Is your stay permit in Indonesia going to expire? Or you are still in Indonesia but have only just realised that your visa had already expired for quite some time? What will happen if your visa has already expired?
It is critical to understand the visa process in Indonesia and get your visa sorted out now as the penalty for overstaying your visa has increased significantly! It is always better to take note of your visa validity and prepare all documents in one place, so when the time for extension comes, you will not panic. Remember that for stay and work permits, the application for extension should be submitted at least 3 months in advance before the expiration date.
Regardless of whether you are staying in Indonesia for pleasure, business or family matters, there is no way around it if you overstay your visa.
This article provides you with all the information you need as Cekindo will walk you through what you should do if you overstay your visa.
Overstaying Visas in Indonesia: The New Regulation
Before the enactment of the new regulation, the Indonesian government would hold foreigners who overstayed their visas in detention. They were not allowed to leave the country until foreigners settled a daily fine of IDR 300,000 (approximately US$21).
Probably not the best news for most foreigners, but starting from May 3, 2019, the daily fine of overstaying visas for foreigners in Indonesia has been raised to IDR 1,000,000 (approximately US$70), in accordance with Regulation 28/2019.
You can see the table below for an easier comparison:
| Previously | Since May 2019 | |
| Daily fine for overstaying | IDR 300,000 (US$21) | IDR 1,000,000 (US$70) |
Here is a simple calculation on how the fine works, depending on the number of days you overstay your visa: overstaying your visa for two weeks (14 days) will cost you IDR 1 million x 14 days = IDR 14 million (approximately US$980). Thus, if you have overstayed your visa in Indonesia for two months, you would pay a hefty fine of IDR 60 million (approximately US$ 4,200).
Cekindo strongly advises you not to make use of overstaying visas to extend your stay in the country. In addition to the increased fine that you will have to pay, it is highly likely that you will be detained at the immigration office for indefinite hours.
Even worse, you may not be able to obtain a new visa in case you intend to enter Indonesia again in the future.
For a longer or extended stay in Indonesia, the most common visa you can apply is business visa.
What If You Overstay Your Visa Longer than 60 Days?
There is a significant difference in legal actions against foreigners, particularly between those who overstay fewer than 60 days and those who overstay more than 60 days:
- Overstaying your Indonesian visa for fewer than 60 days: as previously mentioned, daily fine of IDR 1,000,000 (approximately US$70) incurs
- Overstaying your Indonesian visa for more than 60 days: high possibility of being blacklisted and deported
How to Avoid Deportation from Indonesia
Do keep in mind that blacklisting and deportation in Indonesia are also highly possible when you do not pay the fine when it is due, even if you have overstayed your Indonesian visa for fewer than 60 days.
However, you can avoid all these if you have all your documentation sorted out in compliance with the Indonesian regulations.
You Must Apply for the Right Visa in Indonesia
Indonesia has different regulations for nationals from different countries. In general, for most countries a visa is not required (or a free visa will be given) in Indonesia for the purpose of a short visit. Even with a free visa, some foreigners happen to overstay as well.
Therefore, even when you can enter the Indonesia territory without a visa and want to stay longer than 30 days, we advise you to choose the right visa for a longer stay in the country.
This is because a free visa is not extendable. You cannot upgrade your free visa to another type of visa either.
Advice from our visa experts? Always plan ahead and know what your purpose of visit so that you will be able to choose the right visa for the length of period you want to stay in Indonesia.
Longer Stay in Indonesia for Over 30 Days
Business visa has always been the most convenient and commonly used type of visa for foreigners. You will be able to apply it before you enter Indonesia and it allows you to stay for more than 30 days in the country.
There are two types of business visa: single-entry business visa or multiple-entry business visa.
A single-entry business visa permits you to stay in Indonesia for a maximum of 60 days, but you can only enter the country once, whereas a multiple-entry business visa has a validity of 12 months but not extendable and does not restrict the number of visits.
Final Note for Visa Overstay in Indonesia
After reading through the article, you now know what you must do. Pay really close attention to the validity of your visa. Do not overstay, because having to pay a hefty daily fine is a headache, not to mention being deported or blacklisted. In short, overstaying a visa in Indonesia is really not worth it.
If you have further questions related to Indonesia visa, feel free to let us know by filling in the form below. Alternatively, you are welcome to visit our offices in Jakarta, Bali and Semarang.
