Extending a Bali Visa on Arrival: How It Works

An American on a visa on arrival can stay in Bali for 30 days, extendable once for another 30 days. The extension is applied for and paid online, and since late May 2025 it also requires a photograph and an interview at an immigration office. The official fee is IDR 500,000 per application. Start before the first 30 days run out.

Who can extend a visa on arrival

A visa on arrival can be extended whether it was bought online as an e-VOA or as a sticker at the airport counter. Indonesia's immigration directorate said in November 2024 that the online extension is open to holders of both versions. The extension is granted once, for another 30 days, which makes 60 days the longest stay on this visa.

What an extension does not do

An extension lengthens the stay; it does not change what the visa allows. The same conditions apply for the second 30 days as for the first, including the ban on selling goods or services, or being paid by anyone in Indonesia. A visitor who wants to stay beyond 60 days needs a different visa, and that is a separate application with its own rules.

Decide before you fly if you can

If you already know the trip will run past 30 days, plan the extension into your itinerary before you leave home. It requires a visit to an immigration office, so part of a day has to be set aside for it. Knowing that in advance lets you choose where you will be staying during the third and fourth weeks of the trip.

How the extension works

The extension of a visa on arrival has two parts: an online application with payment, followed by a visit in person. Indonesia's immigration directorate announced that from 29 May 2025 foreigners extending a stay permit must have a photograph taken and attend an interview at an immigration office, after registering and uploading their documents on the official e-visa website. The announcement says the procedure covers visa on arrival holders.

Step one: apply and pay online

The application is made at the same official site that sells the e-VOA. According to the immigration directorate, a traveler who bought an e-VOA uses the "Extend My Visa" button on the home page and enters a passport number, nationality and date of birth. Payment is made on the site by Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card.

If you bought the visa at the airport

A traveler whose visa was issued as a sticker at the airport counter uses a different entry point on the same site. The directorate's instructions are to open the "Services" menu and choose "Find Existing Stay Permit", then enter the passport number, nationality and date of birth. The visa record appears and can be used to apply for the extension.

Step two: the immigration office

After the online step, the applicant goes to an immigration office for the photograph and interview. The directorate describes verification as being done by the office for the place where the foreigner is staying. Its announcement asks applicants to give truthful information in the interview. Bring your passport, and bring your onward ticket, since the visa rules expect a visitor to hold an outbound ticket from Indonesia.

When to apply for the extension

Apply for the extension before the first 30 days end, and leave room for the office visit. Indonesia's immigration directorate says a foreigner is not charged for overstaying if the extension was applied for and paid before the visa expired. We have not found an official figure for how long processing takes, so we are not going to quote one.

Our advice on timing

Our advice is to file the online application about two weeks before the 30 days end. That is our own margin and not an official deadline. It leaves time to get an appointment or a walk-in visit, to return if a document is missing, and to change your plans if the answer is no.

Count the days correctly

Read the expiry date on your visa or in the e-visa record instead of counting from memory. Thirty days is shorter than most calendar months, so a trip planned as "a month" can run past the visa by a day or two.

What the extension costs

The official fee for a 30-day stay permit, which is what the extension of a visa on arrival is, is IDR 500,000 per application. That is the same amount as the visa itself, at IDR 500,000. The fee is set in rupiah, so the dollar amount on your card statement depends on the exchange rate on the day.

Agents charge more

A visa agent who handles the paperwork charges a fee on top of the official price. An agent cannot remove the in-person step, because the photograph and interview are yours to attend. Whether the convenience is worth the price is your decision; what the government charges is the figure above.

What happens if you overstay

Staying past the date on a visa on arrival without an extension in place is an overstay, and the State Department warns that it can bring a fine of IDR 1,000,000 per day, along with possible detention, deportation or a ban on returning. The fine for a single day is twice the cost of the extension itself.

The alternative to extending

A traveler who does not want to spend a day on the extension has one clean alternative, which is to leave Indonesia before day 30. Whether a new visa on re-entry suits your trip depends on your route and your flights, and each entry means a new visa fee, a new arrival card and the same passport rules.

Keep the same passport

You must leave Indonesia on the passport you entered with. If your passport is replaced during the trip, the State Department says you need a special pass from immigration before you depart. On a long stay, check that the passport will still meet the entry rules for any country you visit next.