COVID Regulations when traveling to Bali - Indonesia (updated)

International visa-free tourism in Bali has been put on a halt since March 2020. You can still visit Bali with a valid Visit Visa - APPLY HERE ONLINE, or Diplomatic visas for official ministerial visits or higher,  or with a KITAS or KITAP.

Beware of many hoaxes, rumors, clickbait articles, and false news spreading online.

More detailed Bali Corona Updates

PRE CORONA VISA REGULATIONS FOR INDONESIA AND BALI

WHAT WERE THE VISA REGULATIONS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC

Pre-Corona Visa and Immigration Regulations for Bali and Indonesia

Following are the visa regulations that were in place BEFORE the corona outbreak. It’s fair to assume that the government of Indonesia will gradually return to this rather liberal approach to allow foreigners to visit Indonesia. Visitors from more than 160 countries could come to Bali without any Visa needed, if they stay less than 30 days (Free Visa Entry Stamp or Visa Exemption). If you wished to stay longer or have a passport from other than those countries, visa regulations would apply.

Corona Visa Updates

Pre-Corona

These are the visa and travel regulations that were established pre-corona.

Key Facts

…for Bali and Indonesia

  • Visa Regulations are always based on your passport / nationality, not on your residency
  • Over 160 nationalities need no Visa (FREE ENTRY; see list below, max. stay 30 days)
  • A Free Entry Stamp (30 days valid) CANNOT be extended
  • Passport must always be valid at least 6 months (for social visa 12 months) from day of arrival. No exceptions.
  • Keep a page on passport empty for stamp or visa sticker!
  • Day of arrival counts as day one, day of departure counts as full day
  • Penalty fee for overstaying IDR 1,000,000 per day (previously 300,000)
  • Don’t bring more than IDR 100mio in cash (ca. AUD 10,000)
  • In need of sponsor letters, KITAS, Visa extensions, etc working with a reliable agent is strongly recommended

Basics:

Even though the visa requirements for Indonesia have become much less complicated over the years, still, there is a lot of confusion out there, particularly when it comes to staying longer than 30 days.

We want to help you to clarify the most important facts if you wish to travel to Bali and Indonesia. We would have loved to come up with a short article that would explain all the options very briefly, however, particularly if you intend to stay longer than 30 days, there are several options we need to address. So, it’s advisable to spend a little time on this article to figure out your best visa “solution”. If you only want to visit as a tourist for less than 30 days, then citizens of more than 160 countries have nothing to worry about. See list below under section 1.

Just make sure the passport is valid six if not 12 months! We do our utmost to keep on top of the immigration rules, but we cannot be held responsible for this information or any service provided by an agent.

 

The official immigration website of Indonesia is www.imigrasi.go.id.

Brief Overview

These are the most common options visitors choose, when they come to Indonesia, provided, that main purpose is traveling as a tourist and not work or engage in any form of paid business. (Please check the country lists below, to see what visa regulations for Bali Indonesia applies to you):

  • Free Visa stamp (more than 160 countries (FREE entry, 30 days valid NOT extendable)
  • Visa on Arrival (VoA, costs IDR 500,000, 30 days valid, can be extended once for 30 days)
  • Social, Tourist or cultural Visa (B-211) (can stay 60 days, can be extended three times for 30 days each, issued by consulate or embassy outside Indonesia, extension can be done in Indonesia). Sponsor Letter Needed
  • Multiple Entry Visa (stay up to 60 days per visit, valid 1 year, issued by consulate or embassy outside Indonesia)
  • Doing Business in Indonesia (not employment), such as networking, meetings, sourcing: Multiple Business Visa is the way to go.
  • If you wish to be employed, you need to get a work permit and KITAS. You need the help of a visa agent and/or your employer will have to handle the process by themselves. In any case, a company needs to sponsor your employment, which comes with quite a few requirements and costs.
  • Ready to retire in Indonesia and enjoy the sweet life in Bali? One can apply for a Retirement Visa Index 319.
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Holiday
Staying less than 30 days

Two main options:

a.) Check the list below, if you are eligible for VISA Exemption. If yes, then you don’t need to worry nor prepare anything.

b.) If your country is NOT listed, then you HAVE TO to apply for a Tourist / Social Visa (B-211) at an Indonesian Embassy or Consulate outside of Indonesia, and you will require to present a sponsor letter

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Holiday
between 30-60 days

Two main options:

If your country is mentioned in list 2.) and you are eligible for Visa on Arrival (VoA, valid 30 days), you can purchase one in the arrival hall at the airport. A VoA can be extended once (+30 days). For this process, no sponsor letters needed.

Or, you can apply for a 60 days B-211 tourist/ social visa in an Indonesian Embassy abroad. If your country is not listed in section 2.) in any case you will HAVE TO to apply for a B-211 (Sponsor Letter Needed)

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Holiday
more than 60 days

Two main options:

As a tourist, you can leave Indonesia for a day and re-enter again, even the next day. You can then get another Visa on arrival or if you need less than 30 days, just get the free entry stamp (Visa Exemption).

If you have already a social visa, this can be extended up to 4 times while you are in Bali, for one month each. More longterm options should be discussed with a Visa Agent (e.g. Multiple Entry Visa). On any case, we always suggest to work with a reliable visa agent for extensions.

