VISAS AND OFFICIALDOM

TYPES OF VISAS

In some cases, tourists to Bali needn't obtain a tourist visa in advance (see "The 'Entry Stamp' Tourist Pass," below). If you are required to obtain a tourist visa, or are interested in obtaining one of the other types of visas, it's a good idea to apply at least six months in advance in your home country. Some visas allow extensions and multiple entries, at the discretion of authorities in any of Indonesia's 74 immigration offices in provincial and district capitals. The prices for all the different types of visas are standardized. If Indonesia, you'll find the prices posted on the walls of the immigration offices; in addition to the appropriate fee, bring with you a little knowledge of Indonesian, good manners, and a friendly attitude. Wear clean clothes (no tank tops, shorts, or T-shirts), and don't try to bribe an official.

The "Entry Stamp" Tourist Pass
Provided they enter and exit Bali or Indonesia through specific air- and seaports (see "Official Points of Entry and Departure," below), tourists from certain listed countries do not need to obtain a tourist visa prior to arrival. The listed countries are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Yugoslavia, and Venezuela.
     Upon arriving, tourists from those countries will receive a tourist pass or entry stamp in their passport, allowing them to stay up to two months anywhere in Indonesia (except certain off-limits areas of Irian Jaya and East Timor). Don't lose the white arrival/departure card that comes with your entry stamp; if you do lose it, go to the nearest immigration office promptly and get a replacement. Don't wait until your day of departure at the airport to inform immigration officials that it's lost.
     A tourist receiving an entry stamp upon arrival must also have an onward ticket by plane or boat out of Indonesia, or a letter from an air carrier, ship line, or travel agency confirming the purchase of those tickets. Also note that if you already have an entry stamp, it's not easy to change the status of your visa. This usually must be done outside of Indonesia.
     The tourist pass can be extended only if you are ill, injured, or have missed your flight. In such cases, apply for an extension three or four days prior to the expiration of your entry stamp, if possible. Otherwise you'll be delayed at the airport and may miss your rescheduled flight. Officials take the two-month time limit very seriously, allowing not even one day's slack. If you want to stay longer, you must leave Indonesia, then reenter for another two months (see "Reentry," below).

Alternate Tourist Visa
Visitors from countries other than those listed above, or visitors planning on entering the country at an unofficial point of entry, can obtain a tourist visa before their arrival from any Indonesian embassy or consulate; two photos are required and a small fee is charged. These visas are valid for 30 days. Many travelers fly into Kupang (Timor Barat) and travel via land and sea to Bali, a great opportunity to see the eastern islands along the way. If you arrive in Kupang without a return air ticket to Australia, the Indonesian authorities want to see that you hold at least AUS$1000. At some other points of entry, imigrasi (immigration) officials don't even bother to ask if you have an onward ticket or enough money to sustain yourself. This is often the case in Biak (Irian Jaya) and Batam (Riau).

Visitor's Visa
This type of visa (also called a "social visa") isn't granted as often as it once was. You must either have a legitimate reason to enter the country (e.g., to visit relatives, to study Balinese dance), or be involved in an accredited STSI or SMKI art course. Visit both the Immigration Office and the Education and Culture Department (Departmen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan) in Renon, Denpasar, to find out what's required.
     You should apply at least six months in advance in your home country, and will need to show a letter of invitation or provide the name of an influential sponsor or guarantor in Indonesia. This sponsor/guarantor might include a government official, a high-ranking military officer, a respected non-Chinese business owner, or even a well-established, well-connected Western expatriate. Basically, the person you name will be held responsible for you in case something goes wrong.
     Visitor's visas are normally given for a four- or five-week initial stay. They can be extended up to five times for one or more month's duration each time, for a total of six months. (Don't stay the full six months or the government will hit you with the dreaded "foreign fiscal tax"; see "General Rules and Regulations," below.) Extensions are granted at the sole discretion of imigrasi personnel and often involve a two-day bureaucratic hassle. Each extension costs Rp10,000, and the first extension costs an additional Rp30,000 "landing fee" (some European nationalities excluded). Have lots of room in your passport as each extension takes up a full page. To apply for an extension, you'll need to present a completed application along with an institute's or teacher's extension-request letter or a sponsor's ID-card copy (as applicable). You'll also need a good measure of serenity. Even a saint would lose patience with the imigrasi people. Typically, you might be asked to wait a few minutes to see an official. An hour later, you're told that the man will be in his meeting until 1400 (the time the office closes). Then comes the oft-heard "come back tomorrow." Finally, it turns out you never had to see that official in the first place.
     Apply for your extension early because it might take as little as two days or as long as three weeks to be granted, and you might have to go back to the immigration office four or more times. Imigrasi also appreciates it if you bring an Indonesian friend; they hate to speak English.
     After three months, it gets more difficult to stay longer. You may need to be fingerprinted and fill out additional forms. Also, your sponsor may have to write new letters. When you have used up your six-month limit, the words "Final Extension" are stamped in your passport.
     It's generally easier for Europeans to get visitor's visa extensions than it is for North Americans or Australians. Australians are processed with the most prejudice because their country makes it difficult for Indonesians to enter Australia and remain for any length of time. Dutch travelers are given a lot of slack because of historical ties between the two countries; Indonesians go out of their way to show the Dutch that they hold no grudge. Dutch travelers even have a better chance if the imigrasi officer speaks Dutch.

