Visa for Bali for US Citizen??
Dec 6th, 2006, 04:35 AM
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Visa for Bali for US Citizen??
Hi, I am confused about the visa for Bali. I was there in 1999 and did not need one, but understand that now we do. We are both US Citizens (US Passports). Unfortunatley, this is a last minute trip and we are departing on Dec. 18th although we don't arrive in Bali until Dec. 25th. Will we need to get a visa before we depart from the Embassy or Consulate or do we get one on arrival in Bali??? I am getting conflicting information from the Indonesian Embassy website, the State.gov website and then by calling the Embassy. Any advice from someone that has been there recently that is a US Citizen would be greatly appreciated. We are only staying 4 nights.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Dec 6th, 2006, 05:51 AM
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As a US citizen, you can get a visa on arrival at Denpasar AIrport. When I last did it, US cash was required for the visa, but someone else posted that within the last year thay have started accepting credit cards for the visa.
Dec 6th, 2006, 10:18 AM
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Yes, you are anxious about this!
It is current info that you can get a visa on arrival in Bali (as well as at many other ports of entry to Indonesia) for a maximum of 30 days. If you want a longer visa (60 days is available) you must get your visa in advance.
It is current info that you can get a visa on arrival in Bali (as well as at many other ports of entry to Indonesia) for a maximum of 30 days. If you want a longer visa (60 days is available) you must get your visa in advance.
Dec 6th, 2006, 03:12 PM
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budg, You are right, the information is often confusing, contradictory and obsolete. Welcome to Indonesia!
You can definitely get a visa on arrival at Denpasar airport. Depending on the configuration of arriving flights, there may be a long line or no line at all.
Last I checked a 7 day visa costs US$25. This may be variable, however.
You may pay in US Dollars, Indonesian Rupiah or by credit card. Some posts do not accept American Express.
If you'd feel more secure getting a visa before you arrive, you may do so at any overseas Indonesian Embassy or Consulate. The cost and time involved to do this is also variable so CALL before hand to reconfirm.
IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PASSPORT IS VALID FOR A MINIMUM OF 6 MONTHS AFTER YOUR ARRIVAL IN INDONESIA AND THAT IT HAS AT LEAST 6 BLANK VISA PAGES.
You can definitely get a visa on arrival at Denpasar airport. Depending on the configuration of arriving flights, there may be a long line or no line at all.
Last I checked a 7 day visa costs US$25. This may be variable, however.
You may pay in US Dollars, Indonesian Rupiah or by credit card. Some posts do not accept American Express.
If you'd feel more secure getting a visa before you arrive, you may do so at any overseas Indonesian Embassy or Consulate. The cost and time involved to do this is also variable so CALL before hand to reconfirm.
IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PASSPORT IS VALID FOR A MINIMUM OF 6 MONTHS AFTER YOUR ARRIVAL IN INDONESIA AND THAT IT HAS AT LEAST 6 BLANK VISA PAGES.
Dec 6th, 2006, 04:35 PM
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The US State Department’s website for travel to Indonesia by US citizens, at
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_2052.html says the following:
“Visitors may be granted a 3-day visa on arrival for a fee of $10 or a 30-day visa on arrival for a fee of $25. Both visas are non-extendable, and travelers must exit the country to be able to purchase another 3-day or 30-day visa on arrival. A passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival in Indonesia and an onward/return ticket are required. Indonesian authorities regularly deny entry to Americans who arrive with less than six months validity on their passports. "
It also says:
“U.S. citizens MAY ALSO apply for a visa at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, DC or at an Indonesian Consulate in the U.S. A visitor's visa for business purposes and social/cultural stays of longer duration require a letter of intent/sponsorship from the employer and/or sponsor. For up-to-date information, travelers may contact the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia: 2020 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 775-5200; or via Internet, www.embassyofindonesia.org. Indonesian Consulates are located in Los Angeles (213) 383-5126, San Francisco (415) 474-9571, Chicago (312) 595-1777, New York (212) 879-0600, and Houston (713) 785-1691.”
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_2052.html says the following:
“Visitors may be granted a 3-day visa on arrival for a fee of $10 or a 30-day visa on arrival for a fee of $25. Both visas are non-extendable, and travelers must exit the country to be able to purchase another 3-day or 30-day visa on arrival. A passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival in Indonesia and an onward/return ticket are required. Indonesian authorities regularly deny entry to Americans who arrive with less than six months validity on their passports. "
It also says:
“U.S. citizens MAY ALSO apply for a visa at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, DC or at an Indonesian Consulate in the U.S. A visitor's visa for business purposes and social/cultural stays of longer duration require a letter of intent/sponsorship from the employer and/or sponsor. For up-to-date information, travelers may contact the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia: 2020 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 775-5200; or via Internet, www.embassyofindonesia.org. Indonesian Consulates are located in Los Angeles (213) 383-5126, San Francisco (415) 474-9571, Chicago (312) 595-1777, New York (212) 879-0600, and Houston (713) 785-1691.”
Dec 6th, 2006, 04:47 PM
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The US State Dept. information seems out of date, as it sometimes can be. The 3 day visa on arrival option for $10.00 changed to be 7 days for $25.00 last year.
