down in bali. is that true?

 

[charlie]

Hey ulu,

i'm australian.... i'm the girl in the pic .....

do you think it would be easier for me to get the social visa from bali ide or the local indonesian embassy up here in washington. can bali ide process my social visa all the way from washington. dont they need the actual passport?

ok...

bali ide will write you a sponsor letter and send it to you in washington,
then you take it to the indo embassy in washington with your passport,
the embassy will process,
then you get your passport back with hopefully a social visa.
done .

non indos can't sponsor.

 

[Roy]

Opps, I forgot to tell you that newbies to the forum are only allowed two questions per post! Just kidding.

How Bali Ide works for visa issuance when you are out of country (out of Indonesia) is not something I know much about. They, (Bali Ide) will know, and it would seem logical that once you "hire" them, they will express post to you, in the states, the necessary sponsorship papers that you would take to the Indonesian Embassy in your area...DC I would imagine. No, it is not possible for a non Indonesian to sponsor your visa.

I might suggest that you call them during their operating hours. Phone calls still, or it seems to me, retain their magical ways of getting things done a lot more effectively than e-mails.

What do I do in Bali? Well, I used to specialize in fathering kids (we have three boys)...kidding once again. I'm an art and antiques dealer, and we have a gallery in Udud. You can either google or yahoo Mood Studio Ubud and see what I mean.

As for tourism, it's better, but in an impromptu survey I did just last week in Ubud, most hotels, resorts, etc. are still only 40 to 60% booked for July. For certain, the negative effects on Bali tousism was much worse after last October's bombing than the first bombing. There are lots of plausible reasons for that, but that is a whole other topic.

So, don't forget....leave your $20 bills home! Cheers!

 

[charlie]

bali ide will write you a sponsor letter and send it to you in washington,
then you take it to the indo embassy in washington with your passport,
the embassy will process,
then you get your passport back with hopefully a social visa.
done .

I've done it this way before years ago when i first went to Bali. I used Bali Ide then too ...

 

[Roy]

Charlie!

"i'm australian.... i'm the girl in the pic."

Who's the girl in the pic?

Ma'af, I just can't help that wanker side of my ying and yang! Nice job handling all these questions....and from a Yank too!

 

[charlie]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

i think i should change my user name ... i don't think sanurian has quite yet figured it out either ....

 

[Roy]

"i don't think sanurian has quite yet figured it out either ...."

Don't "hang your hat" on that concern. There is quite a lot Phil hasn't figured out yet!

BUT....we love him anyway!

 

[UluwatuWaves]

Thanks all I will keep you all updated after i receive my visa. if i receive the social visa.. i wonder what are the chances. are there any reasons they wouldnt give me a social visa that you can think of? You guys are good people, keep up the good work... this forum rocks. Can't wait to surf those uluwatuwaves.... they are sick!!! 8)

 

[matsaleh]

Re: RE: Is Moving to Bali Realistic??

Nice job handling all these questions....and from a Yank too!

Not quite a Yank, Roy. UluwatuWaves is a "Pom" who lives in Yankieland.

.... is it possible to arrive with my UK passport in bali...

...and BTW, welcome to the forum UluwatuWaves.