Indonesia’s Visa on Arrival fee could rise to IDR 1 million for travellers applying at the airport, according to an announcement reported in August 2026. However, the official B1 visa guidance reviewed on 22 September 2026 still lists IDR 500,000. An implementation date for the higher charges could not be confirmed in the sources reviewed.
For visitors and families planning a move to Jakarta, the distinction matters. You need to know what to budget, which application route to use and whether a short-stay visa covers your actual plans. The fee is only one part of that decision: extensions, arrival declarations and the date you must leave also need attention.
Has Indonesia’s Visa on Arrival fee actually doubled?
In its 12 August report on the announced VOA fee adjustment, ANTARA quoted Indonesia’s immigration chief describing two amounts: IDR 750,000 for electronic applications made before arrival and IDR 1 million for applications on arrival. Encouraging advanced applications and reducing airport queues were among the reasons given.
Against the published IDR 500,000 baseline, those figures would represent increases of 50% and 100%. The phrase “double the price” therefore refers to the reported airport rate, rather than both options.
The official B1 visa page still displayed IDR 500,000 when reviewed. The announcement and the fee shown on that page should not be treated as interchangeable evidence.
| Fee reference | Per person | What the evidence establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Published B1 government fee | IDR 500,000 | Displayed on official visa guidance reviewed on 22 September 2026 |
| Announced advance electronic rate | IDR 750,000 | Reported announcement; implementation date not confirmed |
| Announced airport rate | IDR 1,000,000 | Reported announcement; implementation date not confirmed |
Before paying, check the visa product and amount shown through the official Indonesian eVisa portal. If a payment request conflicts with published guidance, ask Immigration to clarify the applicable tariff. An older webpage cannot guarantee the amount that will apply on a future travel date.
Who should check whether they need a VOA?
Start with your passport nationality, travel document, purpose of travel and intended stay. Flying from a particular country or holding residence there does not, by itself, establish eligibility. Use Immigration’s visa requirements and nationality guidance alongside the current application system.
Do not assume that everyone in a travelling family needs the same immigration arrangement. Check each person separately, including children, anyone travelling on a different nationality’s passport, and anyone who already holds an Indonesian visa or stay permit. Record the document each person intends to use for entry before making a group payment.
Visa-free entry, a VOA and entry under an existing residence arrangement are different routes. If more than one appears available, compare their conditions against the planned trip. A household preparing for a longer move needs more than the cheapest option on the first day.
If you hold an emergency or temporary passport, obtain document-specific confirmation before booking. Current national B1 guidance addresses those documents separately and specifies at least 12 months of validity; advice written only for ordinary passports may not apply to you.
e-VOA or the airport counter: what changes?
The practical difference is when you complete the application and payment. With an e-VOA, you submit details before travelling and retrieve the issued visa electronically. With the airport route, the payment and visa formalities take place on arrival, subject to eligibility and the relevant entry point’s arrangements.
Applying ahead gives you time to notice an incorrect passport number, resolve a payment problem or locate the issued document before departure. It does not replace immigration inspection or guarantee a particular queue time.
For a family landing in Jakarta after a long flight, completing the application in advance can reduce the number of tasks left for the airport. For someone travelling at short notice, first confirm that the arrival route is available for their passport and intended activities. Do not rely on the existence of a visa counter as proof of eligibility.
Prepare the application before you pay
Immigration’s online visa document checklist identifies the ordinary-passport validity requirement of at least six months, the passport biodata page, a photograph, an email address and a supported payment card. A return or onward ticket is also required, subject to the stated exceptions. Follow the upload specifications shown in the live application.
A useful preparation sequence is:
- Check the category first. Describe what you will do in Indonesia, rather than choosing a visa only by its price.
- Match the passport exactly. Review the spelling of your name, passport number, nationality and expiry date before submitting.
- Keep access to the application. Use an email account you can open while travelling and save the application reference.
- Check the issued document. Confirm the visa has been issued; retain both the visa and the payment receipt. They serve different purposes.
- Leave time for corrections. Apply several days ahead where possible, rather than making successful processing a last-minute dependency.
If payment fails, check the application status before making another payment. Keep screenshots and transaction references so the bank or application support team can identify the problem. Avoid creating multiple applications simply because a confirmation email has not arrived immediately.
What should your travel budget include?
Separate the government visa fee from the other charges you may encounter. A larger total on an agency invoice does not establish that the government tariff has increased.
| Cost or task | Planning reference | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Initial VOA | IDR 500,000 on official guidance reviewed | Confirm the live tariff; higher rates have been announced |
| One VOA extension | IDR 500,000 on official extension guidance reviewed | Separate application and payment; approval is required |
| All Indonesia declaration | Free government declaration | Paid assistance is a separate service |
| Bali tourist levy | IDR 150,000 for visitors subject to the levy | Relevant to a Bali visit; check exemptions |
| Agency, card or currency charges | Depends on provider and payment method | Request an itemised total before authorising payment |
The extension figure appears in Manado Immigration’s January 2026 VOA extension guidance. The official Love Bali portal lists the provincial tourist levy and provides an exemption route. That levy is separate from the national visa fee; it is not an additional Jakarta arrival charge.
