Indonesian Visa Information

In order to legally volunteer in Indonesia, you need a Social/Cultural Indonesian Visa. All approved volunteers will be sponsored by our local NGO for this visa. This means that you will be officially invited and sponsored by our local foundation to volunteer with us at VP Bali.

Steps to obtain the Social/Cultural Visa

1. Volunteer applicant is approved by Volunteer Programs Bali.

2. Four to eight weeks before the volunteer placement starts, the volunteer is requested to send a copy of their valid passport to Volunteer Programs Bali.
3. An invitation letter will be sent from our local organization which the volunteer needs in order to apply for the Indonesian Visa.
4. Volunteers have to apply through their local Indonesian Embassy/Consulate for their Indonesian Visa. The cost is approximately USD $45. However, the exact cost may vary, depending on your local Embassy/Consulate.
5. The Indonesian visa application is approved after approx 3 - 5 business days after their submission.
6. Volunteer arrives in Bali/Indonesia and their initial 60 day Social Visa starts.
7. If a volunteer’s placement exceeds these 60 days (8 weeks), their Social Visa needs to be extended. The Social Visa can be extended 4 times, each time for one month up to a maximum stay of 180 days. Each monthly visa extension costs around IDR 800,000.

   ** Please note that these fees are the current fees (May 2016) and immigration can change these fees on a regular base. Volunteer Programs Bali is not involved in these costs but we will of course update you on the latest changes upon your arrival. **

   *Note: You are not required to leave Bali/Indonesia to extend your Visa

   **Note: Your Social/Cultural Visa is a single entry visa. If you leave Indonesia during your placement, your visa is no longer valid and you will have to reapply for the visa at an Embassy or Consulate outside Indonesia with a new invitation letter.

What documents do you need to apply for a Social/Cultural Visa?

Please submit the following documents to the Indonesian Embassy/Consulate addressed in your invitation letter:

Your Passport (valid for more than 6 months after returning from Indonesia)

Passport contains at least one blank visa page. Amendment and endorsement pages cannot be used for visa purposes.

Two recent color photographs (passport size) on photo-quality paper with clear background.

Roundtrip itinerary (inbound and outbound flight for Indonesia)

(note: the Embassy/Consulate or the immigration officer at the airport may ask the copy of the original airplane ticket).

A duplicate copy of the invitation letter.

A color copy of the K.T.P (Indonesian ID Card) of your sponsor.

To apply for the visa you need to fill in an application form. This form can be obtained from your local Embassy/Consulate or on their website. If you can’t find this, please contact your local Embassy/Consulate for assistance.
Application process time will usually take around 3-5 business days (but please check this)

As mentioned above, the cost of Social/Cultural Visa will be around USD 45.
Please check with the nearest embassy/consulate in your country for the most accurate information on processing times, fees and what type of documents you need to apply for the visa.

* Please note: Once you have obtained your Social Visa you have 90 days from the date of issue to enter Bali/Indonesia. The Social Visa (60 days) only starts from the date of entry in Bali/ Indonesia.

Locate the nearest Indonesian Embassy near you.

Important information regarding your Social Visa sponsorship.

You will be sponsored by our local non-profit organization. This means that we are responsible for you during your stay in Bali. Therefore we will ask you to sign a waiver stating that our local organization is not responsible for you if you get involved with any criminal activities according to Indonesian Law. We do expect you to behave according to our Code of Conduct and to follow this. If you violate this, legal actions will be taken and Volunteer Programs Bali reserves the right to terminate your Social Visa sponsorship.

More information about this will be given during your orientation program.

To extend the visa you will need to ask permission from Volunteer Programs Bali. If you want to travel after your volunteer placement, you need to contact VP Bali prior to this and ask for permission to extend the visa. Without this, it is not possible to extend and please note that your visa is only extendable in Bali and not in other parts of Indonesia.

If you will be traveling around before starting the program, we will ask you to sign our waiver prior to your arrival in Indonesia.

You are legally not allowed to volunteer or work for any other organization whilst being sponsored by Volunteer Programs Bali. If you want to be involved with other organizations after your volunteer placement with VP Bali, you will have to leave the country first and come back on another visa. At that point your sponsorship from Volunteer Programs Bali will be terminated.

For further details on Indonesian Visas click here