My Visa Plan

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windystones

New Member
Jun 2, 2010
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It looks like there are many options for staying long-term in Bali...here is my plan.

I am going to be in Sg for a few days anyway, so I will use an agent there to get a 60 day tourist visa. I will get this extended to six months and do it again.

My questions:
theoretically (or practically) how many times will I be able to do this?
Will agents help me extend the tourist visa (they advertise extending social visas only)?
And finally, is there a better way to go about a long term stay in Bali? Or am I on the right track?
 
Jimbo

Jimbo

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Jan 11, 2005
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You cannot extend a 60 day tourist visa period. You can with a sosial budaya visa make 4 x 1 month extensions to the original 2 months but you will need a sponsor.

Many articles on visa's in the archives.
 
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windystones

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Jun 2, 2010
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Jimbo said:
You cannot extend a 60 day tourist visa period. You can with a sosial budaya visa make 4 x 1 month extensions to the original 2 months but you will need a sponsor.
Many articles on visa's in the archives.
Click to expand...

I was under the impression that I could extend based on what I found in the archives:
From: https://balipod.com/forum/threads/visa-no-clue-how-this-system-works.4242/
timdog said:
Anyone who tells you that you "cannot extend a sixty day tourist visa" is misinformed. It WAS the case that until several years ago the 60-day visa issued to tourists had a different code to the social visa, and couldn't be extended, but about three years back they changed it, made it a B211 too, and since then it has been extendable - and lots of people HAVE extended it...
Click to expand...

This is what I'm trying to clarify. From that post, it sounds like extending a 60 day tourist visa is easier and less pressure on the sponsor. The sosial budaya seems to really put sponsors into the system.

I plan on using a Sg agent; if the agent will act as my sponsor for the sosial budaya, I may as well do that. If they won't, I think starting with the tourist and trying to extend it (assuming it's possible) might be better.

I really have searched the archives and there is a lot of conflicting info. I tend to think this reflects the Indonesian system, which is conflicting,lol.

If someone would explain the least troublesome ways for a single guy to stay in Bali, for let's say a year, I would really appreciate it!
 
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Jimbo

Jimbo

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The law says no. I am not saying it has never been done but the law says no. The confusion arises because both are a 211 visa but a social buday has the name of the sponsor written on the visa. You can try it but be prepared for a whole lot of trouble if some Immigration officer decides you are just the person to pay for his new !!!!

You asked for advice and I am giving it. A singapore agent will be no good in extending your visa has this has to be done in country and you could end up in Sh1t creek without a paddle.
 
eas

eas

New Member
Oct 14, 2009
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Norway
www.wegotobali.com
official turist visa info

According to the Indonesian embassy here in Norway, is a tourist visa as follows:
----
Tourist
Tourist visa is given to person who intend to have a holiday or leisure purpose in Indonesia with a maximum stay of 60 (sixty) days and cannot be extended. A single entry tourist visa is valid if presented within 3 (three) months from the date of issuence.
This type of visa will also be granted to persons who employed in the tourism area (to arrange and accompany a tourist group, to promote tourism in Indonesia, etc). Tourist visa is not a working visa and cannot be converted into any other type of visa
----
Follow the rules, so you avoid unpleasantness
 
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windystones

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Jun 2, 2010
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Ok, now it makes more sense. I don't want to be in some grey area of the law, I prefer to follow it. I also don't want to buy any government officials anything! :)

So, I think what I'll do is this. I am from a country where I can get the 30 days for $25 and extend another 30. I'll do that first, then assuming I REALLY want to stay longer, I will do the sosial budaya visa via a Singapore agent and extend as needed.

Thanks, that was very helpful and I get it :)
 
Jimbo

Jimbo

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Jan 11, 2005
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You can get a singapore agent to get the social budaya visa IF you have an Indonesian sponsor. Take my advice and get a 60 day tourist visa in your home country as it is much easier than extending a 30 day Visa on Arrival.

Good Luck.
 
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widder

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Jul 16, 2007
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www.chiliandgamalan.com
You CAN get a 60 day tourist visa, which CAN be extended 4 x 30 days whilst in Indonesia, which is what I am doing. My 4th extension is right now being done by an agent (because I am too lazy to spend time at immigration).
This is NOT a social visa, and does NOT have a sponsor name on it. However, when you extend the visa here in Bali you do need a sponsor. For the 2nd extension I had to go to immigration with my agent, and had photo and fingerprints taken. The 3rd and 4th extension does not require your presence at immigration if you use an agent. Of course, if you want to save money, and you would like a taste of Indonesian bureaucracy, you can do it yourself. BUT be prepared to visit immigration more than once to achive your goal.
 
