It is vital to take note of the Bali visa requirements outlined below and also contact your local Indonesian embassy before going to Bali to see if there are any changes in the visa requirements as Indonesian countries can be very stern with regards tourists who over stay their visa date. Finishing off your holiday by landing up in a Balinese or any Indonesian jail for a foreigner could be a nightmare come true. With so many Bali tours and leisure activities available when on holiday in Bali it is easy to get tempted to stay longer that you initially intended, but it is truly not a good idea.
Although these countries are quite forgiving to the western way of doing things, you’ll be imprisoned if you can’t pay the hefty fine that may be imposed for overstaying. Overstaying your visa is charged at US$20 each day for over stays up to 60 days, anytime over 60 days are your will be liable to five years imprisonment or a fine of 25 million Indonesian Rupiah. If you do intend to stay longer than your visa allows, then you can fly to a nearby country like Thailand or Vietnam fairly cheaply and re enter Bali to renew your visa.
Before you enter Bali make sure you are familiar with the different money denominations. The local currency utilized in Bali is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), The Indonesian Rupiah money denominations are:
Paper Notes: 100, 500 , 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000. Coins: 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000.
Short term visa free entry of thirty days is available to people holding passports of the following 11countries : Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Bali and you will need to show an onward of return ticket.
Short term visa on arrival (VOA), 7 day or 30 day visas are available for the following countries at a cost of $10 and $25 respectively. Once again a passport with more than six months left on it and a return ticket must be shown to get the visa. The countries are : Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Suriname, Taiwan, Holland, U.A.E., UK and the U. S. of America.
All of the countries noted below will need to contact the Bali embassy in their country to get prior permission to enter Bali. Without a visa in advance you will not be permitted to go into the country. The countries are Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Cuba, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Israel, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.
Apart from the short term visas that are available, there are other more long term visas that may be applied for before traveling to Bali. It is better to make an application for these visas in your own country, even though they may be a little more expensive they will generally be processed faster. You’ll find a Balinese embassy in most countries that you can apply through. Some of the commonest long term visas that people make an application for are, business visa, social-cultural visa, job visa and limited stay permits (KITAS).
When you first arrive at one of the Bali hotels that you have selected to stay in contact your local government agency and tell them you have arrived and once again when you leave. This is recommended by all governments and it is just to ensure that you are safe and they will know if you haven’t left on the due date. This way at least you’d be contacted in the event you forget when you’re supposed to leave, you would be surprised how many times this occurs.