Indonesia tourist visa extension

by Travel Paulie on April 22, 2010

I firmly believe that you learn more, save more, and get a much better feel for the place you’re living in when you make the efforts to process your own tourist visas.

Sure, you can pay a tidy fee to an agent and it’ll afford you more time on the beach or the pub, but you’ll be in a bind when that process goes wrong, or you don’t understand certain subtleties that you’d otherwise be clearer about had you gone through the visa application process yourself.

That’s my spiel for DIY travel.

So I’m going to lay out quite clearly the simple process for extending your standard 30-day ‘visa-on-arrival’ tourist visa for Indonesia, more specifically in Bali, since that’s where I did mine.

Visa-on-arrival – if you’re currently in Indonesia, you already know that the visa is provided for you at a cost, once you arrive into the country.  You can of course leave the country and return, paying the visa costs again, or just extend it.

What you need to apply for the visa extension

  • Your Passport
  • A photocopy of your main passport page
  • A photocopy of your current Indonesian visa.
  • A record of your flight itinerary showing your exit from Indonesia
  • Cash fee: Rp250,000
  • 6 days without your passport during processing

The Process of visa extension

Make your way to your immigration office and ask for the form for your tourist visa extension.

You’ll receive a yellow folder (at least mine was yellow in Bali) into which you place all the required items detailed above.  Fill in said form and submit it along with everything else (except for your cash) and they’ll take it behind the counter for a short while, give it the once-over to ensure you’ve got the essentials and call you back up to the counter.

They’ll give you a receipt which you must keep very safe and bring back with you 6 days later to pick up your passport + newly extended visa.

It’s at pick-up when you make your payment for the service.

It’s really very simple indeed.

Getting to the Visa/Immigration Office

I’ve marked on my travel map the immigration office in Bali (it’s right beside the Ngurah Rai airport), along with many other points of interest as mentioned in other articles.  To get there, drive towards the airport on the main road that leads up to it.  When you’re nearly there, the road swerves to the right, with the option to go straight ahead – go straight ahead.

There’ll be signs for cargo and freight services, but you’re on the right track.  If you find yourself reaching a mini-roundabout, you missed the earlier turn off, but all is not lost.  Take a left at the roundabout onto a small lane.  At the end of the lane, you want to turn right, but you must follow the one-way traffic system and instead turn left and u-turn.

To find the immigration office (kantor imigrasi) drive on until you come across a nice bright blue building on your right-hand side; u-turn at your next opportunity and immigration is the building immediately before that blue one.

Points to note

  • It doesn’t matter if your current visa is due to expire on a day that falls within the 6-day period that the visa extension is processed.  They will still accept your application.
  • Indonesian Imigration Website
  • All of this information contained in this article is correct to my understanding at the time of writing – 22nd April 2010.  Please feel free to update or comment using the section below.

{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }

Cat December 2, 2010 at 06:12

This is a great bit of up to date info. Can i ask, do you know if i can apply for a multiple entry vias at the consulate in Bali when i go to get an extension? I will need to arrange an extension at the end of December, but i leave Bali in the first week in Januray 2011 (wasting 20 days of the visa) to then come back at the end of February as my flight home is from Bali. This was a last minute decision to extend. I basically am looking for ways to keep costs low and at the moment it looks like i will need to purchase 2 VOA and 1 extension. Any suggestions? Thank you.

Reply

Paul Goodchild December 2, 2010 at 11:12

Heya Cat,

If I understand your predicament properly, I’d say that no, you cannot obtain more than 1 extension, and I don’t believe they support “multiple entry” tourist visa. Once you extend your VoA, you must leave. (I believe).
I could be wrong about that.
If your return flight is out of bali, you might be cheaper moving it to another location with free entry visa. Pay the fees for the change of booking and make life easier on yourself. Add up the costs of making your way back to Bali for the flight out and decide if the cost “savings” are worth the effort.

Hope you get it sorted! =)
Paul.

