The Indonesian Government recently announced citizens of forty five countries no longer need a tourist visa to enter Indonesia.
How Does Visa Free Entry To Indonesia Work?
If you are a citizen of one of the countries listed below, arrive at one of the entry points below and proceed to Passport Control. You do not need to stop and purchase a separate Visa On Arrival, which is $35 USD. You just go straight to Passport Control and the officials will stamp your passport with an immigration stamp allowing you to stay in Indonesia for 30 days. You then proceed to baggage reclaim and then out into Indo.
However, the visa free scheme is only available at certain entry and exit points. You must enter and exit though any one of the following air or sea ports. Your entry and exit points can be different from each other but must come from this list to make you eligible to get the Indonesian visa on arrival free of charge. If you want to enter or leave from anywhere else then the usual fees will apply (USD35) but you must choose which, free or USD35, at your entry point.
- Denpasar (Bali airport)
- Jakarta
- Surabaya
- Medan
- Batam
- Batam (sea)
- Bintan (sea)
Signage and information locally isn’t great and immigration officials aren’t warning travellers about the strict entry and exit gateways so do be keenly aware of this information, sharing with your fellow travellers too. Also be aware that the implementation of the new rules can be patchy with local immigration officials, so be patient if you run into difficulties.
Indonesia Holiday Essentials
- Flights To Indonesia: Find the cheapest seats and flight times to Bali from dozens of airlines, or to the capital Jakarta.
- Indonesia Airport Transfers: Book an airport transfer for hassle-free arrival at your hotel in Bali or Jakarta.
- Things To Do In Indonesia: Check the huge lists of activities and book online for Bali, Jakarta, Komodo, Yogyakarta, and Gili Islands.
- Indonesia Itineraries: Make the most of your trip with our 1-week and 2-week Bali itineraries, and our 1-, 2- and 3-day Ubud itinerary.
- Where To Stay In Indonesia: See our guides for the best areas and the best hotels to stay in Ubud.
- Indonesia Packing List: Don’t forget any of the essentials with our comprehensive Bali Packing List.
Visitors with a visa-free stamp will not be permitted to leave Indonesia from any exit point not listed above so make sure to buy a USD35 visa if your plans require you to leave from somewhere else. There are already reports from travellers that if you try to exit from a non-designated exit point, you will not only be refused, but you will have to travel domestically to a designated exit point to leave the country. It’s bureaucracy gone mad.
How To Get Your Visa Free Entry To Indonesia
- Make sure your country is one of the 45 countries that Indonesia is offering this visa too (list below).
- Ensure your passport has at least 6 months validity.
- Make sure you have one free page for the visa stamp.
- Don’t leave your boarding card on the plane, immigration officials are likely to want to see it now that they are no longer asking for an arrival card to be completed.
- Bring a print out of your return flight – rarely asked for but you never know !
- Check that your entry and exit points match up with the above list. (If they don’t match,you need to buy a visa on arrival, so you’ll need to join the visa on arrival queue before immigration and pay for your visa there.)
- Go to passport control in the immigration hall
If you have a visa-free stamp in your passport, you cannot extend your time in Indonesia. You’ll need to leave the country through one of the entry/exit points.
If before you arrive in Indonesia you think there’s a good chance you will want to stay longer than 30 days, get a visa on arrival for $35 and then you can extend that.
If you’re planning a trip to Indonesia, you may find How Much Money Do I Need For Bali and How Much Money Do I Need For Indonesia helpful. Top Ten Tips For Female Travelers To Bali is also popular.
Countries eligible for Indonesia visa-free travel:
Austria
Bahrain
Brunei
Belgium
Canada
Cambodia
Chile
Chech Republic
China
Denmark
Ecuador
Finland
France
Germany
Hongkong
Hungary
Italy
Japan
Kuwait
Laos
Macao SAR
Malaysia
Morocco
Mexico
Myanmar
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Poland
Peru
Philippines
Qatar
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
UAE
UK
USA
Vietnam
Thailand
Citizens of the following countries can only get an Indonesian Visa upon Arrival which costs USD35
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Egypt
Estonia
Fiji
Greece
Iceland
India
Ireland
Latvia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Maldives
Malta
Monaco
Panama
Portugal
Romania
Saudi Arabia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Suriname
Taiwan
Timor Leste
Tunisia
Turkey
If your country is not on this list then you need to apply for a visa at an Indonesian Embassy or Consulate within your country. For more info, please check the Wikipedia page about Indonesia Visa Requirements.
