IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Bali airport immigration department has issued a follow-up document to cancel these instructions. Click to read more.
Over the last few days the internet has been buzzing with rumours that the Bali airport immigration department will put visa on arrival limitations on how often you can visit Indonesia on a tourist visa.
Continue here to find details on the current Indonesia visa on arrival and free visa arrangements.
These rumours come from an Indonesian immigration document that has been shared on social media. There is a copy of this document at the bottom of the page.
The following is a loose translation of what is shared on that document. Make sure to check point #5 and point #6 below which are the penalties for illegal foreign workers.
Meeting on issue of illegal foreign workers
On 17 October 2015 there was a meeting at the Bali Police headquarters that was attended by the Bali Tourism Community (ASITA Bali, PHRI Bali, HPI Bali and Regional Tourism Agency of Bali), the Komisi III DPR-RI, the Bali Police and the Regional Office of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of Bali.
In that meeting the Bali Tourism Communities and Komisi III DPR-RI complained about the lack of surveillance on foreigners and a growing number of expatriates working illegally in the tourism sector in Bali.
They agreed that extra effort was needed to monitor the presence of foreigners in Indonesian through immigration checks.
How to enforce visa on arrival limitations.
Three days after that meeting, on 20 October 2015, the Bali airport immigration department released an official document titled “Instruksi Kantor Imigrasi Kelas I Khusus Ngurah Rai” or instructions for the Ngurah Rai immigration department.
The instructions on that document are meant to find those who work illegally in Bali and take job opportunities that could otherwise be taken by Indonesians.
These are the 11 points addressed in the memo to immigration officers;
Point #1; In order to improve the supervision of immigration in practice, there should be extraordinary efforts and support involving field and other related parties that have a surveillance function for immigration;
Point #2; Improve the checking of foreign visitors at immigration checkpoints with extra attention to foreigners who have lived legally in Indonesia for more than four months within the last year. With the exception of foreigners on an ITAS, ITAP, diplomatic visa, official visa or multiple visa holders;
Point #3; Improve the checking of foreign visitors at immigration checkpoints with extra attention to foreigners who in the last year have entered Indonesia at most twice using a visa on arrival or a free visa. With exception of foreigners on an ITAS, ITAP, diplomatic visa, official visa or multiple visa holders;
Point #4; Increase field checks on any foreign worker who has taken a job that can potentially be done by a local worker such as for example F&B staff, sales clerk, tour leader, tour guide, scuba dive instructor or other types of jobs can be done by local workers;
Point #5; Any foreigner who falls into point #2 and point #3 above is ordered to be “refused” entry into Indonesia, because the person in question has the potential to work in Indonesia;
Point #6; Any foreigner who falls into point #4 is ordered to be arrested and have administrative sanctions that include being black listed;
Point #7; To improve the performance of supervision the border immigration control can work together with other relevant agencies that have supervisory duties and functions in line with the activities and presence of foreigners;
Point #8; The immigration office may grant entry after having clarified that the foreigner is visiting Indonesia for the purpose of the visa and no other reasons;
Point #9; The collection of data and information is done by Division of Landing and Immigration, Division of Traffic and Immigration Status as well as Division of Information and Communication to the Division of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement Division of Immigration as a surveillance operation on immigration;
Point #10; All costs incurred for the implementation of this task are to be charged to the budget of the Office of the Ngurah Rai Immigration office for the fiscal year of 2015;
Point #11; These instructions are valid from the date of issue until 31 December 2015.
Issued in : Badung
Date : 20 October 2015
Head off Office,
Joseph H.A. RENUNG WIDODO
These are the documents in Indonesian language taken from facebook.
Source : facebook
Source : facebook
Hi
How can make voa on arrival visa to kitas?
You cannot convert the VOA to a KITAS. You need to apply for a KITAS for which you need an Indonesian sponsor.
i mean next day on visa arrival?
You can leave Indonesian and return to Indonesia on the same day or the next day.
Thanks ketut Bali for the info…but I just want to recheck with you….as my mother 60days visa on arrival expires on 17/07/16 of this month…can she leave the country(Indonesia) same day and re-enter the next day(18/07/16) again on visa on arrival…thanks,
Hello Vishnu, yes, your mother can leave Indonesia on 17 July and return to Indonesia on 18 July and get a new visa on arrival.
Exiting bali on my visa(arrival) expiry day can i revisit bali next way?
I am confused now..I come to Bali at least 3 times a year for 3 weeks at a time. No reason except to chill out and destress…Will this still be allowed?
Dear Patrizia, they have already cancelled these limitations. If you follow the link to the IMPORTANT NOTE at the beginning of this article you will find the latest update. To answer your question; you are free to visit as many times as you wish if the purpose is for tourism and chillax 🙂
I heard these rules will become law nationwide starting on January 1, 2016. Is this true?
Hi Lee, there was first some confusion from a miss-translation on a different website that said these instructions would start on 1 January 2016. I have not heard about this coming a new law. Can you tell us where you heard that info?
Hi Ketut,
I heard it from a couple of posters on Facebook threads. So trying to see if this was more than just rumor. 🙂
Hello Ketut I wonder can you help me?
Are you an agent yourself?….and if so is it possible to arrange a meeting regarding the renewal of my Kitas please?
Thankyou.
Brian
Hi Brian, thank you for visiting our blog! We are not a visa agent and can unfortunately not help you with renewing your Kitas.
Does this only apply to Bali? What if I arrive via another airport, such as Jakarta or Yogyakarta on a social visit visa issued in Singapore?
Hello Nyoman, as far as we are aware, and looking at the content of the document, these instructions are only meant for Bali and the Ngurah Rai airport.
Thanks. Also, it seems the new regulation is only until the end of this year. Is that true?
Yes, according to the document these instructions will be valid until 31 December 2015. You can see this on the 2nd picture / Kesebelas (point #11).
A friend said that the new visa limitations ruling is a hoax. Can you confirm if it is true or not? Thanks.
Hello Nyoman,
You can see a scan of this recommendation copied above. The blog post is an English translation almost word for word. Point #8 is the key here where it says that the immigration officer may grant entry if s/he does not suspect that the visitor is here to work illegally.
It has always been the duty of the immigration department to catch illegal workers. They are just doing an extra effort to catch as many illegal foreign workers as they can.
Thanks for your reply. Very confusing situation, it seems. And effective only until end of year, but who knows what new rule will be created.