Visa & Permits for Indonesia and Bali

Visa on ArrivalHow to get it (30days)

Visa on Arrival ExtensionHow to extend it (30 days)

Visit Visa (Social & Business Visa B-211)How to get it (60days)

Social & Tourist Visa ExtensionHow to extend it (30days)

Sponsor Letter (e.g. for visit visa)How to get it

Multiple Entry VisaHow to get it (1year)

Multiple Business VisaHow to get it (1year)

Work Permit / KitasHow to get it (1year)

Retirement Visa (Lansia, Pensiun)How to get it

1. List of Countries with Visa exemption

Free Visa Stamp – MAX. 30 days, NO extension possible, purpose of visit: Tourism & Social Visit only.
Albania Guyana Philippines
Algeria Haiti Poland
Andorra Honduras Portugal
Angola Hong Kong Puerto Rico
Antigua and Barbuda Hungary Qatar
Argentina Iceland Romania
Armenia India Russian Federation
Australia Ireland Rwanda
Austria Italy Saint Kitts and Nevis
Azerbaijan Ivory Coast Saint Lucia
Bahamas Jamaica Saint Vincent and Grenadines
Bahrain Japan Samoa
Bangladesh Jordan San Marino
Barbados Kazakhstan Sao Tome and Principe
Belarus Kenya Saudi Arabia
Belgium Kiribati Senegal
Belize Kuwait Serbia
Benin Kyrgyzstan Seychelles
Bhutan Lao, People’s Democratic Republic Singapore
Bolivia Latvia Slovakia
Bosnia & Herzegovina Lebanon Slovenia
Botswana Lesotho Solomon Islands
Brazil Liechtenstein South Africa
Brunei Darussalam Lithuania South Korea
Bulgaria Luxemburg Spain
Burkina Faso Macao Sri Lanka
Burundi Macedonia Suriname
Cambodia Madagascar Swaziland
Canada Malawi Sweden
Cape Verde Malaysia Switzerland
Chad Maldives Taiwan
Chile Mali Tajikistan
China Malta Tanzania
Comoros Marshall Islands Thailand
Costa Rica Mauritania Timor Leste
Croatia Mauritius Togo
Cuba Mexico Tonga
Cyprus Moldova Trinidad and Tobago
Czech Republic Monaco Tunisia
Denmark Mongolia Turkey
Dominica (Commonwealth) Morocco Turkmenistan
Dominican Republic Mozambique Tuvalu
Ecuador Myanmar Uganda
Egypt Namibia Ukraine
El Salvador Nauru United Arab Emirates
Estonia Nepal United Kingdom
Fiji Netherlands United States
Finland New Zealand Uruguay
France Nicaragua Uzbekistan
Gabon Norway Vanuatu
Gambia Oman Vatican City State
Georgia Palau Venezuela
Germany Palestine Vietnam
Ghana Panama Zambia
Greece Papua New Guinea Zimbabwe
Grenada Paraguay
Guatemala Peru
This is not the Visa On Arrival!!!

2. List of Countries that can get a Visa on Arrival (VoA)

Remember: Visa on Arrival is VOLUNTARY and makes (only) sense if you stay between 30 and 60 days. Then this is a good option, because it can be extended ONCE for 30 days, while you stay in Bali. NO need to leave the country.

AlgeriaIndiaRussia

List of country of origin, that are eligible for a Visa on Arrival for Bali, Indonesia.
Argentina Ireland Saudi Arabia
Australia Italy Slovakia
Austria Japan Slovenia
Bahrain Kuwait South Africa
Belgium Latvia South Korea
Brazil Liechtenstein Spain
Bulgaria Lithuania Suriname
Canada Luxembourg Sweden
Cyprus Maldives Switzerland
Czech Malta Taiwan
Denmark Mexico Timor Leste
Egypt Netherlands Tunisia
Emirates (UAE) New Zealand Turkey
Estonia Norway United Kingdom
Fiji Oman United States
Finland Panama
France P.R China
Germany Poland
Greece Portugal
Hungary Qatar
Iceland Romania

3. Nationals of countries, who need to apply for a visa, in any case, if they want to come to Bali or any other place in Indonesia

If you have a passport from a country that is not listed in list one or two, then you need then you HAVE TO apply for a visa ABROAD – in one of the Indonesian embassies or consulates outside of Indonesia.
You need a sponsor letter from an Indonesian citizen to get a visa. For some countries, this can be arranged with the help of a reliable visa agent. Usually, it isn’t easy to arrange a visa for nationals from:
Pakistan (NEW: Sponsor Letter can be arranged with the help of an agent!)

  1. Iran
  2. Israel
  3. North Korea
  4. Cameroon
  5. Liberia
  6. Niger
  7. Nigeria
  8. Somalia
  9. Afghanistan
  10. Guinea
  11. Syria

For citizens of these countries, it CAN be indeed very challenging to get a standard tourist visa. The local agent here in Bali can usually NOT organise a standard sponsorship letter, and tourists will have to go through the Indonesian Embassy abroad. There is one exception, which is called a Calling Visa, for which the visa agent can initiate the process. However, there are costs involved of up to USD 2,500.