Departed on EPO but e-visa portal won't issue new voa says still in Indonesia

[Megagalactic]

I left Indonesia in February 2025 on an EPO (Exit Permit Only) issued by Imigrasi Ngurah Rai. Departed within the required timeframe.

On a new passport (old one was full, not expired when replaced - doubt that has relevance) I recently tried to apply for a new visa through the e-visa portal and got an error saying I currently hold a valid visit stay permit and cannot apply for a new one while still in Indonesia — which I’m not. Has anyone experienced this?

Is this likely to be a Stay Permit not cancelled by employer?

I have reached out to both ex-employer and Ngurah Rai Immigration - awaiting feedback if any.

 

[marcus]

I left Indonesia in February 2025 on an EPO (Exit Permit Only) ... Is this likely to be a Stay Permit not cancelled by employer?

The EPO is the proof that a Limited or Permanent Stay Permit was cancelled appropriately (curiously we cannot cancel a KITAS or KITAP by just letting it expire) . So I suggest you to take a photo of the EPO to show to the Indonesian Immigration .

From your questions of pending EPO in the other thread , one thing that may have caused the problem is if you left Indonesia before the issue of the e-EPO . If so Immigration may invalidate the EPO and may request your ex-sponsor to get the 'EPO equivalent' , named "No Return Exit Re-Entry Permit/ERP Tidak Kembali" .

... got an error saying I currently hold a valid visit stay permit and cannot apply for a new one while still in Indonesia — which I’m not.

From what you said above , besides Immigration saying you are in Indonesia (when you are not) , another strange thing is that there is no EPO for Visit Stay Permit (it is cancelled as soon as it expires or after you leave Indonesia if it is a single entry type) .

 

[Megagalactic]

The EPO is the proof that a Limited or Permanent Stay Permit was cancelled appropriately (curiously we cannot cancel a KITAS or KITAP by just letting it expire) . So I suggest you to take a photo of the EPO to show to the Indonesian Immigration .

From your questions of pending EPO in the other thread , one thing that may have caused the problem is if you left Indonesia before the issue date of the e-EPO . If so Immigration may invalidate the EPO and may request you/your ex-sponsor to get the 'EPO equivalent' , named "No Return Exit Re-Entry Permit/ERP Tidak Kembali" .

From what you said above , besides Immigration saying you are in Indonesia (when you are not) , another strange thing is that there is no EPO for Visit Stay Permit (it is cancelled as soon as it expires or after you leave Indonesia) .

Thanks, that’s helpful. My EPO did come through before I left before. So I exited with an EPO. This is the message I receive when using e-visa. So I will proceed with attempting to cancel this mystery visit stay permit.

 

[Nicho]

I left Indonesia in February 2025 on an EPO (Exit Permit Only) issued by Imigrasi Ngurah Rai. Departed within the required timeframe.

On a new passport (old one was full, not expired when replaced - doubt that has relevance) I recently tried to apply for a new visa through the e-visa portal and got an error saying I currently hold a valid visit stay permit and cannot apply for a new one while still in Indonesia — which I’m not. Has anyone experienced this?

Is this likely to be a Stay Permit not cancelled by employer?

I have reached out to both ex-employer and Ngurah Rai Immigration - awaiting feedback if any.

Not surprised , the E-Visa system is a total F!!! up , I'm trying to change details after my wife's death , no data , Visa , Passport etc showing on my account . Now they want"me" to prove my "dead" wife was my sponsor for the last 11 years before they will do any changes . Nothing / None of our records have been loaded into the new system from what I can see and from the documents there asking for that should be available at the push of a button. I've had to contact the Jember office that I dealt with before they opened the new office here in Banyuwangi to get them to send my paper file to them . 3 times I've been to the office "4 hour return drive " , each time I get a different officer and they all want different documents and have different interpretations of the rules/laws , requirements . If they haven't got an APP on there phone showing them what to do there stuffed. They couldn't organise / run an orgy in a brothel .

 

[marcus]

... This is the message I receive when using e-visa. So I will proceed with attempting to cancel this mystery visit stay permit.

I think it is an standard error message and does not say what is your problem specifically .

I suggest you to forget about the "visit stay permit" thing (in the error message) as it does not apply to your case .

I think your communication with Immigration should focus on the "... apply for termination of stay permit ..." part of the error message , by mentioning that you got the EPO before you left Indonesia , so your last Stay Permit/KITAS(?) was already terminated for sure .

