Bali Guide
Entry requirements
At the time of writing, only citizens of eleven (mostly Southeast Asian) countries are eligible for visa-free visits to Indonesia. Citizens of 66 other countries, including Britain, Ireland, most European states, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA, South Africa and India, are able to buy thirty-day visas on arrival (VOA). Citizens of all other countries must buy their visas in advance.
For citizens of eligible countries, visas for stays of up to thirty days can be bought on arrival if entering and exiting Indonesia via one of the country's 37 designated gateway ports. In Bali, the visa-issuing gateways are Ngurah Rai Airport, Benoa Harbour and Padang Bai port. The fee of US$25 is payable in almost any currency; your passport must be valid for at least six months and you must be able to show proof of onward travel (a return or onward ticket). If you're staying seven days or fewer, the fee is US$10. The seven-day and thirty-day visas on arrival are non-extendable.
If you're not on the list of 66 countries, if you're entering via a non-designated gateway, or if you want to stay for up to sixty days, you must buy a visa in advance from an Indonesian embassy or consulate. Forms and detailed lists of requirements can be downloaded from most Indonesian embassy websites. Fees for single-entry sixty-day visas are £35/US$45/AUS$60; for multiple entry £125/US$100/AUS$165. In addition, you will need two passport photos and proof of onward travel (a return or onward ticket), and your passport must be valid for at least six months, or one year if applying for a multiple-entry visa. Many but not all visa-issuing embassies also require a recent bank statement showing a minimum balance of £1000 and a recent letter from your employer, educational establishment, bank manager, accountant or solicitor certifying your obligation to return home/leave Indonesia by the designated date.
Penalties for overstaying your visa are severe. On departure, you'll be fined $20 for each day you've overstayed up to a limit of sixty days. If you've exceeded the sixty-day barrier you're liable for a five-year prison sentence or a fine of Rp25,000,000.
It's unlikely you'll be able to extend a visa of any type once in Indonesia, but it may be worth contacting the local government immigration office (kantor imigrasi) anyway.