Bali Visa Complete Guide

The Visa on Arrival is the most commonly used entry permit for tourists visiting Bali. It grants a 30-day stay and costs IDR 500,000 (approximately USD 35). Citizens of over 90 countries are eligible, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, most EU nations, and many Asian countries. Your passport must have at least six months of validity remaining from your date of entry and at least one blank page for the visa stamp. The VOA can be purchased at dedicated counters after passing through immigration at Ngurah Rai Airport, or at other designated entry points across Indonesia. Payment can be made in Indonesian Rupiah, US Dollars, or by credit card at the airport. The process is straightforward: join the VOA purchase queue, pay the fee, receive your receipt, then proceed to the immigration counter where the officer stamps your passport with the 30-day visa. Importantly, the VOA counts both your arrival day and departure day as full days. So if you arrive on March 1, your 30 days expire on March 30, and you must depart by that date. The key advantage of the VOA over visa-free entry is that it can be extended once for an additional 30 days, giving you up to 60 days total in Indonesia.

The e-VOA is the online version of the standard Visa on Arrival, allowing you to complete the application and payment before you even board your flight to Bali. Introduced to reduce queuing times at the airport, the e-VOA grants the same 30-day stay with the same extension options as the traditional VOA, but eliminates the need to wait in line at the airport counter. To apply, visit the official Indonesian immigration portal at molina.imigrasi.go.id. You will need to upload a passport photo page scan, a recent selfie-style photo, and provide your flight details and accommodation address in Bali. The fee is the same IDR 500,000, payable by credit card or bank transfer. Processing typically takes between one hour and 24 hours, though during peak travel periods it can take up to 48 hours. Once approved, you receive a PDF confirmation with a QR code via email. Print this document or save it on your phone. At Ngurah Rai Airport, you skip the VOA purchase counter entirely and proceed directly to the immigration line, where the officer scans your QR code and stamps your passport. During busy arrival periods, particularly when multiple international flights land simultaneously between 8 PM and midnight, skipping the VOA queue can save you 30 to 60 minutes.

Indonesia offers visa-free entry for citizens of select countries, primarily ASEAN member states and a handful of other nations. This allows a stay of up to 30 days at no cost. While this sounds attractive, it comes with one critical limitation: it cannot be extended under any circumstances. Once your 30 days are up, you must leave Indonesia. The list of eligible countries for visa-free entry is relatively short and has been revised multiple times. As of the current policy, it primarily covers citizens of ASEAN nations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Brunei, along with a few other countries. Most Western passport holders, including those from the US, UK, EU, Australia, and Canada, are not eligible for visa-free entry and must use the VOA. If you are eligible for both visa-free entry and the VOA, your choice depends entirely on trip length. For stays of 30 days or fewer with no possibility of wanting to extend, the visa-free option saves you IDR 500,000. But if there is even a small chance you might want to stay longer than 30 days, pay for the VOA instead. There is no way to convert a visa-free entry into an extendable visa once you have entered the country, and overstaying a visa-free entry carries the same IDR 1,000,000 per day penalty as any other visa violation.

The B211A visa is the go-to option for travelers planning to spend more than 60 days in Bali. It is officially classified as a social or cultural visa and is widely used by digital nomads, long-term travelers, surfers chasing swells across multiple seasons, and anyone wanting an extended stay without leaving the country every two months. The initial validity is 60 days, and it can be extended up to four times, each extension adding 30 days, for a maximum total stay of 180 days (six months). Applying for the B211A requires a sponsor, which can be an Indonesian citizen, a registered company, or a licensed visa agent. Most travelers use a visa agent, which simplifies the process considerably. The agent handles the sponsor letter, application submission, and communication with immigration. Costs vary depending on the agent and whether you apply from abroad or within Indonesia, but expect to pay between USD 150 and USD 300 for the initial visa, with each 30-day extension costing an additional USD 50 to USD 100. The application can be submitted at an Indonesian embassy or consulate in your home country, or through an online process facilitated by your visa agent. You will need your passport, passport-sized photos, a completed application form, and proof of sufficient funds. Processing times range from three to ten business days. Once approved, you receive a telex or electronic approval that you present at immigration upon arrival in Bali. The B211A explicitly prohibits employment in Indonesia, though enforcement of remote work for foreign employers operates in a gray area.

Extending your visa in Bali, whether it is a VOA extension to 60 days or a B211A extension for additional 30-day periods, requires visiting an immigration office or using a registered visa agent. The process is the same regardless of where in Bali you are staying, though the specific immigration office you visit depends on your registered address. For a VOA extension, you must apply before your initial 30 days expire, ideally at least seven working days before the expiration date. The extension costs IDR 500,000 and requires your passport, a photocopy of your passport photo page and current visa stamp, a completed application form, and a passport-sized photo. The immigration office will take your passport for processing, which typically takes five to seven working days. During this period, you receive a receipt that serves as temporary identification. Most travelers find it far more convenient to use a visa agent for extensions. The agent handles all paperwork, visits the immigration office on your behalf, and delivers your passport back to you once the extension is stamped. Agent fees for a VOA extension typically run between IDR 500,000 and IDR 800,000 on top of the official government fee, bringing the total to roughly IDR 1,000,000 to 1,300,000 (USD 65 to 85). For B211A extensions, agents charge similar service fees per extension period. The convenience of not having to navigate Indonesian bureaucracy and not being without your passport for a week makes agent fees worthwhile for most visitors.

Overstaying your visa in Indonesia carries a fine of IDR 1,000,000 per day (approximately USD 65), with no grace period and no exceptions. If you overstay by even a single day, you will be required to pay the fine at the immigration counter when departing the country. For overstays of 60 days or more, the consequences escalate dramatically: you may be detained at an immigration detention facility, formally deported, and banned from re-entering Indonesia for a period determined by immigration officials. The most common mistakes travelers make include miscounting their visa days. Remember that both the arrival and departure days count as full days against your visa duration. If your VOA starts on January 1, day 30 is January 30, and you must pass through departure immigration by midnight on that date. Another frequent error is assuming that starting the extension process pauses the clock. It does not. Until the extension is formally approved and stamped in your passport, your original visa expiration date still applies. Other pitfalls include losing track of time during the B211A extension cycle, failing to account for Indonesian public holidays when planning extension applications, and not carrying passport copies while your passport is being processed for an extension. If you are stopped by police and cannot produce identification, it creates an unnecessary complication even if your visa status is technically valid. Always set a calendar reminder at least 10 days before any visa expiration date, and maintain a spreadsheet or note with all your visa dates, extension dates, and agent contact information throughout your stay.