Digital nomads and other international travelers who have made Bali home will be glad to hear the Indonesian government has rolled out a new visa to make their stay on the Island of Gods smoother.
The new “Transitional Stay Permit,” locally termed the “Bridging Visa” caters to foreign residents on a visit stay, limited stay or permanent stay who are compelled to leave the country to reapply for their residence permits every time they expire.
The spirit behind this initiative is that foreigners can legally stay in the country and save the hassle, time and money they spend when they have to cross the border and wait for weeks while their new permits are granted.
“With a Transitional Stay Permit, foreigners can save time, energy, and accommodation costs that would otherwise be incurred if foreigners had to leave Indonesian territory in order to submit an application and wait for approval for a new visa,” said Indonesia’s Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim.
The Transitional Stay Permit is valid for 60 days and is meant to be used onshore. Holders of this permit will not be penalized if they overstay their visas, provided that they apply for this document at least three days before their regular visas expire.
This permit cannot be used to extend the “visa on arrival” or most socio-cultural visas. But it can be used to renew the Golden Visa, Limited Stay Visas E28 A-F, and some student visas.
How to Apply for the New Transitional Stay Permit
It’s a straightforward process. Foreigners only need to submit an application through the official E-visa website, https://molina.imigrasi.go.id/, making sure the process is completed at least three days before their legal document expires.
So far, visas available include: “C13 – Join Vessel,” “C21 – Attend a judicial process,” “E33F – Retirement Visa,” and “E35A – Work and Holiday Visa for Australian National.”
So remember that if you overstay your visa, you’ll need to pay a fine of DR 1,000,000 ($94) per day and could be deported.
“If you overstay your visa, you might be asked to pay fines of IDR 1,000,000 ($A94) per day, detained, deported, or banned from future travel to Indonesia for a specific period,” said the Ministry of Law and Human Rights Directorate General of Immigration.
So make plans accordingly.