 

[marcus]

Not surprised , the E-Visa system is a total F!!! up , I'm trying to change details after my wife's death ,

As you already saw @ https://www.expatindo.org/community...er-spouses-death-or-divorce.8328/#post-115528 , you probably will solve most of your problems out of evisa .

no data , Visa , Passport etc showing on my account . Now they want"me" to prove my "dead" wife was my sponsor for the last 11 years before they will do any changes . Nothing / None of our records have been loaded into the new system from what I can see ... I've had to contact the Jember office that I dealt with before they opened the new office here in Banyuwangi to get them to send my paper file to them ...

It was common in the past that we had to bring our personal file from the former Kantor Imigrasi to the new one (sorry , I forgot to tell you about that before) . And yes , in any online process in evisa we have to upload too many things (including some that Immigration already has from our previous processes) + the evisa forgot(?) to include your (very uncommon) case in it , but in my view these are not enough reasons to say such a bad thing about evisa . I myself used it for 2 processes already and had no problem .

 

[jstar]

Is this likely to be a Stay Permit not cancelled by employer?

Highly unlikely since you did get an EPO right?

Problem is you can’t get into your dossier / account since it’s the sponsor (your previous employer) who has acces…and they’re probably not so interested -or capable enough- to help you out.

Otherwise you could login yourself and even (re)apply for Exit Permit Only (EPO) or do that infamous Termination of Stay Permit (TSP).

Still, it makes no sense to receive an EPO combined with this error message. I’m afraid if you’re abroad it’s gonna be a VOA and having to fix it here. Embassy / consulate close by?

 

[harryopal1]

We all fall into the trap of supposing that there is logic behind these processes. Humans trying to unravel these complexities are like midges flying in confused circles around a bright light. Perhaps in future years AI will unravel the contradictions. Or perhaps it's all just God's way of preparing us for hell. Each night I offer a little prayer that by mid 2028 when I am to report after 5 years with my "Permanent Kitap" evisa will decide that I don't need to present all that paper work all over again and that my passport in the system, with my photograph and my standing there before them will be enough to shown them that, "Yes, he is still alive and they just tell me to come back again another 5 years.

 

[marcus]

... Humans trying to unravel these complexities ... AI will unravel the contradictions. Or perhaps it's all just God's way of preparing us for hell ...

Are you trying to scare the people who didn't try yet ?

In my view people don't need to worry , I don't remember of any complexity or contradiction .

 

[harryopal1]

Are you trying to scare the people who didn't try yet ?

In my view people don't need to worry , I don't remember of any complexity or contradiction .

Marcus, it seems from many of your posts helping confused people you have a good handle on Immigration requirements and are comfortable with computer processing which seems difficult for many of us lesser mortals. From the first visa applications there is quite a level of documentation required. Now this is common enough with most immigration departments,. But with subsequent applications it seems superfluous to be required to present so many of the documents again when presumably they are already stored in Immigation computer systems. I am under the impression that with the 5 year expiry period with a "permanent" Kitap one will again be required to yet again produce basic documents. To me that seems needlessly complex. There have also been many posts with forum members saying that speaking to different officers often results in different and sometimes contraditory advice.

 

[marcus]

... you have a good handle on Immigration requirements

I am not a lawyer but started to read the rules because I did all my Indonesians documents myself since year 2000 and wanted to do everything correctly , something that anybody can do .

and are comfortable with computer processing which seems difficult for many of us lesser mortals.

I started to use a computer around year 2001 , after stopping work . Learned all by myself , little by little , and only few months ago (due to evisa requirements) I learned how to resize photos and PDFs and make a single PDF with multiple documents . Anything that I want to know I look for (free) information in the internet , so I end up learning . Basically I only know how to use a computer to get more knowledge from the internet , something that anybody can also do easily .

From the first visa applications there is quite a level of documentation required.

Many of the documents are/are about our personal/family/sponsor documents , others we can easily get by going to Pak : RT , RW , and 'Kelurahan' Office , things that I learn by asking people or from the internet .

... it seems superfluous to be required to present so many of the documents again when presumably they are already stored in Immigration computer systems.

Yes it seems superfluous , but I do what they ask without being stressed because it is not difficult or expensive .

... the 5 year expiry period with a "permanent" Kitap one will again be required to yet again produce basic documents. To me that seems needlessly complex.

It is the 5 years time to report . I thing it may be 'needless boring' , not complex .

There have also been many posts with forum members saying that speaking to different officers often results in different and sometimes contradictory advice.

Everything is possible . Everybody makes mistakes or ignore things sometimes . This is one of the reasons why I learn the rules and/or look for information in the internet , I become less susceptible to follow wrong advices .