Visiting, Working & Living in Indonesia: Visa, Permits & Immigration
In this section we inform you about all the different visas and permits that are available (and required) in Indonesia which you need to obtain from an Indonesian embassy before entering Indonesia, arrange at the immigration point when entering Indonesia, or immigration matters that you need to arrange after you have entered the country.
This section is currently under construction
Through our free Newsletter we will notify when the section is online
In general foreigners need a visa to enter Indonesia. However, recently the government allowed an exemption for citizens of a number of countries. In this section we explain which person requires what visa: for example those who visit Indonesia for less than 30 days for tourism purposes, those who are to attend a business meeting, those who want to work and reside full-time in Indonesia, or those who seek to enjoy their retirement in Indonesia, and others.
One thing we would like to point out here is that the government of Indonesia sometimes has the tendency to (rather rigorously) change rules or policies, and therefore it is always a good decision to consult an Indonesian embassy when you decide to visit Indonesia, or, in case you want a business consultancy (agent) to handle your immigration matters you can contact us. Particularly for work and resident permits it is easier to let an agency do the paperwork and handle (most of) the visits to the immigration office (although today many processes are done online), rather than waste your time and energy on these matters. And, in fact, sometimes the Indonesian immigration officers are not even aware of the latest changes, which can make it a stressful event. A good agency has its network within the immigration office and can contact a higher officer to solve any possible problems.
Visa-Free Entry
Since March 2016 the government of Indonesia allows citizens of 169 countries to enjoy the visa-free facility, implying they do not need to arrange a tourist visa prior to departure to Indonesia. Who can use this facility? For what purpose? What are the requirements to obtain it?
Learn more about Indonesia's visa-free access
Visa on Arrival (VOA)
Rather similar to the visa-free facility is the visa on arrival in Indonesia. However, the main advantage of the visa on arrival is that you can extend it by 30 days (hence you can stay in Indonesia for a total of 60 days). But there is a fee involved and the extension requires a bit more of paperwork.
Learn more about Indonesia's visa on arrival
Visit Visa
You can arrange a visit visa at an Indonesian embassy if you want to stay for a longer period in Indonesia. With a visit visa you can stay in Indonesia for 60 days. However, you can extend it four times, each time by a 30-day period, hence you can remain in Indonesia continuously for a total of 180 days. Recently, Indonesia introduced the five-year multiple entry visit visa.