Logistical questions about extendable VOA

[Puspawarna]

Since my EPO is being processed soon, but I'm not actually leaving for a while, I'll need to return on a VOA. As close to 60 days will be just about right, I'll get the extendable kind that you pay for. So, two questions:

1) If you pay for a VOA, do you have to show a ticket out of the country when you get it? And does the ticket have to be dated within 30 days? Or can you have a ticket that is 60 days out, and say "I'm going to extend"? Or can you just show an itinerary, not a ticket?

2) How hard is it to extend the VOA? I vaguely recall reading that it is a real PITA. Am I going to be living at Immigrasi in Kemang for a few days in order to do this? Or biting my nails that it won't be issued in a timely fashion?

(I did check our threads and website, but didn't find answers to the above questions.)

 

[waarmstrong]

Your life is so complicated. Sorry I don't have any VOA experience to draw upon.

 

[Puspawarna]

Your life is so complicated. Sorry I don't have any VOA experience to draw upon.

Complicated is right! But only for a while, I hope. I keep gritting my teeth and thinking "if I can just get through this crazy period I'm in right now, my life will calm down - for real, because I won't be making any more international moves."

 

[harryopal1]

I don't how reliable this is but I have never been asked to show a return ticket or itinerary arriving using VOA. You could process an on line ticket up to the point of paying and then print off the details as a bit of back up. But I understand it is nice to be sure.

 

[waarmstrong]

Complicated is right! But only for a while, I hope. I keep gritting my teeth and thinking "if I can just get through this crazy period I'm in right now, my life will calm down - for real, because I won't be making any more international moves."

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[R Cameron]

I have a few experiences with these extendable VOAs through myself and some visitors. I've regularly been asked how long I'll be staying or what date I'll be leaving, but never been asked to show a ticket. I have a credit card and smart phone, if they make me show a ticket I can step out of line for a few minutes and purchase one (for 59 days out, not 29).

The extension is certainly an annoyance and I think they treat it far too seriously. Like a SosBud/Visit extension, you will likely make 3 visits to the immigration office in the span of 3-5 business days. 1st visit to file the extension forms and hand in your passport (est. 2 hours), 2nd visit for fingerprints, photographs, and payment (est. 3 hours), and 3rd visit to pick up the finished passport (est 1 hour). You are only required to be present for the 2nd visit, so there are agents in many places that offer the service of doing the 1st and 3rd visit for you, and hopefully speeding along the 2nd visit.

 

[Puspawarna]

Thank you R Cameron!

 

[Balifrog]

Same as Cameron. Went through it last Octobre, nothing asked at DPS VOA desk or immigration.
The extension is a bit a pain, indeed 3 visits. Al done with a smile and efficiently , and the people watching at Renon Immigrasi makes the time fly in fact !
Reason for VOA was I needed 60 day for the process of my retirement visa. For which I was again fingerprinted and photoshopped...
But for us French, as long we have cute, smiling female immigration officers in front of us, it is very bearable...

 

[Puspawarna]

But for us French, as long we have cute, smiling female immigration officers in front of us, it is very bearable...

Heh, since I don't get much entertainment value from the cute female officers, I will have to bring a book, I guess. And my very best manners!

 

[Bad_azz]

Why not just get the 60 day visa?

Also- you could just book a boat ticket to Singapore & then bin it- cheap enough, as far as i recall.

 

[Puspawarna]

Why not just get the 60 day visa?

Because I'm stupid? I did not know you could get 60 days up front; I thought you had to get 30 days and extend later.

Anyway, it probably doesn't matter, because as it turns out I need minor surgery in Singapore. (Nothing serious, just the removal of one of those annoying bulgy growthy things that happen to people of a certain age). So I'm going to get the free 30 day visa, schedule my surgery for the end of it, return on another free 30 day visa, and split to Hawaii before the visa is up.

 

[Bad_azz]

that sounds logical

 

[jstar]

I got the question quite often from Indonesians which short type Visa (so not permits) exist, for their friends abroad. Many abroad have issues with visiting the KBRI in their country (consulate/embassy only open between 8 and 12 o’clock, far away in the busy capital, busy, ...), so they prefer not to go the Visit Visa pre-approval (SosBud) route.

