Indonesia: New Visas to Benefit Cruisers in the Archipelago
Two new visas, among a range of changes from the Indonesia Immigration Department, will be welcomed by the yachting community as it means no more time spent renewing every 30 days.
Published 2 years ago
- Sunset over the Riau Islands, provided by Sue Woods.
Update: 30/5/2022
The Indonesian government has announced that all 21 ports of entry are now open and cruisers can now apply for the new 60 day and 180 day visas.
The B211a visa is also available (long term pre arrival visa) but a local sponsor is needed to obtain this visa which can take the form of a company, yacht agent or visa agent. Costs vary between 4 million IDR and 5.5 million IDR depending on the visa agent.
Original News: 30/4/2022
Latest Official Announcement from the Director General of Immigration:
- Single-Entry Visitor Visa (Index B211A, B211B, B211C) issued before 16 April 2022 can only be granted a one-time extension of the Stay Permit with a maximum of 60 (sixty) days. The applicant must apply at the immigration office and pay a Stay Permit fee of IDR 2,000,000.
- Single-Entry Visitor Visa (Index B211A, B211B, B211C) issued from 16 April 2022 (valid for a stay of 60 or 180 days) cannot be granted a Stay Permit extension.
- Visa on Arrival can only be granted a one-time extension of the Stay Permit with a maximum of 30 (thirty) days. The applicant must apply at the immigration office and pay a Stay Permit fee of IDR 500,000.
- Foreigners or Sponsors can still apply for a Visitor Visa within the Indonesian Territory (onshore visa) through the Online Visa Approval application.
Two New Visas to Benefit Cruisers
Visas for yacht crew have been through a transition during the pandemic, but now that Covid travel restrictions are easing Indonesia Immigration have introduced two new visas specifically to assist travelers wanting to visit the country for an extended period of time.
Yacht owners and crew will soon have the option of a 60-day or 180-day B211a tourism visa. Both are non-extendable but mean that extensions during the duration of the visa are no longer required. Applications must be made via an Indonesian Embassy outside Indonesia in advance of travel, or with the assistance of an agent. Neither visa requires an Indonesian sponsor. The 60-day visa costs in the region of Rp 1,500,000 (just over USD $100) and the 180-day visa Rp 6,000,000 (just over USD $400).
Captain Cilian Budarlaigh from IndoYachtSupport in Bali, feels the above new visas are the ones that will be of benefit to the cruising community in Indonesia. “In reality, these prices are more or less the same as one would have paid under the old extension system; but without the hassle of every 30-days going to local immigration office nearest the yacht during the cruise,” he said.
“During the main pandemic time, the President of Indonesia designated the marina and yacht industry as “essential business to the National economy” and this enabled Immigration to shift yacht people into business visas. Now that the covid restrictions have been eased, all yachties are once again designated as Tourists for visa purposes. The e-CAIT and Customs Vessel Declaration VD online system still applies.”
Raymond Lesmana, an agent well known to many cruisers who have visited Indonesia, said that it was also possible to obtain the new visas through the use of an agent.
“Visa on Arrival is now only available at International Airports in Indonesia,” he said.
A spokesman for Marina del Ray in the Gili Gede islands off Lombok, said the new visa categories were a major change and would would greatly impact the growth of the marina and yachting industry in Indonesia.
“We’ve discussed this with the Indonesian government for the last two years and now it has come true. Indonesia is a beautiful country and one of the biggest archipelagos in the world, with 17,000 islands. With a single entry 180-day visa, all yachties can enjoy these islands to the full.
It should be noted, however, that while the new 180-day single entry visa was announced on 15th April, it is not yet available. Hopefully it will be accessible soon, but as yet no firm date has been announced by the Immigration Department as to when it will come into use.
The complete list of visas and new costs can be found at this link: https://www.imigrasi.go.id/en/biaya-keimigrasian/
Indonesia is currently still in the status of a Covid-19 pandemic so policies regarding the port of entry are still limited and health protocols, although eased, still in place. See Indonesia biosecurity for more details.
Related News:
Government Imposes New Immigration Tariffs (IndoExpat – in English)
Related to following destinations: Indonesia
