Visa for Bali: how the e-VOA works

The visa question is one of the first things that comes up when planning Bali, and for good reason — it's the kind of thing worth sorting out properly and with time. The answer depends on your passport, so here's Indonesia's actual policy, not an assumption about where you're from.

What the VOA and e-VOA are

Indonesia offers a Visa on Arrival (VOA) — handled in person on arrival — or its electronic version, the e-VOA, which can be applied for online before you travel, to citizens of a wide group of nationalities: currently around 97 countries are eligible, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and much of Latin America and Asia.

Cost and duration. The VOA costs 500,000 IDR, allows an initial stay of 30 days, and can be extended once for another 30 days. For a 14-day trip like this one, you don't need any long-stay visa.

How to apply for the e-VOA

The process is simple, though it's best not to leave it for the last minute: create an account on the official platform, select the visa type (for a tourist trip like this one, usually Visitor Visa / Visa on Arrival), enter your details exactly as they appear on your passport, and make the payment.

A detail that doesn't match your passport can invalidate the visa — check every field twice before submitting, don't let being in a hurry catch you out.

We recommend applying online before flying: you land with this part already sorted, you skip an extra queue, and if you have an electronic passport you may be able to use the autogates available to eligible travelers.

What you always need

A passport valid for at least 6 months, proof of onward or return travel out of Indonesia, and your approved e-VOA if you applied online. Always keep a copy on your phone and, to be extra safe, an offline copy too just in case.

Entry requirements can change at any moment. Always check your situation on the official immigration website before traveling — don't rely on a travel blog, however good, for something as important as a visa.