Immigration in Indonesia can be a confusing space to navigate. From eVisas to hybrid Extension applications, from Stay Permits to Global Citizen Residency, there is a whole heap of terminology to get up to speed with.
This is why at The Bali Sun we share regular updates summarising Indonesian Immigration policies,as well as the breaking travel and immigration news.
indonesian immigration has issued a necessary clarification for foreign nationals in the country. The clarification is simple but crucial for those who are set to navigate the immigration system more deeply. The differentiation Indonesia Immigration wants to make clear is between a visa and a stay permit.
Indonesia Immigration has issued this update in as simple terms as possible, sharing the key differences in summary: “Visa: Permission to enter the country. obtained before arrival. Stay Permit: Permission to reside in the country. Obtained after arrival.”
This is as straightforward as it seems, but the implications of getting these two immigration categories mixed up could be costly.
The visa costs IDR 500,000 per person, and tourists from Australia, New Zealand, most European nations, China, India, and the USA can all apply for this visa.
Indonesia scrapped visa-free travel for most of Bali’s most frequent international arrivals after the pandemic; though, a new agreement between Indonesia and South Africa offering visa-free travel to Indonesia for South African passport holders offers hope that more visa-free travel could be rolled out again in the future.
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