Most tourists coming to Indonesia are granted free-entry visa for up to 30 days. However, in case of moving to Indonesia for work or business meetings, visiting family, friends or conducting social activities, foreigners are obliged to obtain a visa through sponsorship.
Without a visa sponsorship letter, foreigners will need to leave the country and go back again every month. Sponsorships are usually provided by employers, spouses or business partners in Indonesia depending on the kind of a visa.
In this article, we explain the requirements a foreigner needs to meet to acquire a visa sponsorship letter in Indonesia. Besides, we will help you to decide what kind of visa you should get for a longer stay in Indonesia.
WHAT IS VISA SPONSORSHIP IN INDONESIA
Visa sponsorship in Indonesia means that a company or person in the country supports your visa application. There are a lot of variabilities when it comes to sponsorship.
It could be:
- a local company sponsoring you to work for them and thus holding a work visa
- your spouse sponsoring your application to migrate to Indonesia and live with them
- an organisation in Indonesia that sponsors you for a short-term visitor’s visa
- a company or organisation in Indonesia that sponsors your short-term business visits
In any case, all of these sponsors need to express their sponsorship through a visa sponsorship letter. Also, a sponsor should be local entities or citizens. It means in case you apply for a visa in Bali, your sponsor should be based in Bali (as stated in the company’s ID or Indonesian KTPs).
VISAS THAT REQUIRE LOCAL SPONSORSHIP
1.Temporary Residency Permit (KITAS)
Known as ITAS Izin Tinggal Terbatas, this most common type of visa is valid for six to twelve months. It can be renewed or extended every 12 months and thereby the total validity is up to five years.
2. Permanent Residency Permit (KITAP)
Also called Kartu Izin Tinggal Tetap, this visa has 5-year validity. It can be extended, and the total validity is up to 25 years. A KITAP often requires an Indonesian spouse sponsor and is offered to foreigners who plan on living in Indonesia permanently with their spouse.
3. Social-Cultural Visa
This visa is also known as Izin Kunjungan Sosial Budaya Visa (VKSB) and is valid for a maximum of 60 days. It requires an Indonesian sponsor and can be extended every month for up to six months. It is a single-entry visa and can be used for social-cultural exchanges or visiting family.
4. Single-Entry or a Multiple-Entry Business Visa
A business visa provides its holders with a 60-day long visit in Indonesia. The purpose might be attending meetings, seminars, or training.
WHEN YOU DO NOT HAVE A SPONSOR
In reality, many foreigners who want to take advantage of convenient social-cultural and business visas struggle with getting a sponsorship letter in Indonesia. Even though your Indonesian friend or entity might be willing to sponsor your visa, you should inform them that they are obliged to attend an immigration office always when you extend your visa.
In case of a social-cultural visa that is given for 30 days, it means monthly visits to the local immigration.
The sponsor’s name will appear on a visa sticker in the passport and thus you are not allowed to change your sponsor during your stay. You would need to secure a new visa and find a new sponsor as well. Noticeably, your extension will be rejected if your sponsor does not join you and do not sign extension documents at the immigration office.
Fortunately, this bothering requirement does not apply in case of involving a visa agent into the process. Cekindo is a renowned visa agent located in Jakarta, Semarang, and Bali who can both issue a visa sponsorship letter as well as take care of visa extensions. No more searching for samples of your visa sponsorship letters!
REQUIREMENTS OF A VISA SPONSORSHIP LETTER
However, if you decide to obtain a visa sponsorship letter on your own and secure all visa extensions by yourself, remember to include the following details in the visa sponsorship letter:
- Application date
- Embassy and its address
- Details of the applicants (as stated in the passport)
- Details of the sponsor
- Supporting text
- Sponsor’s signature
A visa sponsorship letter can be submitted in both Indonesian and English.
Cekindo is here to sponsor your visa in Indonesia and provide you with a visa sponsorship letter. Contact us today to get to know more.