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You’ve been in Bali for a few weeks now, fallen in love with the island spirit and you wish to stay a little longer. But, oops your 30-day VOA is running out and you’re in a dilemma how to extend it. Here’s is a comprehensive guide for extending your visa in Bali.

You can enter and stay for 30-days in Indonesia on a tourist visa that was stamped on arrival. But, don’t wait for the last day when it expires. If you want to extend your visa, begin the process at least a week before the expiry. Doing it yourself is quite a hassle since some people are not comfortable with the process time, long queues and the paperwork! But, it does save you the agent fee which isn’t as cheap as it used to be.

Extending a Visa in Bali

The cost of extending a visa in Bali for another 30 days is 250,000 Rupiah. This goes up to around 600,000 Rupiah, if done through an agent. Yes, it is almost triple the price, but well worth the time you save in going back and forth to the immigration office 3 times! An agent will ask you for your passport and airline ticket, manage your paperwork and get your visa extension stamped. The process will take around 3-5 working days after which you can have an additional 30-day visa to stay in Indonesia.

To handle the process yourself and save agent fees, you must go to the immigration office in Denpasar on Jl. Surapati 7 or the one at the airport. If done correctly, you may have your visa renewed in three visits, but as per the rule, you must apply for an extension at least 7 days before expiry. The officers at the immigration office speak English and will give you instructions about the process however they don’t warn you about the additional visits.

Filling out the Visa Extension Form – Day 1

The immigration office opens at 8 am. Go early by around 9.30 am to avoid long queues. On your first visit, you will be asked to fill out the extension forms. A local sponsor information is part of the form. You can request any local person in Bali to act as your sponsor – you don’t need to pay for that! The immigration officer will ask you to submit your passport and give you a receipt. Keep a copy of the passport with you for safety. Also, ensure that you keep the receipt carefully and carry it along with you on your next visit. The officer at the counter will give you a date for the next visit.

Paying Visa Fees – Day 2

When you arrive at the office, hand over the receipt and pay your visa extension fees. The cashier will stamp your receipt and give you a date to collect your passport. Again, keep the receipt carefully.

Collect your Passport – Day 3

This is a relatively short visit. All you have to do is hand over your receipt at the counter and collect your passport with the visa extension stamp. Time to rejoice -you’ve got yourself another 30 days on the paradise island!

It is a bit cumbersome to visit the immigration office separately for each step of the process, but that’s the rules! That’s the reason most tourists hire an agent to have a stress-free visa extension.

Do note that Indonesia is quite strict about overstaying in Bali when your visa runs out. The immigration department charges about 200,000 Rupiah for each day that your overstay and may even deport or jail you if you stay much longer. So, it’s best to apply for extension well before the expiry date. You don’t want to end your Bali holiday with memories of Kerobokan prison!

 

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