For those who have an Indonesian spouse or friends and want to explain the difference between VOA, Visa free (waiver) and how to extend the former, let them take a look at this article. Quite well written:

https://leodaphne.wordpress.com/201...rrival-visa-extension-kunjungan-di-indonesia/

 

[Jaime C]

I think you have to apply for the 60 day one.

I did the 30 day extendable one many times before my kitas. Not fun, but 2-3 trips to get it extended.

 

[Davita]

The 60 day Visit visa is applied for prior to arriving in RI.
There used to be two types 'Sosbud (sponsored) and Tourist (non-sponsored)' but I think most Embassies/Consuls now call them Visit visas as they have the same number.
The only difference then was a Sosbud was extendable for up to 6 months. The Tourist expired after the 60 days and wasn't extendable...however, in Bali...they would extend Tourist visas if a sponsor was availed for extensions. Whether they did that out of ignorance or intent wasn't disclosed.
The Visit visa is available in many countries by mail or even on-line (check with Embassy/Consul nearest one's home). When issued it needs the holder to enter Indonesia within 90 days otherwise it expires...once entered, that restriction is voided.

 

[Puspawarna]

Just updating the thread with my experience - I got an EPO dated March 16, and did a round trip to Singapore, never leaving the airport. I brought some American cash, just in case Indonesian immigration officials wanted to insist that I purchase a visa rather than get the free one. I also brought along my next ticket out of Indonesia, just in case.

In the event, it was good I had the ticket out of Indonesia, because when I checked in for my Singapore-Jakarta flight, the clerk was flustered by the fact I'd just executed an EPO and was turning right around to go back. She accepted it when I showed her a ticket to Singapore again in 2 weeks.

Arriving in Indonesia, I went to the VOA desk, where a clerk was so glued to his handphone that he ignored me standing there for about three minutes. I waited patiently and he finally looked up and took my passport in a friendly way, asked a couple of questions, and when I explained in Indonesian what was going on, he waved me off to the foreigner line to enter for free.

When I got to the immigration agent, he was a bit perplexed but I also explained to him in Indonesian what was going on (specifically, that I had needed to execute an EPO so that my belongings could be shipped to the US, but I wanted to spend a little more time in Indonesia and would be leaving again shortly). As soon as he heard my story he was like, "oh sure, no problem, just be sure to leave in 30 days." I offered him my ticket out but he didn't even want to see it.

So I'll have to "run the gauntlet" just once more, since I am going to Singapore and back to Indonesia in a couple of weeks. However, I anticipate no trouble at all then, because I will have a one-way ticket to the US dated less than 30 days from my arrival that I can show if needed.

 

[R Cameron]

That sounds about as I would expect in Indonesia, but the difficulty with the clerk in Singapore is interesting. Was it an airline employee when you were checking in, or a Singapore immigration officer as you were doing the out-bound immigration? Either way, I would think (hope!) that even without proof of an exit ticket they would have no authority to prevent you taking the flight, it should be up to Indonesian immigration officers to decide if your visit is suspicious, or worse.

 

[Puspawarna]

That sounds about as I would expect in Indonesia, but the difficulty with the clerk in Singapore is interesting. Was it an airline employee when you were checking in?

Yes, it was. And I do understand her concern. Airlines are often held responsible if they allow someone to take an international flight when they won't be allowed to enter the country they are flying to. Sure, in this case there was no real cause for concern, but it is an unusual circumstance and I can understand someone being a little uncertain.

 

[Davita]

That sounds about as I would expect in Indonesia, but the difficulty with the clerk in Singapore is interesting. Was it an airline employee when you were checking in, or a Singapore immigration officer as you were doing the out-bound immigration? Either way, I would think (hope!) that even without proof of an exit ticket they would have no authority to prevent you taking the flight, it should be up to Indonesian immigration officers to decide if your visit is suspicious, or worse.

Airlines do have the authority to deny boarding if they are not satisfied about the passengers immigration status or do not have an exit ticket. As Puspa says they are responsible for the passengers return if denied entry and proof the airline didn't check.
I was questioned in HKG on a Bali trip as I didn't have an exit ticket.... but a supervisor agreed I had a Kitas and therefore didn't need one.