Info about Indo waiving visa on arrival requirements for U.S.

[Zippsy]

Isn't that hysterical!! TII!! This IS Indonesia!

 

[photog]

Isn't that hysterical!! TII!! This IS Indonesia!

This is the reason I have a reliable company inside Indonesia do all the air bookings, etc. for my guests and I. You wouldn't believe how many times an Indonesian agent has kept someone in my groups, sometimes the entire group, from having a problem. Just because they are pro-active and aware of local situations, cancellations, etc.

 

[Wingy]

On a similar note, I left from Bali the other morning on air Asia who were still flying into Perth to find the departure tax gone...that was new.

 

[photog]

On a similar note, I left from Bali the other morning on air Asia who were still flying into Perth to find the departure tax gone...that was new.

Wingy,

Recently saw this note on our project management system from a client in Bali (web marketing client - big dive operator).

"You may also have noticed that I changed the text for the departure tax [on the Bali information page] as this is now included in air tickets for both international and domestic departures."

Perhaps the departure tax was included on your air ticket? There have been a lot of changes with airport departure taxes on'off tickets the last couple of years. It has been difficult to tell each guest what to expect because was dependent on the airline, and also on when the ticket was purchased.

 

[Searcaigh]

Update -

Important note for tourists entering Indonesia with a free VOA and exiting Indonesia in a location that does not offer the free VOA.

I received this info from my trips' cruise director today.

Below information is courtesy of Silk Air Manado--

"I had a chat with MDC Immigration today and some of our pax in MDC face a problem exiting MDC as they have entered through JKT on the Free VOA. Once they choose the Free VOA option in JKT or any of the 9 ports as below, they are unable to exit from another Indonesian city without the Free VOA Option".


The workaround this is to buy the normal USD 35 VOA at CGK (Jakarta)/DPS (Denpasar)/KNO (Kualanamu, Medan)/SUB (Surabaya)/BTH (Batam Hang Nadim) and with that VOA, they will be able to exit another Indonesian city without the Free VOA Option.


Can we please trouble you to disseminate this information to your guests/passengers to purchase the correct VISA upon arrival.


If they are having an open jaw ticket (entry via CGK/DPS/KNO/SUB/BTH and exit via another Indonesian Point NOT CGK/DPS/KNO/SUB/BTH), they would NEED to choose to purchase the USD 35 VOA Option at CGK/DPS/KNO/SUB/BTH to be able to depart via another Indonesian city without the Free VOA Option. If they choose the Free VOA Option, they will be made to return by domestic flight to the city which they arrive in to depart Indonesia.

With this knowledge, pax will avoid the hassle of buying a domestic ticket to go back to CGK/DPS/KNO/SUB/BTH to exit as most pax only know about this policy when they arrive in MDC for example.

Do let me know if you have any questions or comments regarding the above please. Thanks!

For 30 countries, namely People's Republic of China, Russia, South Korea, Japan, United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, England, Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Finland , Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and South Africa, can visit for the purpose of Tourist ONLY. Above countries can ONLY enter and exit from Indonesia through the following nine (9) Indonesia Immigration Clearance ONLY at ;

a ) Airport Immigration Check Point
1) Soekarno-Hatta Jakarta ( CGK )
2) Ngurah Rai - Bali (DPS)
3) Kualanamu, Medan (KNO)
4) Juanda - Surabaya (SUB)
5) Hang Nadim - Batam (BTH)


b) Seaport Immigration Check Point
1) Sri Bintan Pura at Tanjung Pinang
2) Batam Center at Batam
3) Sekupang at Batam
4) Tanjung Uban at Tanjung Uban

Confirmed by the managers of Siladen Resort today, they have had several guests go through this experience

 

[Wingy]

Thanks Photog - yes this was the reason apparently. Strangely other people on the same flight did have to pay departure tax due to date of booking.

 

[photog]

Thanks Photog - yes this was the reason apparently. Strangely other people on the same flight did have to pay departure tax due to date of booking.

Everyone is paying it, just a matter of when! Last year we did have some guests traveling on their own who paid it twice - airline was confused.

 

[Luko]

Thanks Photog - yes this was the reason apparently. Strangely other people on the same flight did have to pay departure tax due to date of booking.

Yes, happened to us in April too. Bookings confirmed before march 1stt had to pay the airport tax while the one booked afterwards already included the tax.

 

[Manneca]

Update -

Important note for tourists entering Indonesia with a free VOA and exiting Indonesia in a location that does not offer the free VOA.

I received this info from my trips' cruise director today.

Below information is courtesy of Silk Air Manado--

"I had a chat with MDC Immigration today and some of our pax in MDC face a problem exiting MDC as they have entered through JKT on the Free VOA. Once they choose the Free VOA option in JKT or any of the 9 ports as below, they are unable to exit from another Indonesian city without the Free VOA Option".


The workaround this is to buy the normal USD 35 VOA at CGK (Jakarta)/DPS (Denpasar)/KNO (Kualanamu, Medan)/SUB (Surabaya)/BTH (Batam Hang Nadim) and with that VOA, they will be able to exit another Indonesian city without the Free VOA Option.


Can we please trouble you to disseminate this information to your guests/passengers to purchase the correct VISA upon arrival.