As a simple budget illustration, four travellers who each require a VOA would pay IDR 2 million in initial government fees at the published IDR 500,000 rate. If all four later obtain an extension at IDR 500,000 each, their combined visa and extension fees would be IDR 4 million. This excludes assistance, payment charges and any applicable Bali levy.
Under the announced initial rates, the same group’s entry-visa budget would instead be IDR 3 million for advance electronic applications or IDR 4 million at the airport. These are conditional calculations, not confirmed future bills. No corresponding extension-fee increase was verified for this article.
When requesting assistance, ask for the government fee, service fee and other charges as separate lines. Also ask what happens if the application needs correction, the travel date changes or the request cannot proceed.
Visa validity and permission to stay are different dates
The official B1 conditions describe an e-VOA entry-validity period of 90 days from issuance. The initial permitted stay is up to 30 days from arrival, with one extension allowing a total stay of up to 60 days. B1 is a single-entry visa.
A visa being valid for entry for 90 days does not give you permission to remain for 90 days after landing. Likewise, buying a later return flight does not extend your authorised stay.
Keep three dates in your travel record: the last date the visa can be used for entry, the end of the stay granted after entry, and your planned departure. Check the actual documents rather than estimating “one month” from the calendar. If you obtain an extension, replace the original stay-end reminder with the approved new date.
A regional trip also needs planning. Do not assume you can leave Indonesia and reuse the same single-entry visa simply because unused days remain. Check the entry arrangement for your return before booking a side trip.
Extending your stay includes an immigration-office visit
An online application does not mean the whole extension can be completed remotely. Immigration’s extension procedure effective from 29 May 2025 requires foreign nationals, including VOA holders, to attend an immigration office for a photograph and interview after registering and uploading documents online.
That affects how you plan the middle of a longer stay. Keep time available for the appointment and check which office is responsible for the address used in your application. Avoid scheduling a flight to another island around an appointment you have not yet confirmed.
The official extension instructions describe different starting steps for electronic and airport-issued VOAs. An airport-issued permit may first need to be claimed in the online system. Follow the instructions for your own permit, update your accommodation details accurately, pay the required fee and monitor the appointment notification.
Start checking the extension process well before expiry. As a planning reminder, review the next steps around two weeks before your authorised stay ends, then confirm the actual application window and deadline through the live system or your responsible office. That reminder is not a legal filing deadline. Leave time for document corrections and the office appointment.
After processing, retrieve the extension approval and check the new authorised stay date. Keep that approval with your passport and original visa records; an application receipt alone should not be treated as proof that an extension has been granted.
Travellers who need accessibility assistance should contact the office ahead. Immigration’s procedure provides assisted walk-in handling for specified vulnerable groups and urgent situations, including elderly travellers, people with disabilities, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
The arrival declaration is another task, not another visa
The All Indonesia arrival declaration guidance explains that the form brings together immigration, customs, health and quarantine information. It is free. The official eVisa portal directs travellers to complete the arrival card within the three days before arrival.
Treat it as a separate item on the travel checklist. An issued e-VOA does not mean the declaration has also been completed, and a declaration confirmation is not a visa approval.
For a family or an HR-managed trip, assign one person to check that the required confirmations are accessible, but verify each traveller’s details individually. Keep an offline copy or screenshot available in case mobile connectivity is unreliable when you land. If someone charges for help completing the declaration, the invoice should identify that assistance separately.
What if the fee changes after you book or pay?
The sources reviewed did not establish a transition rule for visas purchased before the announced increase. Booking a flight and paying for a visa are also different events; do not assume an airfare purchase fixes the immigration fee.
If you already have an issued visa, retain the visa, payment receipt and application reference. Check any official implementation notice for its effective date, the visa categories covered and the treatment of applications already paid for or issued.
If an agent or message asks for an additional payment, request the official basis and verify the instruction through Immigration’s published channels before paying. Equally, do not assume that every future top-up request must be invalid: the answer depends on the actual transition rules, if and when they are issued.
What relocating families and HR teams should do differently
A short visit to explore Jakarta and the start of an employment assignment are different immigration planning exercises. Under the B1 activity restrictions, selling goods or services and receiving remuneration for work or business from Indonesian individuals or companies are prohibited. Permission to visit should not be read as general permission to work.
For a pre-move visit, prepare a simple itinerary covering the activities, dates and people travelling. Ask whether the proposed category fits that itinerary before applying. If the same trip will include performing job duties, explain those duties specifically instead of describing the entire journey as a holiday.
For HR, separate the arrival date from the authorised work-start date. Ask the immigration adviser or responsible internal team to confirm the employee’s required permissions, outstanding employer documents, dependants’ arrangements and who will monitor expiry dates. A lower visa fee should not determine the employment route.
If a short visit may turn into a longer stay, obtain advice before making housing or school commitments dependent on remaining in Indonesia. National B1 guidance refers to a mechanism for changing status, but eligibility and process need case-specific confirmation. Do not build the relocation timetable around an assumed automatic conversion.
Make the visa decision before fixing the relocation timetable
For a move to Jakarta, send Relo Service Indonesia your passport nationality, intended activities, expected length of stay, accompanying family members and proposed arrival date. Discuss your visa and immigration requirements and ask which support and specialist advice your circumstances require before committing to the schedule.
Information reviewed on 22 September 2026. This guide provides general planning information. Confirm the applicable tariff and immigration requirements for your circumstances before applying or travelling.
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