Of course, who is to say it didn't change back to 3 days.
The sure thing, though, is that a visa on arrival is available and budg, you have nothing to worry about provided your passport is valid for at least 6 months after your stay and you have the money to pay for the visa. They take US dollars cash exact change (fastest way), other currencies if they feel like it, and credit cards (beware, it is processed as a cash advance).
Of course, who is to say it didn't change back to 3 days.
The sure thing, though, is that a visa on arrival is available and budg, you have nothing to worry about provided your passport is valid for at least 6 months after your stay and you have the money to pay for the visa. They take US dollars cash exact change (fastest way), other currencies if they feel like it, and credit cards (beware, it is processed as a cash advance).
Dec 7th, 2006, 05:44 AM
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Hi budg -- this group, starting with the incomparable Kathie, is always spot on. I double checked with our Bali hotel and here's what they said:
"Jennifer, here is I send you our Visa on Arrival information. You may buy
the VOA upon arrival at the Airport. For your stay more than 7 nights the
VOA cost is US$ 25. " We're from the US - but there's a long list of VOA countries.
What are you planning to do ??
We heard from Putu today (the driver most recommended on this site) -- looks like there are two interesting festivals (and probably many more -- Bali sounds like festival heaven) while we are there in Janary.
"Jennifer, here is I send you our Visa on Arrival information. You may buy
the VOA upon arrival at the Airport. For your stay more than 7 nights the
VOA cost is US$ 25. " We're from the US - but there's a long list of VOA countries.
What are you planning to do ??
We heard from Putu today (the driver most recommended on this site) -- looks like there are two interesting festivals (and probably many more -- Bali sounds like festival heaven) while we are there in Janary.
Dec 7th, 2006, 03:36 PM
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We just returned from Bali a week ago. Getting the visa at the airport on arrival is quick and easy. We stayed 5 days and the visa was USD 10, cash is accepted, but they also take visa/mastercharge. Just go to the "visa line" it takes 10-15 minutes. Have fun, Bali is wonderful, the people are great and they desperately need visitors!!!!!!
Dec 8th, 2006, 04:55 AM
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Wow, thanks so much to everyone! I am a lot more calm now... We are staying at the Ritz in Jimbaran and they are also going to assist with a meet and greet that will "speed" us through the process when we arrive (we arrive late via Singapore, so worth it to us).
This is our 2nd visit to Bali, (we did not need a visa the first time around...) so we have really seen almost everything, so we are just planning on relaxing quite a bit while we are there and enjoying the view! We leave for HKG, BKK, Bali, SQ then Paris, next Monday...
Thanks again for everyone's input!
This is our 2nd visit to Bali, (we did not need a visa the first time around...) so we have really seen almost everything, so we are just planning on relaxing quite a bit while we are there and enjoying the view! We leave for HKG, BKK, Bali, SQ then Paris, next Monday...
Thanks again for everyone's input!
Dec 8th, 2006, 06:07 PM
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Budg-When you get back from your trip to Bali could let us know a must see or do. We will be there next October in Kuta for a week-this will be our first visit-and our first visit to Thailand-Thanks Chris
Jan 10th, 2007, 11:27 AM
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Hi everyone! We are finally back from our 3 week journey across SE Asia and then to Paris! Thanks to everyone for their input on the Visa on Arrival. We did have a meet and greet service provided by the Ritz Carlton which really was great and worth the extra $$ for us. They purchased the visa for us, we did not even have to present ourselves. We gave him $20 for both of us, and he did the rest, along with clearing us through immigration, passport control, etc. We went through and waited for our luggage while he did the rest.
We had been to Bali in 1999 (Nov.) and it is just as beautiful as before, except there is a lot more construction, which is kind of sad to see, but inevitable. As we said, we were just going to relax and enjoy the Balinese massages and the scenery.
We stayed in one of the new Ocean Front Cliff Villas at the Ritz in Jimbaran. These are even more beautiful than the original Ocean Front Villas we stayed in the last time. Truly an experience! The service was outstanding as expected. Although the resort was extremely crowded (over Christmas), it was still a great experience and the Balinese were genuinely happy to have all the visitors and asked us to let everyone know that Bali is a nice place to visit.
We had the opportunity to visit the new Bulgari resort (Marriott portfolio) in Bali. It opened 4 months ago and is very impressive. 59 villas - caters to the celebrity crowd and those that don't want to be bothered. Really a spectacular view from this property.
We did go into Kuta and Legian on our last day to do some shopping, etc., but other than that, we did not venture out much.
If it is your first time in Bali, we would recommend taking a driver and guide to Ubud and the Volcano. This will take you an entire day or even split it up and do it in 2 days. there are many temples and markets to see along the way. Bali is beautiful and the people are so kind and welcoming. Truly paradise.
