Tourists in Bali this festive season who are due to make visa extension applications or need to access immigration services must be up to date on office closures.
Both Christmas and New Year are public holidays in Indonesia, and as a result, government services close during the joint annual leave period.
Tourists in Bali must be aware that the island’s Immigration Offices will be closed over the coming days, affecting access to immigration services both in person and online.
Bali’s Denpasar Immigration Office has confirmed, “Due to Christmas Day, we would like to inform all immigration applicants that the Denpasar Immigration Office on Thursday and Friday 25 25th and 26th December, will be closed.”
Denpasar Immigration Office adds, “The Office will be open normally on Monday, 29th December 2025. All foreign nationals, please be advised to plan your stay permit extension accordingly. Stay permits must be extended on working days prior to expiration.”
Tourists must be aware that Immigration Offices in Indonesia are closed on weekends and that the New Year is also a public holiday. This means that this year Immigration Offices and services will be closed and unavailable on 25th, 26th, 26th, 28th December and 1st January, followed by closures on 3rd and 4th January for the first weekend of the year.
This means that tourists and long-stay visitors in Bali who are due to make their stay permit or visa extension applications have limited days to lodge their paperwork. It is essential that tourists lodge their Hybrid Application System paperwork long before their visa expires.
While technically visa holders can lodge their extension the day prior to expiration at the latest, this is not a smart move. With all manner of potential delays possible, ranging from errors on the application form to delays from the Immigration services due to closures, it is simply not worth the risk of leaving extensions to the last minute.
The new Hybrid Application System was introduced in May 2025, and tourists are still adjusting to the changes in the system. The changes were brought into effect overnight, with little warning, and left some tourists unknowingly violating immigration laws. More than six months on since the new rules were brought into effect, there are no excuses for tourists getting their visa extension applications wrong.
Indonesian Immigration takes a zero-tolerance approach to overstaying. As explained by Indonesia Immigration, there is ‘nothing you can do to avoid an overstay fine.’
In a social media post, the agency explained, “Overstaying your permitted stay in Indonesia will result in a fine of Rp 1,000,000 per day, starting from the very first day of overstay. There is no way to avoid this fine; you must pay it whether you want to extend your stay or leave Indonesia.”
“Fine will be charged if you’re overstaying for more than 60 days; more than that, then you’ll be deported.”
Indonesian Immigration has outlined the most common mistakes travellers make when applying for their visa extension. The system now requires applicants to fill out an online form and then attend an in-person appointment at their closest Immigration Office to conduct biometrics and paperwork checks.
The most common mistakes applicants make when extending their visas include applying too late and risking overstay fees. Indonesian Immigration suggests applying at least 7 working days before expiry. The second most common mistake is not updating changes to the status of the stay, including new addresses, different sponsors, or passport details.
However, this is typically more of an issue for foreigners who are extending longer stay and socio-cultural visas, more so than those extending tourist visas.
The third most common reason is incomplete documents. Indonesia Immigration explains that incomplete files mean that extensions are denied.
They remind applicants to check all requirements prior to starting the extension application to make sure all documents are complete and ready to submit.
The fourth issue is often with incomplete payment. Indonesia Immigration explains that occasionally, some credit cards do not work in the system, or the system may be under maintenance. It’s essential to check that all payments have been completed before closing the applications page.
The fifth is down to relying on agents; tourists are reminded that they are solely legally responsible for their applications. The sixth is skipping the online application. The Hybrid Application System requires visa extension applicants to complete the paperwork online and attend the in-person appointment.
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