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Nul May 14, 2011 at 11:24

That’s helpful, but the problem I have is the travel cost.  I’m staying in Ubud and the official DIY process requires you to travel to DPS twice.  It’s easily 250k Rp round trip, so 250k Rp Visa fee plus 500k Rp transport = 750k Rp and several travel agents in Ubud will do it for you for 600k Rp and you don’t have to wait in line, deal with the horrible DPS traffic, etc….

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Paul Goodchild May 15, 2011 at 12:08

 yea, that’s a bit tricky if you’re local to DPS. You might be as well to just use the agency in this case.  I was living in Seminyak so it was easy for me to do it.  Perhaps find out where the agencies in Ubud actually process it .. perhaps there’s someone more “local”?

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Craig Morton June 20, 2011 at 04:46

Hey man..I’m in Ubud right now and looking to do the same thing.  What travel agent did you use and were they good?  If so, could you give me the address?  Thanks

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Paul Goodchild June 20, 2011 at 08:33

heya, I didn’t use an agent myself, but while I was in Ubud, I did see one on the main street that advertised – perhaps they’re gone now, but I’d say if you ask around, someone will be able to point you in the right direction.  Good luck!

Craig July 17, 2011 at 04:45

Thanks man. I got it all sorted at Bali Mode. Was a bit slow, but they are most reputable. As well, throw in a week long festival and that really made it drag, but got it back in the end. Cheers

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Paul Goodchild July 17, 2011 at 19:40

Hey Craig,
Glad to hear you got it sorted… I can only imagine the delays that would be compounded with a festival, but great that you got it in the end.
Cheers for the tip.
Paul.

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gary August 7, 2012 at 02:24

I assume the same advice applies to those with a 60 day pre bought visa who also want to extend for 30 days

Reply

Paul Goodchild August 7, 2012 at 20:16

Hey Gary,

I’d guess so, but I really don’t know for sure… and even now, I might be a little out-of-date with this article.

If you take a look, please let me know how you get on and I’ll update the article.
Cheers,
Paul.

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Annabel August 14, 2012 at 12:59

Hi there,

My partner and I are planning to fly out to Indonesia from Sydney in 10 days. We’ve been before and just got a VOA when we landed, but this time we’re planning to travel for longer, but we’re unable to apply for the longer 60 day visa before arrival due to time constraints. I’ve heard it’s relatively easy to extend the 30 day VOA, but are you able to extend the visa as soon as you land, so that you can have a visa that is 60 days long from the start, or can you only apply for another 30 day extension once you are nearing the end of the 30 day visa on arrival?

Thanks alot, Annabel

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Jimena October 2, 2012 at 04:29

We went to the immigration office today (20k cab from kuta) to get our visa extended. we had to pay 5k to buy the folder and form, and thankfully we already had all our copies and papers (they DO ask for your outbound flight). the office hours were 9:30-12 to receive the application. The information lady looked at our paperwork and said it was fine, but we were applying too early. She said we should wait until we had been in the country 2 weeks, (but not more than 3) before applying. so, she did not receive our papers. she said there are offices in Denpasar, Lovina, and Lombok, ad that they are faster.
good luck to all!

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Simone November 4, 2012 at 11:46

Hi
I was just wondering when you go to book your flights and know you are going to extend your VISA while in bali, do you book your flights for the time you intend on coming home or book the flight on the the date your VISA expires?

regards, Simone

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Paul Goodchild November 15, 2012 at 09:39

Hey, I’m not sure what I did I at the time, but I’d say I booked my flights for when I was leaving after the visa extension. I don’t honestly remember exactly how I played that out…

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Edd January 16, 2013 at 14:04

Hi,
I’m currently in Bali and have successfully just renewed my ‘Visa on Arrival’. This site was really useful in giving me some idea what to expect, despite being a bit outdated. I thought I’d try and help others with the most up to date info. Most of it correct, but heres a ‘quick’ outline of what I encountered. Hope this is useful..

