Did you plan to discover Indonesia and especially Bali? Are you wondering if you need a visa to get there? Here are the answers to your questions!
Bali. Just the name makes you want to travel. The best known and most visited island in the Indonesian archipelago, it is also the only one in the Hindu majority country. Temples like that of Tanah Lot , meditative retreat in Ubud, beach in Padang-Padang, surf in Uluwatu, volcano at Mount Agung, holiday in Kuta: Bali offers an incredible diversity of activities! A visa for Bali is synonymous with holidays and disbursement.
The island is also known by its Zen and quiet lifestyle, and its healthy food. Far from the tumult of the capital Jakarta or even European cities, Bali offers a haven of peace and a call to escape. To crown everything, the Baliese are very nice and welcoming. So what are you waiting for to get to Bali?
Now that the start is approaching, you probably ask yourself the question: do you need a visa for Bali and more generally Indonesia? Good news: as a French citizen, if you stay in the country less than 30 days, you are visa-free! For travellers wishing to stay longer, a visa on arrival is generally possible. In this guide, you will discover all the information you need to know to go to Bali in peace!
Stays less than 30 days: visa exemption for Bali
A presidential decree, adopted in March 2016, allows nationals from 169 countries to receive a visa exemption. Among them is France. This is good news because the vast majority of travellers remain less than 30 days in Bali and Indonesia. In addition, many travel reasons allow for this exemption: tourism, business travel, humanitarian and social, family visit...
There are a few prerequisites and conditions to obtain this visa exemption:
- the validity of the passport must be more than six months on the day of entry to Indonesia and the customs is very strict on this point,
- the passport must be in good condition and have at least two blank pages,
- although border police do not always check, a return ticket or other exit warrant is required,
- it is not possible to extend the stay once on site.
The last condition can be bypassed by leaving the country to return the following day or a few days later. At present, the Indonesian authorities accept this approach that a number of travellers make. In general, holidaymakers travel a few days to Singapore then return to Bali.
This visa exemption is only possible from certain entry points. L’ Bali airport of course, and there are twenty-eight others, Jakarta .
On the other hand, don’t try to prolong the pleasure beyond 30 days: you should then pay a million rupiah (about 70€) per day as a fine and you might even be detained! The penalty is applied to all, without exception.
Photo credit: Shutterstock – khlongwangchao
Stays between 30 and 60 days: visa on arrival (VOA)
For travellers who wish to make the most of the island and stay more than 30 days on site, you can get a visa for Bali on arrival with immigration services.
Be careful, be warned that the visa issued is only 30 days. You then wonder why you ask for a VOA ( Visa on Arrival ) if you can benefit from the visa exemption? Just because the arrival visa allows you to apply on-site a visa extension for 30 additional days.
Visa extension must be requested from an immigration office ( kantor imigrasi ) in Bali between 7 and 10 days before the initial visa expires. When you request, bring your passport and photocopy, the photocopy of the page with the VOA, your address in Bali, the photocopy of your return flight ticket... and if possible a black pen! In general, they do not.
Stays up to 90 days: visa exemption + arrival visa (VOA)
Know that it is quite possible to stay legally up to 90 days in Bali. To do so, you must first enter Indonesian territory by benefiting from the visa exemption during your first entry. Then you will have to leave the country before 30 days, for a weekend in Singapore for example. When you return to Bali, ask for an additional 30-day VOA. If you followed well, it's a total of 90 days in Bali!
As with visa-free travellers, long-term travellers must submit a return ticket or other exit documentation.
The visa price for Bali and Indonesia
If you stay less than 30 days, you have nothing to pay since you are visa-free.
For travellers wishing to stay more than 30 days, the cost of the visa is set at US$ 35. We have to pay in cash and extra cash. Nevertheless, the local currency is increasingly accepted and the price is then 500,000 Indonesian rupees, still in cash.
The visa extension price is also 35 US dollars or 500,000 Indonesian rupees.
Other tips for his visa for Bali and Indonesia
Know that it is not possible to convert your tourist stay to business stay, and vice versa. If you go to Bali for anything other than a holiday, go to the Indonesian Embassy in your country of residence. Sanctions are very heavy for "tourists" taken hand in the bag doing a little business in Indonesia!
Entry conditions for Belgian and Swiss nationals
Travellers of Belgian or Swiss nationalities benefit from the same entry conditions as French nationals. So refer to everything that was written above in this article.
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