Bali (Indonesia in general) [NOT] to be Visa free for Australians from Jan 2015

[Austman]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Can report VOA for Australians is still alive and well at DPS.

Pretty much zero waiting times at the VOA, passport control and customs yesterday.

The official taxi counter is now inside the terminal. The duty free shop is open for arrivals again.

 

[Musongman]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Looks like the Indonesians will not give free VOA's now. They want reciprocal free visas from Australia. Their govt. has decided to only give free access to countries who do like-wise. Can't imagine Australia giving up their hugely priced visas any time soon. :evil:

 

[k_sheep]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Sigh. Guess I'd better bring some USD for my trip next week. Was looking forward to avoiding one line!

 

[Deleted member]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Looks like the Indonesians will not give free VOA's now. They want reciprocal free visas from Australia. Their govt. has decided to only give free access to countries who do like-wise. Can't imagine Australia giving up their hugely priced visas any time soon. :evil:

So VOA is the only option?

 

[Musongman]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

So VOA is the only option?

I'm not sure, if you want to go to the bother of going to the Indonesian Consulate, or at least researching them, you may be able to buy a pre-stamped visa?

 

[clifford]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

What about UK passports? I have one.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Can't imagine Australia giving up their hugely priced visas any time soon. :evil:

Applied for tourist visa for fiancee the other day. It was 3900THB + 600THB processing + 200THB posting fee and the photos and the endless photocopying another 400-500THB.

All up around AUD200. That is extremely expensive for a visa application. More than double what it was 11 years ago.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Applied for tourist visa for fiancee the other day. It was 3900THB + 600THB processing + 200THB posting fee and the photos and the endless photocopying another 400-500THB.

All up around AUD200. That is extremely expensive for a visa application. More than double what it was 11 years ago.

Well the partner visa is $6800

 

[ksthommo]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Applied for tourist visa for fiancee the other day. It was 3900THB + 600THB processing + 200THB posting fee and the photos and the endless photocopying another 400-500THB.

All up around AUD200. That is extremely expensive for a visa application. More than double what it was 11 years ago.

How about these fees for Partner Visas, huge increase over 10 years.

Partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801) Year 2015 Fees AUD $6865.00, 2005 Fees $1845.00
Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) Year 2015 Fees AUD $4630.00, 2005 Fees $1245.00

 

[Musongman]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Applied for tourist visa for fiancee the other day. It was 3900THB + 600THB processing + 200THB posting fee and the photos and the endless photocopying another 400-500THB.

All up around AUD200. That is extremely expensive for a visa application. More than double what it was 11 years ago.

It used to be $A100.00 for a Tourist Visa a few years ago. The Abbott Govt. has upped all the fees.
Wait until you try to get a fiance or spouse visa, they doubled the charges to nigh on $A8000.00!!
It's a wonder the Indo's don't double theirs to make up for all the corruption and clear the $US35 for the Govt. coffers.

 

[JohnK]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

How about these fees for Partner Visas, huge increase over 10 years.

Partner visa (subclasses 820 and 801) Year 2015 Fees AUD $6865.00, 2005 Fees $1845.00
Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) Year 2015 Fees AUD $4630.00, 2005 Fees $1245.00

Totally ridiculous. Hmmm....

 

[ychan]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Hello ! What's the latest with the Visa on Arrival fee of US$35? Has anyone been there lately and do they accept Credit Cards as payment? cheers

 

[ksthommo]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Hello ! What's the latest with the Visa on Arrival fee of US$35? Has anyone been there lately and do they accept Credit Cards as payment? cheers

Not lately, but beware, paying VOA on your credit card is treated as a cash advance.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Just got back from Bali yesterday after flying up on 27 Jan and was surprised to find you still had to pay for a VOA. You can either pay in many different currencies eg USD35.00 or AUD48.00 but if you don't have the exact money they'll give you the change in Rupiah. Nobody knew anything about when the free visa for Australian was being introduced.

Apparently the idea has been canned for now until Australia reciprocates with free VOA for Indonesians and I can't see that happening any time soon.

You also need to pay the PSC/Departure tax pp of IDR200,000.00 which must be paid in Rupiah only unlike the VOA.

 

[Daver6]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Just got back from Bali yesterday after flying up on 27 Jan and was surprised to find you still had to pay for a VOA. You can either pay in many different currencies eg USD35.00 or AUD48.00 but if you don't have the exact money they'll give you the change in Rupiah. Nobody knew anything about when the free visa for Australian was being introduced.

Apparently the idea has been canned for now until Australia reciprocates with free VOA for Indonesians and I can't see that happening any time soon.

You also need to pay the PSC/Departure tax pp of IDR200,000.00 which must be paid in Rupiah only unlike the VOA.

Thanks for that information. Sounds like paying in AUD with a $50 and get change in Rupiah is the simplest way to go if you don't have USD handy.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Both inbound & outbound customs at DPS was a breeze with no more than a 5 minute wait - pity it's not the same in Oz.

 

[PLANT]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Obvious you had no boogie board luggage?

 

[Austman]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Both inbound & outbound customs at DPS was a breeze with no more than a 5 minute wait - pity it's not the same in Oz.

Yes - for me too.

And I had to go though it another 2 times when JQ 44, DPS-MEL, an almost full 787 service, went "technical" on 29th January and was eventually cancelled 5 hours or so later. But that's another story.

The rumour is that the tourist industry (especially high end hotels) complained about the corrupt and poor service at DPS. They campaigned for improvements and it seems to have worked!

 

[Cynicor]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Yes - for me too.

And I had to go though it another 2 times when JQ 44, DPS-MEL, an almost full 787 service, went "technical" on 29th January and was eventually cancelled 5 hours or so later. But that's another story.

The rumour is that the tourist industry (especially high end hotels) complained about the corrupt and poor service at DPS. They campaigned for improvements and it seems to have worked!

This was told directly to me by one of the managers at the hotel- they all got together and petitioned the minister responsible.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: Bali (as well as Indonesia in general) to be Visa free for Australians from Jan

Obvious you had no boogie board luggage?

No, nil checked bags.

Yes - for me too.

And I had to go though it another 2 times when JQ 44, DPS-MEL, an almost full 787 service, went "technical" on 29th January and was eventually cancelled 5 hours or so later. But that's another story.

The rumour is that the tourist industry (especially high end hotels) complained about the corrupt and poor service at DPS. They campaigned for improvements and it seems to have worked!

The a/c does a triangle routing sometimes eg the a/c that operated JQ58 DPS/BNE inbound arriving 27 Jan VH-VKA then did JQ47 BNE/DPS then a pm departure DPS to SYD or MEL. Our oubound a/c JQ58 on 28 Jan is an evening arrival from SYD or MEL.

A colleague who goes there regularly was telling me that for a while customs would charge Japanese the USD25.00 instead of USD10.00 for the short stay visa & pocket the difference. They got ticked off for it but that was about it however now they don't have the short stay visa.

This was told directly to me by one of the managers at the hotel- they all got together and petitioned the minister responsible.

That doesn't surprise as Bali is so reliant on tourism they would want to make it as easy as possible for tourists to come in to the country and return in the future. We stayed at the L Hotel in Seminyak who told us that 90% of their business comes from Australians.

One of the taxi drivers was concerned that the execution of two of the Bali Nine members would affect tourism from Australia as the Balinese are so dependent on it.