If you want to visit the Island of the Gods for a holiday, you will need a visa for Bali or Indonesia. You should also familiarise yourself with the current entry requirements for Indonesia. Unlike travelling within the European Union, entry to Indonesia is much more regulated. For short stays of up to 30 or 60 days, you can apply for a visa on arrival when you get to Bali. For longer stays, for example for a semester abroad, you should definitely take care of this well in advance of your trip. Information on the visa on arrival and the offices to contact for longer stays are presented below.
Visa on arrival
The easiest way to get a visa for Bali is the visa on arrival. This visa is valid for 30 days. As the name suggests, you can apply for a visa on arrival when you enter the country. It is therefore not necessary to apply for it before you travel. If you enter Bali by plane, simply follow the well-marked signs at the airport that indicate ‘Visa on arrival’ and lead directly to the appropriate counter.
Checking the passport
Once you arrive at the counter, you can easily apply for the visa. The passport of the person entering the country is checked here. Two points should be noted in particular: firstly, the passport must be valid for at least another 6 months. Secondly, there must be at least one completely blank page in the passport. The entries for the visa are then made on this page.
Important: passports must also be presented for children. The age does not matter – even for babies a passport is required.
Proof of planned departure
In addition to presenting a passport, you must also officially prove that the outbound or onward journey has already been organised. This means that a ticket for the return journey or for another destination outside Indonesia must be provided. Tickets for flights and ships are accepted as exit documents. Although this check is only carried out on a random basis and therefore not for every application for a visa on arrival for Bali, you should not risk entering the country without a onward ticket, as this would only unnecessarily prolong the process. However, if necessary, you can book a ticket for departure at the airport (e.g. via your smartphone).
Costs for the visa on arrival in Bali
Last but not least, the fees for the visa on arrival must be paid. The cost for this is 500,000 Indonesian Rupiah, which is about 35 US dollars. Ideally, you should bring the appropriate amount of money in cash – preferably in US dollars. This is the quickest and easiest way. Alternatively, you can also pay by credit card, but this may take a little longer.
Extension of the tourist visa
As mentioned above, the normal tourist visa (visa on arrival) allows a stay in Indonesia of a maximum of 30 days. However, if you decide during your trip that you want to stay longer, you can extend the visa to 60 days. Unfortunately, you cannot apply for this extension directly upon entry. You have to go through the normal entry procedure first and then take care of the extension separately.
You have to apply for the visa extension at an immigration office (Imigrasi). These official offices can only be found in Denpasar and Singaraja on Bali. In total, you have to go to the Imigrasi office three times to extend your visa. The first time is to hand in the application for an extension and your passport. A few days later, you have to go again to give fingerprints. A third visit is necessary to pick up the passport again.
If you want to avoid multiple trips to Bali’s big cities, you can also hire specialised agencies to take care of your visa extension. These naturally charge extra for the service. However, the costs are manageable and are a good investment to save time and nerves.
Visa before entry
Some travellers to Bali know before they arrive that they want to stay longer than 30 days. This applies, for example, to students who want to spend a semester abroad in Bali. For long stays, you can of course apply for a visa that is valid beyond the usual 30 days. However, this is only possible before the start of your trip. For stays of up to 180 days, for example, there is the B211 visa.
To obtain a long-term visa, you have to apply for it at the Indonesian Embassy or one of the Indonesian consulates. Which office is responsible for which country and all official information on visa matters can be found on the website of the respective Indonesian Embassy. If you want to make things easier for yourself, you can also hire a service provider to take care of visa matters.
Conclusion: Entering Bali is relatively unproblematic
For the vast majority of visitors to Bali, entry is relatively uncomplicated. Thanks to the visa on arrival. Extensive forms and lengthy communication with the authorities are not necessary. However, even with this unbureaucratic entry option, there are a few things to consider, such as the validity period of the passport. If you follow the above instructions, you will be able to present everything upon arrival in Bali and enter the country quickly and easily. With a simple extension, you can stay in Bali for up to 60 days with this visa.
Travellers planning a longer stay in Bali (or those who want to work there) must apply for a visa before their trip. The Indonesian Embassy in Berlin and the Consulates General in Hamburg and Frankfurt am Main can help in these cases.
