About Indonesia Expat Expertise I am a foreigner from a Western country but have been living in Indonesia for the past 9 years. As a person living and working here, I am able to provide information on transport options and average prices within the country, as well as getting in and out of the country, general hassles people will come up against, visas, recommended homestays, honest and ethical people for legal consultation and private investigation, scams that foreigners should be aware of, safety considerations in certain areas, requirements of living and working here, information regarding leasing houses, apartments, some information on mixed marriages, where to find good medical treatment, jobs, housing, imported foods, cars, restaurants, etc.
Experience I have been living and working here since the beginning of 1999 and have traveled and lived in Lombok, Bali, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Central Java and West Java.
Expert: Indonesia Expat Date: 10/29/2007 Subject: spending a year in java
Question Hi Sandra,
I am considering spending a year in Indonesia. I am currently studying Pencak Silat with my teacher who is from Java. I would be studying with his family. I was wondering about the best way to go about aquiring a visa, and any other complications I should consider?
Answer Hi Kyle,
You didn't mention if you are already in Indonesia or if you will be coming here later, just that you are already studying with a Javanese teacher.
You might be able to get a social visa, sponsored by your teacher's family since you say you will be studying with them. A social visa is good for a total of 180 days/6 months. You would need a sponsorship letter from them in accordance with what Indonesian immigration officials ask for. Check the Indonesian Embassy in your country for in depth details as they may have changed the rules.
Keep in mind that when you get a social visa, you get 60 days to begin with where you don't have to 'renew' your visa. A couple of weeks before those first 60 days run out, you need to go in to immigration and pay for an extension, sign some papers, flash your passport, etc. If I remember correctly, you will also need another sponsorship letter every time you go in. A few extra bucks might apply to speed up the process, depending on who happens to be working the counter that day. You will then receive a 30 day extension. Do not wait until a few days before the first 60 days runs out and do not think that 60 days automatically means 2 months, because it doesn't. It means *exactly* 60 days. You could find yourself having major headaches foisted upon you and may have to pay overstay fines, etc. This is not a process you want to go through, trust me. Before that 30 day extension runs out, you have to go in again and go through the same process. Every month. It can be quite the pain in the bum, especially if you're somewhere in a small town somewhere in Java far from any immigration outpost, so you might want to consider getting an agent to look after everything for you.
All agents have varying costs. I would suggest getting one by word of mouth, as good recommendations are the things to follow here. You don't want to get stuck with a shady agent that keeps putting their hand out for more cash claiming that the costs are higher that month, etc. The good thing about using an agent is that you will not be required to go in and deal with immigration officials directly, which is always a good thing.
Regarding studying pencak silat, I'm not so sure if that would be considered an 'official' course of study unless it was through an educational institution registered with the ministry of education. So you might not want to use that as your reason for needing a social visa. They may deny you. 'Informal study of Indonesian culture/language/traditional art and dance/visiting close friends who are Indonesian nationals' might be better reasons.
If you need somebody to act as your agent, let me know. I can give you a few recommendations.
Good luck with your studies and don't get hurt :-)
PS: I forgot to mention, when those 180 days are up, you will have to fly out to Singapore with another sponsorship letter with a good reason for wanting another social visa, use an agent there to get a visa for you the same day or in a couple of days (depending on how much money you want to spend) and then come back to Indonesia. Then the whole process starts all over again :-)
If you don't use an agent, it's a pain in the bum. I've done it before and unless you want to stand in massive lineups, get shuffled here and there and be told what you can and can't wear before entering the embassy - it's a long list - using an agent is the way to go. They can meet you at your hotel, pick up all your stuff and return your passport and documents to you with your visa as soon as it's done. Fast and simple. You can go shopping or sleep while you wait :-)
