We have seen the significant growth and development in the economy of Indonesia for the last couple of years, which places the country among the best countries in Southeast Asia for foreigners to visit, invest, or even settle down.
Apart from the alluring landscapes and low cost of living, the strong support from the Indonesian government to boost the economy with manufacturing and develop the country’s infrastructure has caused a multiplier effect in foreign direct investments – making Indonesia even more attractive for locals and foreigners.
According to statistics, the number of tourists and foreigners who do business in Indonesia reached 17 million in 2018. In order to further promote the growth of tourism and hospitality sector and to attract more foreign investors, an extensive visa policy has been implemented by the Indonesian government.
This article gives you an overview of the most popular visa types in Indonesia, so that you can choose the right visa type that suits your needs.
REASONS FOREIGNERS VISIT OR STAY IN INDONESIA
There are many reasons foreigners choose to visit, stay or settle down in Indonesia. Here’s a summary of all the good reasons:
- A foreigner is married to an Indonesian national
- A foreigner chooses to retire in Indonesia
- A foreigner is employed, invests, or start his/her own business in Indonesia
- A foreigner visits Indonesia to participate in conferences, seminars, training, charity events, art and culture activities, or other non-commercial activities
- A foreigner comes to Indonesia for vacation or to visit friends and family members.
- And so forth.
THE MOST POPULAR VISA TYPES IN INDONESIA
As mentioned above, you will need to apply for a visa that best suits your purpose of visit. Here are the most popular visa types in Indonesia:
1. Social Visa
For a stay of more than 30 days in Indonesia for the purpose of visiting relatives and friends, or taking part in a social, educational or cultural activity, a foreigner can opt for a social visa (also known as social-cultural visa, or visa sosial budaya in Indonesian). The criteria of this type of visa can be easily met and the validity is 60 days, which can be extended monthly for a total of 180 days.
2. Business Visa (Single or Multiple Entry)
A business visa permits foreigners to enter Indonesia for business purposes that do not generate any type of income in Indonesia. Permitted activities include training, conferences, educational workshops, business meetings and business negotiations.
There are two types of business visa: Single-entry business visa and multiple-entry business visa. A single-entry business visa allows its holder to enter Indonesia once with a validity of 60 days; and the multiple-entry business visa does not restrict the number of visits and is valid for a year (but each visit should not exceed 60 days as well).
Get your business visa quick through online application.
3. Retirement Visa
Also known as retirement KITAS or ITAS, as the name implies, a retirement visa is a temporary stay permit for your retirement purpose. Retirees who would like to spend retirement in Indonesia are the best candidates for this type of visa. However, they are required to show that they have adequate funds for their living and will not work in Indonesia. Furthermore, not all nationalities are eligible for this visa.
A local Indonesian sponsor is compulsory for the application of retirement visa. However, not any Indonesian national can be the sponsor – the retirement visa’s sponsor should be the owner of a travel agency license. Cekindo is a holder of a travel agency license and has assisted many retirees with their successful retirement visa applications.
4. Dependent or Spouse Visa
Only when you are legally married to an Indonesian national, the Indonesian government will grant you a spouse visa in Indonesia. Commonly known as a spouse-sponsored KITAS, it is valid for one year and can be converted into a permanent stay permit (KITAP) after two consecutive years of staying in the country.
Having years of experience in handling various visa applications, Cekindo is your trusted visa agency in Jakarta, Bali and Semarang. Consult with us first to learn more about the type of visa you need and we will take care of your visa application, so that you do not have to go back and forth to the immigration office yourself.