Firstly, as mentioned, it is possible to pay an ‘agent’ to do the whole thing for you. Friends of mine paid between $60-$90. It is much less hassle, providing all goes to plan. However if it doesn’t or the ‘agent’ messes you around they have your money, passport and numerous other documents.

If you decide to do it yourself then here’s what I did;
– take the documents mentioned above with you 7 DAYS before the date your Visa on Arrival is due to expire. (Mine happened to be on a Saturday and I found out the hard way they are closed Saturday+Sunday. In this case go BEFORE the 7 day period, not after or they will ask you a lot of questions).
– If you don’t have a photo copy of all the relevant documents, they won’t help you until you do…again I found out the hard way. (You may assume they have a photocopying facility at a price, but the don’t. However I was directed to a little place 5 minutes away where you can get anything copied).
– You pay R5,000 for a folder and paperwork you have to fill out.
– You then wait to be called up to hand it in. They will ask you general questions about why you want to stay longer and you’ll be free to go. (In my experience an iPod is an absolute life saver!!).
– Before you leave they will give you a receipt telling you the Date and Time to return with your payment. (I think 2 days is pretty standard).
– Those 2 days later you turn up with R250,000 , wait around and give them your money when called up.
– Again before you leave you will be given a receipt with the Date and Time to return and pick up your passport with renewed Visa stamp. (Now I assumed this would be another 2 days later which I gather is normal, but in my case it was much longer. I happened to apply in the middle of a national holiday time, and actually had to wait 6 days before I was asked to return).
– When you go back at the designated Time and Date, however long that may be, it’s simple. Again you wait around a while, then you are simply given your passport back with a new stamp in it extending you Visa for another 30 days. You will not be given back any of the photocopied documents or the folder you lodged your application with.

I must state that I have no idea how it works if wish to renew the Visa for a second time. It may or may not be exactly the same process. I have heard of people staying for 3/4/5 months but I’m not sure if it’s a case of simply renewing over and over again.

In summary it would save you a fair amount of time getting there and back 3 times, and the waiting around, to pay an ‘agent’. There do appear to be plenty of reputable ones around, and they stick out like a sore thumb with their Hawiian Shirts when your actually in the Immigration Office. However like I mentioned earlier, if it does go wrong you could be in trouble. Also if there are any complications which need your answering, you wont be there to sort it. Up to you!

Cheers,
Edd

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Jade Palmer February 14, 2013 at 03:55

Hey Paul,

Thanks for the information posted here, it was simple and effictive. I currently live and rent a house in Lombok, but have not previously needed a visa extention due to flying to work in australia most weeks.
I would like to add some information which might help fellow travellers as I was turned away from the immigration office in Lombok yesterday.
Upon arrival at the kantor Immigrasi, you have to buy the red folder of paperwork which costs 5000rp. In the office in lombok the desk for selling paperwork is downstairs. when you have this, head back upstairs, fill in the forms, then proceed to the desk to submit documents.

I brought photocopies of passport, VOA and outbound flight – which I have booked to Malaysia for when my extended visa will expire. HOWEVER take note that they did not accept my forms because they also requested to see a print out of my flight itinery ARRIVING in Indonesia (I had bought separate tickets in and out of the country). They need this before they will accept forms, or, apparently they will also accept the little white arrivals card which gets stamped when you arrive at customs in Indonesia – but this will be accepted at an exrta cost.
I just wanted to share this information to minimise people’s trips to the ever hectic immigration offices! hope it helps.

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Gloria May 21, 2013 at 13:04

Hi Jade and Paul,
Sorry my english is not so good!! I have to fly to Jakarta for 2months but did not get in time my visa from ambassy here in Spain. Every thing wass arranged in the last moment!!

I book a ticket Amsterdam Jakarta Amsterdam (60days) and another ticket to Malasya after my first 30 days in Indonesia.

My question is if you think is possible to fly in Indonesia and before my Visa ends fly for a weekend to Malasya and then in again for another 30 days??

Or is better to get and extended Visa in Jakarta??

Thanks for your help.
Is my first trip and Im a bit afraid..

Reply

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