So... trying to understand what I'll be in for as visas go...

[OrangeDragon]

Presuming the new 5 year digital nomad visa isn't in place soon, or maybe at all, what I seem to be looking at is this:
KITAS Social 6 months... 1 extension... 2 day(ish) visa run and reset the whole thing... with the potential risk of them changing the rules on it and me not being able to extend?

Until such time as I'm 55... then can go down the retirement track, or decide to become an investor/marry a local/etc.

 

[SamD]

I don't know the current rules for Sosbud but when I used it I had to extend after 2 months I think. So 2 extensions then flew to Singapore for a day and started it all over. I don't really remember but maybe the extensions were monthly after the initial 2 months. No problems on return from Singapore, the immigration officer did comment about me returning on the same day but not in an aggressive way.
KITAS is different. I am on the family union version and renew every year. About 10million. No visa run required. I think the retirement KITAS is the same.

 

[britoo]

Presuming the new 5 year digital nomad visa isn't in place soon, or maybe at all, what I seem to be looking at is this:
KITAS Social 6 months... 1 extension... 2 day(ish) visa run and reset the whole thing... with the potential risk of them changing the rules on it and me not being able to extend?

Until such time as I'm 55... then can go down the retirement track, or decide to become an investor/marry a local/etc.

based on my understanding which is far far from the gold standard, the above info might be a bit muddled, I dont think there is a KITAS Social as Social usually refers to the B211[a] (in my experience) visa (VITAS class) which comes in many flavours; tourist, investor, social .....

Without being sponsored by your employer or a local legit business, owning a business PT-PMA, being an investor or marrying a local I do not belive that any KITAS visa will be available to you.

Visa runs are also currently a thing of the past - unless you want to - as on-shore applications are currently available, a breeze, and not onourously challenged.

So I'd break your plan into two parts:
1 Arriving on the island
2 Staying on the island

For (1) you can either arrange, in advance, most probably via an agent, an offhsore 6 month B211A which will require a sponsor, either business or personal (depends on the visa sub-class) regardless as to whether its an agent or a personal connection... or you can arrive on a 1 extension VOA issued at the airport for 30+ 1 extension (30) days and migrate onto a B211from there locally - VERIFY this as I believe it but have not done it. You shoukd regardless fire out some mails to some of the local visa agents getting quotes and proposals.

The B211A, regardless of sub-class should now come in 2 flavours; a 2 month + 2 times 2 month extension (=6 month) version or a full 1-shot no extension 6 month version. A month or so ago the 1-shot version was legal but the immigration processes were not in place to support it so it wasn't actually possible.

Currently (and of course always subject to change), once on shore you can make an on-shore application for further 6 monh B211A visas subject to the good graces of immigration who are currently quite happy to approve them.

This means that at the end of your 6 monnth offshore viisa you shoul have no problem applying for successive on-shore visas so long as you keep your nose clean and dont do anything stupid. This can be done either with an agent or a friendly local deemed eligible to sponsor.

Most importantly you need to note the B211 (social or otherwise) is a 1-shot visa and if you leave RI it expires.

So assuming you do a bit of regional travel and head home now and again you can probably muddle through till the 5-year gonad or the retirement vissa becomes viable or you get a temrinal case of "local fever".

Cheers

 

[Markit]

In all honesty visas are up in the air at the moment and nobody really knows what is going on - Social visa don't exist any more but some weird sort of business visa which sort of is and isn't. Pensioner visas (aged 55) are available but possibly superseded by some Digital Gonad 5 year, tax free, pie in the fecking sky visa when the whole world knows about but nobody does here...

Before investing in some shakey business visa I'd wait it out with the VOA or OAP (pensioner) visa if I had it to do now. Or find some hot, local girl from Java and marry the sh*t out of her in some local, quicky wedding and get the married visa. Not to break your romantic heart but the other visas all cost minimum 10 juta/year but a Javanese hotty is cheaper and more fun.

 

[OrangeDragon]

First off, thanks so much for the information.
Second off, I love that it's being dubbed the gonad visa now, lol.

From the sound of things, it'll be a pain but manageable at least. I hope the gonad comes sooner than later so I can grab one (yeah, you're welcome) and enjoy that easy 5 years stress free. Plan is to move in December, so... we'll see. For now, on my short trip, the VOA will get me by fine, I just like to have a plan.

And, not 100% opposed to Markit's plan either.. my heart hasn't been very romantic since my ex wife robbed me blind a decade ago, lol.

 

[AuroraB]

I don't know the current rules for Sosbud but when I used it I had to extend after 2 months I think. So 2 extensions then flew to Singapore for a day and started it all over. I don't really remember but maybe the extensions were monthly after the initial 2 months. No problems on return from Singapore, the immigration officer did comment about me returning on the same day but not in an aggressive way.
KITAS is different. I am on the family union version and renew every year. About 10million. No visa run required. I think the retirement KITAS is the same.