Business Visa
A business visa, available at Indonesian embassies and consulates (see the special topic "Selected Indonesian Consulates Abroad"), allows a stay of up to 30 days and can be extended to three months. It's for single entry and costs US$5.50. Submit forms in duplicate with two photos, plus a letter in duplicate from a business firm or employer stating the purpose of your visit and providing financial guarantees. If you're a writer, journalist, photographer, or filmmaker don't say so.
Under certain circumstances, this type of visa might be easier to obtain than a visitor's visa. A business manager or owner must vouch for the fact that you are carrying out some service for him or her on Bali. Some foreigners, in order to export handicrafts and textiles, start up a company with an Indonesian, then "the company" sponsors them. Still, whether you get a Business Visa or not depends on the imigrasi department and the Department of Labor (Departmen Tenaga Kerja, or simply Depnaker) in Denpasar's Renon complex. Unfortunately, it seems too many tourists have rubbed these two departments the wrong way; the workers can be defensively arrogant. The 1994 license revocation of a rafting company run by an Australian had the expat business community of Bali running scared for a while, but things have since calmed down.
Anybody with too high a profile gets cut back a couple of notches periodically. Businesses co-owned or sponsored by Balinese or Indonesians are favored. For a businessperson who can tie up his or her affairs in less than eight weeks, it makes more sense to enter Bali with a tourist pass and maintain a low profile.

Restrictions on Certain Nationals
Citizens of Israel and Portugal may not enter Indonesia on their passports. Business travelers from Eastern European countries are given a one-month, nonextendable visa allowing them to travel freely within the country. Visitors from Hong Kong can get 30-day visas for group travel (minimum five people) from the Indonesian Consulate in Hong Kong. They must enter and exit Indonesia in Medan, Jakarta, or Denpasar (Bali), and all tour details such as accommodation and travel must be arranged through a travel agent.
Also note that during 1994-95 there was a crackdown on foreign residents in Bali. Next time you visit the immigration office in Denpasar, take a look at the statistics for EPO's granted. (EPO stands for "exit permit only"-granted for residents who don't intend to return.) The figures took a sharp upturn starting in mid-1994, from tens to hundreds.

General Rules and Regulations
All visitors must possess a passport valid for at least six months after their arrival date in Indonesia. Immigration officials reserve the right to deny entry to any visitor who, in their opinion, is not properly dressed or groomed (long hair is okay), lacks the proper funds, or "may endanger the country's security, peace, and stability or the public health and morals." These unfortunate undesirables will receive a transit visa upon arrival that allows them to hang out at the airport until the first available flight out.
If you stay longer than three months in Indonesia on any visa, you must "register as an alien," pay Rp1500 (plus Rp400 for two forms), and be fingerprinted. After residing in Indonesia six months, any foreign resident wishing to leave the country must obtain an exit permit and pay a "foreign fiscal tax" of Rp250,000. This tax constitutes an advance payment of income tax. Only the diplomatic corps, members of international aid organizations, airline personnel, and government-sponsored persons are exempt.
Finally, note that as in most Third World countries, if a Western man marries an Indonesian woman he is granted no special residency status; he must leave the country every two months and return each time as a tourist when he'll receive the usual entry stamp. This is not the case when a Western woman marries a Balinese man. She is able to obtain a residency visa, subject to renewal every six months or so.

