Someone has recommended Bali Fast Forward to expedite immigration into Bali. My concern is that you hand over the passports to the service when you arrive. Has anyone used this service? Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Elliot Maltz

It is a simple procedure to purchase the VOA and clear Customs and Immigration at Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali. Looks to be a travel agent's website. The only hassle I have ever experienced is if 2-3 plane-loads of passengers arrive at same time. No-one gets processed quickly then. After 12 arrivals in Bali, I have not observed quick processing, for a foreigner. I have heard that extra liquor may be brought in by using a service such as this. Bali is a user-friendly gateway, USUALLY! Good luck!

As Lyndie says, the visa on arrival process in Indonesia is fairly straight forward, though the waiting-in-line time at Immigration can be variable. Unless you're up to something you should be, Customs is a non event.

For transportation to your destination, it's best to arrange this in advance with your resort. After Customs it's easy enough to find the representive. Then you can relax.

If you're concerned about the VOA process you can also get a visa at an Indonesian Embassy or Consulate in your home country. It costs more, but it makes arrival a breeze-through.

I have to say that I don't really see the need for this. Basically, this is a meet and greet service where they also stand in line for you to get your VOA. I can't imagine that they could legally allow you to leave the airport property (and maybe even the secure area) before your visa was granted.

And their departure service involves even less "service" to you. For $30 dollars, you can pay someone to stand in line for you to check in your baggage.

None of this is complicated or onerous. And the price doesn't include the price of your visa or the airport departure tax or the private car transfer.

Usually services like this have connections that allow them to go to the front of the line, therefore, decreasing the wait time. Whether this is worth the money or not is arguable.

I got treated to this service once by the people I used to work with in Indonesia. Basically, they have a little lounge just before you get to the immigration area where you can sit and wait, maybe have a coffee, while someone takes your passport through immigration to get your visa and have it stamped. They don't clear customs for you (or didn't when I used). When your passport is ready they walk you through immigration to baggage claim and help you with your bag, but you still go through customs with your bag.

As others have said, it's not really worth it in most cases, as it's generally not much faster than doing it yourself. All you save is standing in line.

Thanks for the info. I will pass on this service.

get a visa before you leave home.. the lines are brutal

The VOA is a painstaking process, the lines are long and move at a snails pace. If you are going to get a VOA be prepared to wait for a long time. The only good news is that obtaining a VOA isn't complicated.

It all depends on when you arrive. From Bangkok, for example, if I take Air Asia, they're the first flight to arrive (around noon) for several hours, and I've always breezed through VOA and immigration. But if I take Thai, which arrives an hour later, after three other 747s have landed, then it can take a while!

Timing is everything!