Travelling to Indonesia for tourism, family visits, and transit sometimes requires a visa for some passport holders. Choosing the right visa that exceptionally matches your needs is vital to avoid any issues while you create long-lasting memories in the country. Is it a Visa on Arrival (VoA) or a Tourist Visit Visa (Visa Kunjungan Wisata or VKW) that you should apply for?

VoA vs Tourist Visit Visa - What to Choose

The VoA aims to enhance the ease of travel to Indonesia and facilitate various activities, including tourism visits, government officials’ visits, business meetings, purchasing goods, meetings, and transit. 

Visitor visas are given to foreigners who will travel to Indonesia in the context of visiting governmental, educational, socio-cultural, tourism, business, family, journalistic, or stopover to continue their journey to another country. 

Many distinctions go into play between the two visa types, according to the Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration.

Country eligibility

Only 97 countries can obtain the VoA. The Tourist Visit Visa, on the other hand, can be applied for by citizens of any country. Applicants must possess a legal and valid passport with a minimum validity of six months.

The following is the updated list of countries of VoA holders:

Length of stay and cost

VoA holders are to pay Rp500,000 for a 30-day stay in Indonesia upon issuance. Tourist Visit Visa holders can remain in the country for up to 60 days after paying a fee three times the VoA amount, or Rp1.5 million. 

Payments can be made using Visa, MasterCard, or JCB debit or credit cards. VoA applicants are required to hold the proof of non-tax revenue payment at immigration.

Application process 

Head to the Immigration Checkpoint at the airport, seaport, or cross-border post upon arrival to get your VoA for the offline method. If you opt for an online application before your travel, visit https://molina.imigrasi.go.id/ for a VoA. 

Meanwhile, foreigners applying online for the Tourist Visit Visa must first create an account at www.molina.imigrasi.go.id before proceeding with the application process.

Approval

The VoA can be immediately granted to applicants regardless of whether they apply offline or online, without an account or guarantor secured. 

Tourist Visit Visa applicants must have an account and/or guarantor and wait for a maximum of five working days for the visa verification process. Once approved, the electronic visa will be sent to the email addresses of the guarantor and the registered applicant.

Extension

Extensions for a VoA can be done online at www.molina.imigrasi.go.id or in person at any immigration office across Indonesia, with a one-time extension of additional 30 days. It’s essential to note that this stay permit cannot be converted into other types of visas.

The Tourist Visit Visa can be extended for a total stay of 180 days via www.molina.imigrasi.go.id or in person at any immigration office throughout the country. Unlike the VoA, this visa type can be converted into a KITAS.

Convenient airport immigration through autogate units

Autogate facilitates the immigration inspection process because passers-by can directly scan their passports and perform biometric verification independently in 15-25 seconds. Since early 2024, the Directorate General of Immigration officially operated as many as 78 autogate units at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and 30 autogate units at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport Bali.

The autogate units can be utilised by Indonesian citizens who hold electronic passports, polycarbonate electronic passports, and non-electronic passports. As for foreigners, those who have an electronic passport and are holders of e-VoA and eVisa Indonesia can benefit from this service.

For a smooth transition, ensure that all parts of your face are visible; accessories such as hats, masks or others that cover the face must be removed. The passport cover must also be opened before the passport scan. The autogate door will not open and appear red if a passerby is detected using an invalid document or has a criminal record because it integrates facial recognition cameras with Border Control Management.

Immigration’s live chat is available on Mondays to Fridays from 9 AM to 3 PM at imigrasi.go.id for further details.