Information and Assistance
For help with immigration problems or requests, go to the main immigration office in the Renon Complex, Niti Mandala, Denpasar (tel. 0361-227828). Another immigration office-convenient for visitors who stay in Kuta, Nusa Dua, or Jimbaran-is near the airport on Jl. Raya I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Tuban (tel. 0361-751038). Both offices are open Mon-Thurs. 0700-1300, Friday 0700-1100, Saturday 0700-1200. You may also go to any one of Indonesia's 74 other immigration offices. If you don't dress properly (follow dress code chart on wall), these bureaucrats won't even talk to you. T-shirts, halter tops, and bathing suits don't cut it.
Wayan's CV Jasa Werda Dwi Karya, Biro Jasa can make your life a lot easier. This privately owned enterprise can help you obtain a social/cultural/business visa and provides legal services and notary assistance. If you try to get a visa by yourself, you may have to make as many as nine visits to imigrasi to get just one extension. Wayan has gotten visas for about 25 people so far and charges Rp600,000-700,000 for six months-a bargain compared to leaving the country twice. His office is just 100 meters from Wayan's Siti Homestay in Peliatan, Gianyar (tel. 0361-975599).

OFFICIAL POINTS OF ENTRY AND DEPARTURE

Entikong in West Kalimantan is the only land gateway into Indonesia. Official air and sea entry points into the country change frequently. Only the following are officially designated as international ports of entry and departure by air:

Medan, North Sumatra: Polonia Airport
Padang, West Sumatra: Tabing Airport
Pekanbaru, East Sumatra: Simpang Tiga Airport
Riau, East Sumatra: Hang Nadim (Batam); Batubesar Airport
Jakarta: Soekarno-Hatta Airport
Badung, West Java: Husein Sastrangegara Airport
Surabaya, West Java: Juanda Airport
Bali: Ngurah Rai Airport
Lombok: Mataram's Selaparang Airport
Timor: Kupang's Eltari Airport
Sulawesi: Manado's Sam Ratulangi Airport
Kalimantan: Balikpapan's Sepinggan Airport; Pontianak's Supadio Airport
Maluku: Ambon's Pattimura Airport
Irian Jaya: Frans Kaisiepo Airport, Biak
Arrivals and departures by sea must be through the following seaports:
Medan, North Sumatra: port of Belawan
Bengkulu, Bengkulu Province: port of Padangbai
Riau, East Sumatra: Batam Island's ports of Batu Ampar and Sekupang; Bintan Island's port of Tanjung Pinang
Jakarta: port of Tanjung Priok
Semarang, Central Java: port of Tanjung Mas
Surabaya, East Java: port of Tanjung Perak
Bali: Benoa (south Bali); Padangbai (east Bali)
Manado, North Sulawesi: port of Bitung (east of Manado)
Ambon, Central Maluku: Yos Sudarso (Ambon Harbor).
If you enter Indonesia at any point not listed above, you're required to have a proper visa obtained beforehand, and you will be permitted to remain in the country for just 30 days. If you enter Indonesia overland from PNG, or take a boat from the southern Philippines to East Kalimantan, you are entering Indonesia illegally. If caught, Indonesian immigration officials may jail or deport you.

OVERSTAYS AND REENTRY

It's possible to get a short extension on your visa in order to meet a ship or plane. Imigrasi routinely grants a three-day overstay, particularly if you're leaving by ship. For a longer overstay, the only legitimate excuse is that you've lost your passport or are in the hospital or can bring a note from a doctor or hospital verifying a medical problem.
If you know you're going to overstay your visa-even for a lousy day-go to the immigration office and obtain an official extension. Don't try to talk your way through the immigration checkpoint at the airport when leaving the country; the officers there are stickier than expected and will require you to straighten it out at the imigrasi office. They really make your squirm and sweat, you may have to pay a fine (bargain!), and you might even miss your flight.
If your booked flight is scheduled to leave during the week after your visa expires, you should be able to get an extension from the imigrasi office for the waiting time. It will probably require a letter from your travel agency explaining the situation. Show up with a confirmed ticket out and a reason why you can't get an earlier flight.