Thailand: It was our first time in Thailand and we only visited Bangkok on a short stop over (4 nights). We decided to stay at the Peninsula. We did splurge on this hotel, but in our opinion, it was worth every penny. The hotel is as good as they say and the service is OUTSTANDING. Friends of ours recommended that we see a few temples and then pick and choose what to do. We have different likes than most travelers, so we took a driver from the Pen and went to see the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha. BEAUTIFUL, but extremely crowded (Christams season). From there we sat 45 minutes in traffic to see the reclining Buddha. What they say about the traffic in Bangkok is true. It is horrific and it is all day long. The pollution is terrible and by the end of our stay, both of our throats were sore and our eyes were very irritated. Mind you, we only used the driver and car from the Pen the entire stay, we never took a tuk tuk or a taxi (only short distances when needed). We did use the skytrain which was great!
We did go down the river, and that is a nice experience as well. We asked our driver to take us to local restaurants and he took us to the best local thai restaurant in Bangkok (I don't remember the name, we paid cash), but it was full of locals - no tourists and the food was amazing. They also barely understood English. We went out to a couple of night clubs, and the best was Spasso in the Erawan area. We saw a Mua Thai (kickboxing) match and that was quite interesting as well.
We would recommend going to the State Tower building, and going up to Distil on the 64th floor. The view is amazing. Although we did not have dinner there (we understand it is fabulous, but you need reservations), we did have drinks and a light lunch (some of the best sushi we have ever had). We took many pictures of Bangkok from the outdoor terrace. A must see in our opinion. Note, they will not let you in with backpacks or flip flops or sleeveless t-shirts, etc. There is a dress code, etc., but worth the look!
That's it. Not a lengthy trip report, but we did all we wanted to do, and really had a wonderful time.
We had been to Bali in 1999 (Nov.) and it is just as beautiful as before, except there is a lot more construction, which is kind of sad to see, but inevitable. As we said, we were just going to relax and enjoy the Balinese massages and the scenery.
We stayed in one of the new Ocean Front Cliff Villas at the Ritz in Jimbaran. These are even more beautiful than the original Ocean Front Villas we stayed in the last time. Truly an experience! The service was outstanding as expected. Although the resort was extremely crowded (over Christmas), it was still a great experience and the Balinese were genuinely happy to have all the visitors and asked us to let everyone know that Bali is a nice place to visit.
We had the opportunity to visit the new Bulgari resort (Marriott portfolio) in Bali. It opened 4 months ago and is very impressive. 59 villas - caters to the celebrity crowd and those that don't want to be bothered. Really a spectacular view from this property.
We did go into Kuta and Legian on our last day to do some shopping, etc., but other than that, we did not venture out much.
If it is your first time in Bali, we would recommend taking a driver and guide to Ubud and the Volcano. This will take you an entire day or even split it up and do it in 2 days. there are many temples and markets to see along the way. Bali is beautiful and the people are so kind and welcoming. Truly paradise.
Thailand: It was our first time in Thailand and we only visited Bangkok on a short stop over (4 nights). We decided to stay at the Peninsula. We did splurge on this hotel, but in our opinion, it was worth every penny. The hotel is as good as they say and the service is OUTSTANDING. Friends of ours recommended that we see a few temples and then pick and choose what to do. We have different likes than most travelers, so we took a driver from the Pen and went to see the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha. BEAUTIFUL, but extremely crowded (Christams season). From there we sat 45 minutes in traffic to see the reclining Buddha. What they say about the traffic in Bangkok is true. It is horrific and it is all day long. The pollution is terrible and by the end of our stay, both of our throats were sore and our eyes were very irritated. Mind you, we only used the driver and car from the Pen the entire stay, we never took a tuk tuk or a taxi (only short distances when needed). We did use the skytrain which was great!
We did go down the river, and that is a nice experience as well. We asked our driver to take us to local restaurants and he took us to the best local thai restaurant in Bangkok (I don't remember the name, we paid cash), but it was full of locals - no tourists and the food was amazing. They also barely understood English. We went out to a couple of night clubs, and the best was Spasso in the Erawan area. We saw a Mua Thai (kickboxing) match and that was quite interesting as well.
We would recommend going to the State Tower building, and going up to Distil on the 64th floor. The view is amazing. Although we did not have dinner there (we understand it is fabulous, but you need reservations), we did have drinks and a light lunch (some of the best sushi we have ever had). We took many pictures of Bangkok from the outdoor terrace. A must see in our opinion. Note, they will not let you in with backpacks or flip flops or sleeveless t-shirts, etc. There is a dress code, etc., but worth the look!
That's it. Not a lengthy trip report, but we did all we wanted to do, and really had a wonderful time.
Jan 10th, 2007, 12:02 PM
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Glad you had a great time, budg.
I'm sorry you sat in traffic for 45 minutes between the Grand Palace/Emerald Buddha and Wat Po (reclining Buddha) as there are literally next door to each other! From the Pen you would have been better off taking the water taxi to/from those two wats. Having a car and driver actually made it worse. (I know this info isn't much help to you now, buy perhaps someone else can learn from it)
I'm sorry you sat in traffic for 45 minutes between the Grand Palace/Emerald Buddha and Wat Po (reclining Buddha) as there are literally next door to each other! From the Pen you would have been better off taking the water taxi to/from those two wats. Having a car and driver actually made it worse. (I know this info isn't much help to you now, buy perhaps someone else can learn from it)
