The different Regions in Indonesia: Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Nusa Tengarra, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua.
Du willst dein VISA für Indonesien schon in Deutschland beantragen?
Erfahre hier wie du in der indonesischen Botschaft in Berlin dein Social Visum erhältst
General Information
Indonesia is incredibly diverse and full of contrasts. It has much more to offer than any other country we visited so far: From idyllic desert beaches with pristine clear water to amazing volcanic landscapes, unique tropical rainforests and underwater diversity; not to mention its exotic mixture of cultures where every island seems to be a new country itself. After 4 and a half months travelling through Indonesia, we cannot recommend it enough. It was one of the best (if not THE best) destinations of our journey through Southeast Asia.
With 18.110 Island (while only 6000 of them are inhabited) the country is gigantic. It is the largest archipelago of the world and more than 240 Million people live there. It has the largest Muslim population worldwide and even if the level of religiosity varies from island to island, it is important to keep this in mind in order to act according to their cultural and social rules. Around half of the population has to live on 2 $ a day, which means that life for most Indonesians is simple and hard and is made even harder by the fatal corruption that is deeply integrated into their society.
Indonesia’s tropical forests are the second-largest in the world after Brazil and are sadly similarly quickly logged down as the Brazilian Rainforest. The effects on the world’s climate are devastating.
Indonesia is much more than just Bali or Jakarta. You will find exciting and unique places there too, but if you fail to see anything else in Indonesia, you will have missed the best of this wonderful country. To really experience the diversity of Indonesia and the differences in between the islands, you will need to take your time. Travelling in Indonesia is slow, but therein lies some of its charm.
Entry Requirements
Passport
Your passport will have to be valid for 6 months beyond the planned date of entering Indonesia. Make sure it is not too full yet – it is a formal/legal requirement for entering Indonesia that your passport should have 2 empty pages in it when you arrive (so that it has enough space for their stamps)
Arrival Card
Before queueing up at the immigration upon arrival, you will have to fill in an arrival/departure card, which is usually handed out to passengers arriving by air during their flight. One question on this will ask where you are going to stay in Indonesia – just write down a single hotel and its address from your guidebook. The immigration officer will give part of this card back to you – take good care of it, as you will need to hand it over when leaving the country!
VISA Regulations:
VISA on Arrival
Indonesia offers VISA on arrival at all airports and border crossings. The VISA costs 25 US $ and is valid for one month (30 days). This tourist VISA can only be extended once, no matter what. Do this as early as possible, at best already in the first week after arrival. The VISA extension can take up to 7 work days which can stretch up to 2 weeks if many oficial holdays fall into that time. It is your responsibility to apply for the VISA in time. After the VISA on arrival was successfully extended once, the only way to get a new VISA is to leave and re-enter the country.
Requirements to get VISA on Arrival:
- Passport has to be valid at least 6 month at the day of departure
- One empty page in the passport
- A valid return ticket or a ticket to leave the country (We heard of people getting around that)
- Arrival at one of the following Airports: Medan, Pekanbaru, Padang, Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Denpasar (Bali) und Manado, Yogyakarta, Surakarta/Solo, Mataram, Balikpapan, Makassar, Kupang
Requirements for extension of a Visa on Arrival VISA
- Passport and Copy of Passport
- Filled out Extension Forms (you’ll get them at the imigration office)
- Two up to date Photos with a red background
- 250.000 Rp or $25 payment
Here is a detailled description on how to exactly extend your Visa on Arrival
Social and Tourist Visa
If you plan to stay longer than one month in Indonesia, its best to apply in an indonesian embassy in your country for a VISA. Thats the only way to get a two month VISA for Indonesia (called Social VISA) which can save you a lot of stress once your inside the country. The Visa you’ll receive in advance is valid for a period of 3 month, during this time you need to enter Indonesia. But don’t worry, the actual 2 month VISA time starts not until you actually enter the country. Regardless of the day you entered, from that day on you have a valid Indonesian VISA for 2 month. Period.
The social VISA can be extended up to four times for 30 days each, but it is important to know that you will need an indonesian citizen to act as a sponsor for you. That can be anyone – guest house owner or staff, a friend or acquaintance with an ID Card that lives within the jurisdiction of that specific immigration office. Having found a balinese Sponsor is not enough,if he is from another part of the island.
Requirements for extension of a social VISA
- Photocopy of passport, minimum 4 pages and it is still valid for minimum 18 months.
- Two up to date Photos with a red background
- Documents of sponsor such as: Indonesian Resident ID Card/KTP, Indonesian Family Registry/KK, proof of having saving in Bank, phone number of sponsor.
- 250.000 Rp payment
The process to extend your social VISA in Indonesia can be complicated!
Here is a detailled description on how to exactly extend your Social Visa
Travel Guide – How to extend you tourist or social Visa in Indonesia | Towards New Horizons
Departure Tax
A Departure Tax is collected from every foreigner leaving by plane. For international flights they charge 150.000 Rp (10 €) and 30.000 Rp for national ones.
This site is not yet complete, please be patient and more information will come 