Reentry
If you use up your two-month maximum stay on an entry stamp but want to spend more time in Bali, one oft-used solution is to leave the country, return, and get a new entry stamp or visa in your passport. You must obtain a visa if your place of arrival is not an official entry point. Most people in this situation spend the US$350-400 or so on a roundtrip ticket from Bali to Singapore, spend a few days in Singapore shopping and catching the latest movies, then fly straight back to Bali. A cheaper alternative is to leave Indonesia at certain points as close as possible to neighboring countries from where you can reenter. The following are the most convenient, least expensive routes out:

By speedboat (twice weekly, Rp130,000 roundtrip) or air from Medan (North Sumatra) to Penang (West Malaysia).
By air from Pekanbaru (East Sumatra) to Melaka (West Malaysia), then by taxi to Kuala Lumpur. See "From Pekanbaru to Singapore by Boat," below.
By air from Jakarta to Singapore (US$140 roundtrip on Sempati Airlines). To fly to Tanjung Pinang is more expensive than the direct flight to Singapore.
By air from Pontianak (West Kalimantan) to Kucing (East Malaysia) (Rp208,000 roundtrip, leaving once weekly on Friday). Returning at Pontianak's airport you get an entry stamp.
By road from Pontianak (West Kalimantan) to Kucing (Sarawak, East Malaysia). Four daily buses cross the land border separating the two countries; Rp22,000.
By air or by boat from Tarakan (East Kalimantan) to Nunukan and Tawau (Sabah, East Malaysia). The boat connection operates three times weekly and costs Rp68,000 roundtrip; this boat is sometimes on, sometimes off. You need a visa before reentering Indonesia because no entry stamp is issued on arrival in Tarakan, Indonesian Borneo.
By air from Kupang (Timor) to Darwin (Australia).
By ferry from Melaka (Peninsular Malaysia) and Dumai (East Sumatra). The problem with this reentry is that you need a visa and have to go to Kuala Lumpur to get one.

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS

Indonesian Customs
Customs procedures have become more informal with the installation of green and red routes at international airports. Tourists with nothing to declare use the green route, which involves no baggage inspection. The customs and immigration people at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport are usually mellow and respectful, but it all depends on the time of day, the official's mood, who's watching, the crush of the line behind you, and your nationality. The officials are mostly concerned with moving the tourists through as quickly as possible.
     Duty-free items that may be imported are: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars and two pounds of tobacco; cameras (no limit) and reasonable amounts of film; two liters of liquor; a reasonable amount of perfume for personal use. Weapons and ammunition, narcotics, anything that can be considered pornographic (such as a scorching copy of Playboy), books with Chinese characters in them, and Chinese medicines are forbidden entry.
     Technically, photographic equipment, computers, radios, typewriters, cassette recorders, TV sets, cordless telephones, and transceivers should be listed on your passport, declared to customs, and taken out upon departure, but officials don't seem to care. All movie films, videocassettes, laser discs, records, and computer software should first be screened by the Film Censor Board. Books and printed matter using Indonesian languages are supposed to be cleared by the Minister of Culture, but seldom are.
     Except for drugs and weapons, customs officials are pretty relaxed about enforcement. If you need or if you carry prescription medication, carry a letter from your doctor. The import of pets, plants, and fresh fruit is also controlled. Pet owners must present a certificate from a veterinarian vouching for their pet's good health. Dog and cat owners must carry proof that Fido and Kitty have been inoculated against rabies within six months prior to arrival.

Home Country Customs
Importation into other countries of organic souvenirs bought in Indonesia may be prohibited. One reader reported that when she tried to take some wayang puppets into Australia, they were quarantined. Anything purchased with feathers or furs or made in part with organic matter or parts of endangered species will most likely be confiscated. If you don't declare these items, you may be fined.