Tourists Issued Important Updates To Avoid Serious Bali Visa Extension Errors

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We all want to be able to spend as much time as possible in Bali, right? A one or two-week vacation is just never long enough!

Fortunately, for those who have the time, it is possible to stay in Bali as a tourist for up to 60 days at a time with the extended eVisa on arrival.

Indonesia’s eVisa-on-Arrival allows tourists to stay in the country for up to 30 days at a time. The visa costs IDR 500,000 and can be extended once only for a further 30 days, bringing the total number of days to 60. The visa can be applied for online, via the official Indonesian immigration website, prior to touching down in Bali.

By applying for the e-Visa on Arrival, as opposed to arranging the visa on arrival at Bali Airport, tourists can save time on their busy travel day and make use of the autogates upon arrival and departure. 

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In late 2024, Bali welcomed the arrival of a series of new autogates at both the arrival and departure areas of the international terminal. The autogates reduce immigration check times to just seconds, streamlining the airport process for passengers upon arrival and departure. 

Having the eVisa on arrival also enables tourists to extend their stay without having to visit the immigration office. For Bali lovers familiar with the immigration process of years past, you’ll appreciate how much of an improvement this is.

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Not too long ago, the only way long-staying tourists in Indonesia could extend their visa on arrival was to visit the closest immigration office not once but three times if they were completing the extension process without the help of a visa agent.

The first visit was to drop off the passport, the second a few days later was for an interview and for an immigration officer to collect biometrics like fingerprints and photographs, and the applicant had to return a third time a few days later to collect their passport and extended visa. 

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Now, the process is far simpler and more efficient. Those holding an eVisa on Arrival can complete the application process online.

However, Indonesian Immigration has issued updated advice to help tourists avoid making serious errors while applying for visa extensions. According to the Indonesian Immigration, there are three common reasons why tourists have their extension applications put on hold. 

The first is missing documents. Indonesian Immigration says that many applicants fail to attach the correct documents to their application. Without the proper paperwork, Immigration officers cannot process the extension, and the application status remains ‘pending’.

The second reason is incorrect documents. Just as many applications for extensions are submitted with incorrect paperwork, incorrect documents are also considered unclear, blurry, poorly scanned, or photographed. Applicants must make sure that all documents attached to their applications are clear and readable, not pixelated, poorly cropped, or incorrectly oriented. 

The third reason is perhaps the most easy error to make. Incorrect personal data is a major reason why applications are put on hold.

Applicants must be diligent about ensuring that every aspect of their data input is correct. It is incredibly simple to wrongly input a passport number or expiry date or to type a name or email address incorrectly, for example. 

After all this explanation, Indonesian Immigration wants to give their assurances that though these errors are serious, they are fixable.

Tourists should check their application status regularly. If the application keeps showing ‘pending,’ applicants should be sure to double-check their data input, correct any errors, and resubmit the application as soon as possible.