The 10Juta KITAS is including agent fee as well I presume.

ITAS (KITAS) is 1.5Juta for one year [Item 2c in link below] + Multiple entry permit 1Juta for one year [Item 4b]. Total 2.5Juta.
5 Yr second home (Retirement) KITAS appears to cost 12Juta [Item 2h)

See link for fees (visa, permits): https://www.imigrasi.go.id/en/biaya-keimigrasian/
Right click in google chrome to translate. In any case best to check with local immigration office.

For description of each visa and their limitations go to: https://www.imigrasi.go.id/en/
Then 'Immigration Information / Immigration Services / For Foreign National'

 

[Markit]

The 10Juta KITAS is including agent fee as well I presume.

ITAS (KITAS) is 1.5Juta for one year [Item 2c in link below] + Multiple entry permit 1Juta for one year [Item 4b]. Total 2.5Juta.
5 Yr second home (Retirement) KITAS appears to cost 12Juta [Item 2h)

See link for fees (visa, permits): https://www.imigrasi.go.id/en/biaya-keimigrasian/
Right click in google chrome to translate. In any case best to check with local immigration office.

For description of each visa and their limitations go to: https://www.imigrasi.go.id/en/
Then 'Immigration Information / Immigration Services / For Foreign National'

All the prices quoted may well be correct BUT you cannot apply for them yourself and MUST have an agent. Guess where the rest of the money gets lost?

 

[mugwump]

You are getting some good advice, and unless I overlooked it there is one more thing you should know.
If you enter on a tourist visa you can't then change to a 211A, nor any other visa to my understanding from my agent. With that being the case the option should be connecting with an agent, and applying for a 211A while still off shore. It should provide you enough time to then flip to the hoped for new nomad visa.

 

[OrangeDragon]

You are getting some good advice, and unless I overlooked it there is one more thing you should know.
If you enter on a tourist visa you can't then change to a 211A, nor any other visa to my understanding from my agent. With that being the case the option should be connecting with an agent, and applying for a 211A while still off shore. It should provide you enough time to then flip to the hoped for new nomad visa.

Good information. I will be sure to seek one out during my short 3 week stay coming up and get the details worked out before leaving.

 

[britoo]

OrangeDragon

two entirely unrelated suggestions that are worth considering before you depart.

1 Get an international drivers licence before you leave home if there is any possibility you will drive a bike or car here. Assuming you have a US licence it probably about 10$ and some form filling. It's actually an International Driving Permit (IDP) and you need the 1949 convention one here. Some issuers struggle as Indonesia is not actually a signatory to the convention but they recognise it. Without one you will be a bone-fide ATM on wheels for the local lads in blue.

2 Prior to your longer visit, look into the phone import issue and decide how you want to proceed. Basically to block grey imports and non payment of import tax, physically imported phones using local SIM cards are blocked after 2 or 3 months based on the IMEI ie the hardware in the phone. If you leave your foreign sim in Im told there's no issue but I imagine youll get some juicy phone bills. The solution is to register and pay import tax on arrival - in the airport - but this can run to 100s of dollars for premium phones. An alternative is to just buy a local phone and make use of that depending on how much of a phone snob you are.

Cheers

 

[OrangeDragon]

OrangeDragon

two entirely unrelated suggestions that are worth considering before you depart.

1 Get an international drivers licence before you leave home if there is any possibility you will drive a bike or car here. Assuming you have a US licence it probably about 10$ and some form filling. It's actually an International Driving Permit (IDP) and you need the 1949 convention one here. Some issuers struggle as Indonesia is not actually a signatory to the convention but they recognise it. Without one you will be a bone-fide ATM on wheels for the local lads in blue.

2 Prior to your longer visit, look into the phone import issue and decide how you want to proceed. Basically to block grey imports and non payment of import tax, physically imported phones using local SIM cards are blocked after 2 or 3 months based on the IMEI ie the hardware in the phone. If you leave your foreign sim in Im told there's no issue but I imagine youll get some juicy phone bills. The solution is to register and pay import tax on arrival - in the airport - but this can run to 100s of dollars for premium phones. An alternative is to just buy a local phone and make use of that depending on how much of a phone snob you are.

Cheers

Thanks, was aware of both of these... my plan is, for now, to toss my US number onto a voip provider so I can keep it while living there but ditch my US carrier ($70 us/m saved) and pay the import tax, it's a pretty good phone (Pixel 5a) and relatively new... may as well. And it's got all my stuff on it... I despise migrating.
Picking up the IDP this weekend, but it's good to now about which one to get... may have easily cocked that up, lol.