What visa do you need for a holiday in Bali (Indonesia) and how to extend it?

Are you planning a trip to Bali?

– Plan to buy a SIM card to have internet access

– Book your activities in advance with Civitatis

– Protect yourself with insurance that offers good coverage. For example, with Heymondo (5% discount by using this link)

We can’t say it enough, how lucky we are to have a French passport! It allows us to arrive in 112 countries without any prior visa procedures.

Indonesia (and therefore Bali) is one of those countries; there’s no need to apply for a visa at the Indonesian embassy before you go, at least for stays of less than 60 days.

Upon arriving in Indonesia, you’ll still have a choice to make:

• Either take advantage of the visa exemption, in which case you’ll be allowed to stay for 30 days (not a month) with no possibility of extension.
• Or apply for the visa on arrival (VOA) valid for 30 days, which you can renew once.

The visa exemption

To take advantage of the visa exemption, it couldn’t be simpler. Once you arrive, just go to the immigration counter with your passport, get a stamp, and you’re done.

Be patient, as there can be a queue (we waited about 1 hour).

Visa on arrival

To get a visa on arrival, you’ll need to dig into your pockets.

Before the immigration counters, look for the “visa on arrival” counter.

You’ll need to pay 500,000 IDR per person, which you can pay:

• By card with an additional 3% fee
• In cash in 15 different currencies (including euros, so 33 euros in June 2022)

The rates per currency probably aren’t updated very often. While the IDR-EUR exchange rate is fair, the IDR-USD rate was unfavorable, given the dollar’s appreciation in recent months.

Once paid, make sure to keep the receipt and queue up at the immigration counters. Show the receipt to the immigration officer. A stamp and you’re good to stay for 30 days (not a month).

VOA extension

If you’ve chosen the visa on arrival, you can request a one-time extension for an additional 30 days.

You’ll need to be a bit patient, as you’ll have to visit the Kantor Imigrasi :

• Once to fill out the paperwork and drop off your passport
• Once to provide your fingerprints
• Once to pick up your passport

With two working days required between each step and a risk of long waits at each stage (for the photo and fingerprint session, even arriving at opening time, we had to wait 45 minutes before being seen).

On our end, we preferred to spend money to save time by going through an agency (see below). Especially since there’s no Kantor Imigrasi in Ubud, and we would have had to travel for each step.

If you handle the process yourself, you’ll need to spend 500,000 IDR per person (the same price as on arrival).

Note that you must initiate the extension request no earlier than 7 days after your arrival and no later than 7 days before the VOA expires.

To enter the immigration office, you must wear a mask (as of July 2022) and dress appropriately: no flip-flops, no shorts or skirts, no sleeveless tops, etc. However, a solution is offered to the forgetful who need to cover their legs 😉

Going through an agency

By going through an agency, you’ll pay about 300,000 IDR in service fees, but you’ll only need to visit the Kantor Imigrasi for the fingerprint appointment. If you’re staying in Ubud, you’ll save a lot of time since the immigration office is more than an hour’s drive away.

Find the agency closest to you (check reviews) and drop off your passport. A few days later, they’ll notify you that you need to go in person for the photo and fingerprinting at immigration. You can then pick up your passport from the agency.

For those in a hurry, some agencies offer a pickup , and drop off service for your passport directly at your accommodation. There’s also an express process that takes 3 business days compared to 10-12 business days for the standard procedure. It’s the only option if you’ve procrastinated and need to apply for a visa extension at the last minute.

Planning a trip to Bali? Our partner Get Your Guide offers entry tickets and guided tours with French-speaking guides at very reasonable rates. Click here to see what they offer and book online.