You need a visa to visit Indonesia. From the lakes of Sumatra to the cultural center of the nation, Java, to Bali, Sulawesi, Flores, Ambon, West Papua and the Banda islands – every journey in Indonesia means a fascinating discovery. Indonesia is geographical located on an arc of volcanoes fault plane surrounding the Pacific Basin, which makes the country vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly earthquakes. There are three ways to enter Indonesia.
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Exemption
This visa is the stamp that is on your passport upon arrival at the airport. If the purpose of the trip is essentially for tourism and is sure to come after 30 days, requesting for exemption is a better option. US citizens entering Indonesia via exemption must leave the country after 30 days. Neither the extension of stay nor upgrading to another status of visas can be allowed. When using this exemption, you must enter and exit through some designated entry points such as Kualanamu Airport (Medan), Soekarno-Hatta (Jakarta), Ngurah Rai (Bali), Juanda Airport (Surabaya), Nadim Airport Hang (Batam) and so on. Also waterways such Sekunpang, Sri Bintan, Batam Center seaports and any other ports approved for this purpose by the Indonesian Directorate of Immigration. Any attempt to go through any other non-designated airport or seaport for exemption might attract penalties or results in delays.
On Arrival
You may request for visa-on-arrival to Indonesia If you are visiting family or traveling for other purposes. It is valid for a maximum of 30 days at a cost of $35. It can be extended just once for another 30 days via immigration office in Indonesia. The cost of extending on arrival is also $35. Visa-on-arrival is however not available for government officials who want to go to Indonesia for diplomatic reasons or official purposes.
In Advance
American citizens who possess a limited passport (passport issued with its validity less than 10 years for adults and less than five years for minors) must collect a visa before entering Indonesia. They are ineligible nor qualified for visa-on-arrival and visa exemption.
Traveling for any other purposes requires the appropriate Indonesian visa which has to be obtained before arrival.
Indonesian entry requirements can change at the discretion of the Indonesian authorities. Whether a traveler qualifies for the visa-on-arrival, exception visa or advance visa issued before traveling solely depends on the Indonesia immigration official at your port of entry. Of course, this is not guaranteed for any travelers. The procedures for obtaining visas for entry in Indonesia can vary from port to port but Indonesian authorities in the port usually make a restrictive decision when faced with the making decision.
You can apply for Indonesian visa at their Embassy in Washington, DC, or any Indonesian consulate in the United States. As the case may be, visas can be applied for at embassies and consulates of Indonesia in other countries.
Visa Information
• Applicants must have full passport will be presented at the request of inspection when applying for the visa.
• Starting from the date of entry into Indonesia, the passport must be valid for a minimum of six months.
• Applicants must carefully complete the appropriate visa forms depending on the purpose of the visit because once the visa is issued (stamped in the passport), it cannot be cancelled or transferred under any circumstance to another visa type.
• You are advised to write boldly in block letters. Illegible can cause your application not to be processed.
• Application forms must be original and signed personally by the applicant. Forms that are downloaded from Indonesian embassy’s site should be printed double sided. This means only completed double faced application forms are accepted.
• Applicants whose applications need a referral to the Indonesian government should receive the approval of the visa application before purchasing tickets (plane, ship or other).
• All visa instructions and regulations must be strictly adhered to for well-being of every individual who wants to visit Indonesia in order to avoid problems and complications associated with his/her entry into the country.
• Unfortunately, Israel’s passport holders are unable to enter the Republic of Indonesia at the moment. Either as a tourist or otherwise without special authorization and clearance from the Immigration it’s not possible. At the moment Israel and Indonesia do not share diplomatic relations.
• Irrespective of nationality, all visitors who want to travel to Papua must obtain a special permit. The Department of State Police in the capital and Indonesian Immigration Office must agree before stepping this area.