If they are having an open jaw ticket (entry via CGK/DPS/KNO/SUB/BTH and exit via another Indonesian Point NOT CGK/DPS/KNO/SUB/BTH), they would NEED to choose to purchase the USD 35 VOA Option at CGK/DPS/KNO/SUB/BTH to be able to depart via another Indonesian city without the Free VOA Option. If they choose the Free VOA Option, they will be made to return by domestic flight to the city which they arrive in to depart Indonesia.

With this knowledge, pax will avoid the hassle of buying a domestic ticket to go back to CGK/DPS/KNO/SUB/BTH to exit as most pax only know about this policy when they arrive in MDC for example.

Do let me know if you have any questions or comments regarding the above please. Thanks!

For 30 countries, namely People's Republic of China, Russia, South Korea, Japan, United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, England, Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Finland , Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and South Africa, can visit for the purpose of Tourist ONLY. Above countries can ONLY enter and exit from Indonesia through the following nine (9) Indonesia Immigration Clearance ONLY at ;

a ) Airport Immigration Check Point
1) Soekarno-Hatta Jakarta ( CGK )
2) Ngurah Rai - Bali (DPS)
3) Kualanamu, Medan (KNO)
4) Juanda - Surabaya (SUB)
5) Hang Nadim - Batam (BTH)


b) Seaport Immigration Check Point
1) Sri Bintan Pura at Tanjung Pinang
2) Batam Center at Batam
3) Sekupang at Batam
4) Tanjung Uban at Tanjung Uban

Boy, I just happened to double check the visa requirements using the United Airlines visa check site and saw that. I'm arriving Jakarta and departing Manado. This has not been well publicized.

 

[cephalopod2]

Thank you again photog for making this important information more accessible and visible.

I wanted to share the following update re. open jaw tickets.

We arrived in DPS on Dec 15 via open jaw tickets and as we tried to buy visas were told by multiple immigration officials that more VOA changes were made "1 week ago". They refused to sell us visas since we are from a free VOA country and stated that despite our open jaw tickets that have us leaving Indonesia from the non-free VOA airport of Manado, we would not have a problem leaving.

Since the DPS officials did not appear to be aware of the people forced to fly back from MDC to their original port of entry in order to have their free VOA processed, we called Lembeh Resort from the airport and followed up by email to double check that the exit problems for open jaw tickets had truly been solved. The following is from the Lembeh Resort managers:

####START OF STATEMENT FROM SILK AIR####

Dear Sir/Mdm,

Please take note of the revised Visa Free Policy as below.

Good news for us in Manado, if tourist now enter example Bali on a Free Visa, they will be able to exit from Manado. However, as in email below, if tourist enter into Manado, they will still need to pay for Visa in Manado. Hope this clarifies. Thanks.

1. President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, already signed President Decree no 104/2015 as a revision of President Decree no 69/2015 regarding Free Visa Visit to Indonesia for Tourism Purpose only

2. With this new rules, total 75 countries (before only 45 countries) are exempted from the obligation to have a visit visa to enter Indonesian territory in order for tourism only

3. This rules effective from 7OCT15

4. Below are complete list of the countries
[EDIT: list of 75 countries deleted for brevity]
************************************
1. Eligible passengers who choose the Visa Free Visit option can ONLY ENTER Indonesia through the following Indonesian Immigration check points-

a ) Airport Immigration Check Points
1) Hang Nadim, Batam
2) Juanda, Surabaya
3) Kualanamu, Medan
4) I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Bali
5) Soekarno-Hatta, Banten

b) Seaport Immigration Check Points [EDIT: list of 9 deleted for brevity]

2. Eligible passengers who choose the Visa Free Visit option can only EXIT Indonesia from the following Indonesian Immigration check points-

a ) Airport Immigration Check Points
1) Hang Nadim, Batam
2) Juanda, Surabaya
3) Kualanamu, Medan
4) I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Bali
5) Soekarno-Hatta, Banten
6) Adi Sucipto, Yogyakarta
7) Adi Soemarmo, Surakarta
8) Ahmad Yani, Semarang
9) Bandara Internasional Lombok, Mataram
10) Belitung, Tanjung Pandan
11) Binaka, Sibolga
12) El Tari, Kupang
13) Frans Kaisiepo, Biak
14) Halim Perdana Kusuma, DKI Jakarta
15) Husein Sastranegara, Bandung
16) Maimun Saleh, Sabang
17) Minangkabau, Padang
18) Mopah, Merauke
19) Mozes Kilangin, Tembaga Pura
20) Pattimura, Ambon
21) Polonia, Medan
22) Sam Ratulangi, Manado
23) Sepinggan, Balikpapan
24) Sultan Hasanuddin, Makassar
25) Sultan Iskandar Muda, Banda Aceh
26) Sultan Mahmud Badarudin II, Palembang
27) Sultan Syarif Kasim II, Pekanbaru
28) Supadio, Pontianak
29) Tarakan, Tarakan

b) Seaport Immigration Check Points [EDIT: list of 88 ports deleted for brevity]

c) Land Immigration Check Points [EDIT: list of 7 deleted for brevity]

Best Regards,
Sabrina Lee
####END OF STATEMENT FROM SILK AIR####