Many people who want to go abroad usually must apply for a visa for their country’s destination before they make their departure. However, there are instances when the visa is issued after they arrive in their destination country. This visa is known as a visa on arrival (VOA), a particular visa that is issued only after the visitor has made entry into that particular country. Indonesia’s visa on arrival in this regard is something worth knowing for all potential visitors.
Indonesia’s VOA Policy
Indonesia’s visa-on-arrival policy is designed in mind to alleviate the bureaucratic process of applying for a visa to enter the country. Compared to other visas that require processing before arrival in Indonesia, VOA is a boon for visitors who make frequent visits to Indonesia in a short amount of time.
Upon issuance, a single VOA applies for 30 days, after which it needs a one-time extension before the visa holder must switch to other visa types if their business in Indonesia is still unfinished.
According to the Indonesian government, Indonesia’s visa on arrival is issued for visitors with the following purposes:
- Tourism
- Governmental work
- Business talks
- Purchase of goods
- Pre-investment
- Transit
The latest iteration of the visa was officially announced in 2022 after several countries were added to the visa’s coverage, such as Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia, Egypt, Morocco, Serbia, Ukraine, and others. In this regard, citizens from 87 countries are now eligible to apply for and receive VOA upon arriving in Indonesia.
Achmad Nur Saleh, the Public Relations Sub-Coordinator of the Directorate General of Immigration, stated that the VOA could only be used for short-term purposes and visitors must change their visa if they wish to stay in Indonesia for a longer period, illustrating the visa’s purpose.
Related to this, he emphasized that foreigners who violate the visa will be subjected to Article 122 letters A and B of Law no. 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration.
How to Get One
Now that we know how the policy works, the following are the steps to get the visa after a visitor has made their entry into Indonesia.
Procedures for Visa Requests and Requirements
If you want to apply for a VOA, you can apply at the entry points (airport, seaport, land immigration port) across Indonesia, as seen in this link.
Afterward, prepare the following documents:
- Valid national passport for 6 months upon date of entry
- Return or onward ticket that indicates the date of departure from Indonesia
- Fee for the VOA (Rp 500.000)
If you come from a country not included as the VOA subject, you can rely on the policy of the Sponsor of Foreign Nationals to apply for the visa by fulfilling these requirements:
- Letter of request from the government or private institution
- Letter of approval (LoA) from the minister or designated Immigration Officer
To receive the LoA, you can apply for the letter through this link by attaching the following documents:
- Letter of request from the government or private institution containing the data of Foreign Nationals who wish to apply for the VOA
- A legal national/diplomatic/service passport valid for 6 months upon the issuance of the VOA
- A return/onward ticket from the applicant except for the crew of means of transport
Furthermore, ensure you are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus to receive the VOA.
Visa Application Workflow
The workflow of Indonesia’s visa on arrival is as follows:
- Full completeness check of your documents by the Immigration Officer
- Data filling in the provided form
- Pay the application fee after receiving the official payment code
- Data verification and profile creation by the Officer
- Approval of the visa grant by the Immigration Office and provision of the VOA sticker on the passport
If all of the documents have been submitted completely, the VOA can be given immediately at the entry point to the applicant. Once received, the applicant can enter Indonesia with a VOA in hand.
Conclusion
Because of its characteristics, Indonesia’s visa on arrival is becoming a definitive choice for many visitors with various visitation purposes. If you require this visa to work in Indonesia, izin.co.id can provide assistance. Email us at cs@izin.co.id or via WhatsApp.
You can also check InvestinAsia’s services for Indonesia visa application.