Jimbo

Jimbo

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Then do not because you are wrong. I will look up the law and post it to you. Also look on the indonesian embassy web site. The fact you need a sponser to do it tells me it is being treated as a sosbod visa. Look at the logic of two visa types doing exactly the same thing in the same way.

Ask your agent to quote me the law, not for me but for the thousands who have used a sosbud visa over the years without any point as they could have done it this way.
 
Jimbo

Jimbo

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Jimbo said:
Then do not because you are wrong. I will look up the law and post it to you. Also look on the indonesian embassy web site. The fact you need a sponser to do it tells me it is being treated as a sosbod visa. Look at the logic of two visa types doing exactly the same thing in the same way.

Ask your agent to quote me the law, not for me but for the thousands who have used a sosbud visa over the years without any point as they could have done it this way.
Click to expand...

Please see link below which clearly states that a 2 month tourist visa Cannot be extended.

Indonesian Embassy in London

For me its end of story on this.
 
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sakumabali

Well-Known Member
Apr 2, 2010
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Hi there,

just want to say that Jimbo is 100 % right here! Widder if it would be that easy everybody would do it that way.....Please take care as you keep that passport for many years and with all that stamps you might be an easy prey for an immigration officer one day who looking for cigarette money!
 
cabaicabai

cabaicabai

Member
May 19, 2010
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"The confusion arises because both are a 211 visa but a social buday has the name of the sponsor written on the visa."

Errr... not on mine.

Sorry Jimbo and others you are wrong. Have you ever had a B211 visa? Why was the visa changed to the same number? If you get a sponsor you can extend your stay that's why, you don't have to have a sponsor before hand. If you spend 60 days as a tourist and then decide you want to extend your stay for social or cultural reasons then just get a sponsor and submit your application. If it is approved that's up to immigration. They have told me it's no problem. It is not prohibited by law, the tourist visa is not being extended it is being converted to a different subcategory. I wouldn't be quoting the moderator of that other forum he gets it wrong all the time.

http://www.rami-services.com/visas1.html
 
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Pa_Yan

Pa_Yan

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Dec 9, 2005
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Bali IDE says it can be extended / changed

I asked this question before at Bali IDE and this is what they answered in 2008 :

Reply |Bali Ide to me
show details 1/28/08


Dear Yan, If you are going to stay in Bali – Tourist Visa 211 (60days) is extendable by providing Indonesian sponsorship holding Bali’s ID card.

Happy landing !!!,

If you have a sponsor then it's wiser to aply for a social visa before hand. If you don't have a sponsor this is the way to go. Ask a visa agent for an answer if you want to make sure.
 
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sakumabali

Well-Known Member
Apr 2, 2010
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"If you have a sponsor then it's wiser to aply for a social visa before hand. If you don't have a sponsor this is the way to go. Ask a visa agent for an answer if you want to make sure."

Ask a visa agent? They´re visa agents not? Ok maybe it´s a new administrative shortcut, didn´t exist when i was on sosbud 3 years ago. Amazing looks like it´s still not 100 % legal, why Bali IDE not wrote: "come to our office for an extension?"

I´m just curious....
 
G

gordont

New Member
May 19, 2010
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Pemogan
Use your Agent as Sponsor.

sakumabali said:
"If you have a sponsor then it's wiser to aply for a social visa before hand. If you don't have a sponsor this is the way to go. Ask a visa agent for an answer if you want to make sure."

Ask a visa agent? They´re visa agents not? Ok maybe it´s a new administrative shortcut, didn´t exist when i was on sosbud 3 years ago. Amazing looks like it´s still not 100 % legal, why Bali IDE not wrote: "come to our office for an extension?"

I´m just curious....
Click to expand...

I had a private sponsor for my SosBud originally, but acting on advice, I transferred,(changed) my sponsor to the Agency I was using.
I had no problems at all after doing this.
From my point of view, it was better to pay the extra money to an agent, than suffer the annoying and frustrating vagaries of the Immigrasi.
 
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