Indonesia: 5 reasons why you should opt for an e-VOA

Indonesia, a popular destination for travelers, encourages tourists to opt for the electronic visa on arrival (e-VOA), a system that greatly facilitates entry procedures. Discover the five main reasons put forward by the Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration for choosing this option before your trip.

Indonesia attracts millions of visitors every year – almost 14 million in 2024 – and the immigration authorities want to make their arrival even smoother. To this end, the electronic visa on arrival (e-VOA) is now presented as the ideal solution.

Launched in November 2022, this system allows travelers to avoid long waits at the airport and complete their formalities in advance, with ease. Why choose this option? The Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration points to five main reasons.

1. e-VOA is easy to access and process

According to Indonesian immigration, one of the main advantages of the e-VOA is its easy accessibility. Foreign tourists can apply for their visa on arrival either before leaving for Indonesia (e-VOA), or after arriving in Indonesia (VOA).

As well as saving time and energy, this online process also reduces stress, as the e-VOA application can be submitted simply with a smartphone and an Internet connection. If all the required documents have been uploaded correctly, the e-VOA application process takes only 10 minutes to complete.

2. User-friendly website interface

Again according to the Directorate General of Immigration, the interface of the evisa.imigrasi.go.id website is designed with a user-friendly display so that it is easy to use for applicants who are not accustomed to applying for visas online.

To apply for a visa, users simply fill in a form, upload the required documents and make payment online. The workflow is designed to be intuitive, with clear instructions for each step.

“To facilitate the e-VoA application process, make sure you have scanned copies of required documents such as your passport biodata page, a 3×4 photo, and a round-trip flight ticket,” explain the Indonesian authorities.

3. Convenient payment using credit cards

The e-VOA application system is designed to be easy to pay, allowing online payments using a credit card, making it more convenient and secure. Travelers don’t need to exchange cash or search for ATMs at the airport to pay for their visa on arrival.

“The Directorate General of Immigration is the first government institution in Indonesia to implement online payment methods for public services using credit cards. The payment method on the e-VoA website is very easy, similar to online shopping,” says the Director of Visas and Travel Documents, Tato Juliadin Hidayawan.

4. Easy immigration clearance at the airport

Another advantage of the e-VOA highlighted by the authorities is the ease of immigration clearance, such as the possibility of using the automatic gate at the airport (autogate). Foreign tourists with an approved e-VOA can immediately pass through immigration controls faster and more efficiently without having to queue at the manual passport control counter.

“The implementation of e-VoA, which is integrated with autogates, not only facilitates tourists but also reduces queues at airports, increasing the comfort and efficiency of immigration clearance. Additionally, this digital system reduces direct interaction between immigration officers and passengers, minimizing the potential for abuse of authority,” explains Tato Juliadin Hidayawan.

5. Easy and flexible e-VOA extension

If foreign tourists wish to extend their stay in Indonesia, the e-VOA, initially valid for 30 days for IDR 500,000 (around €30 / US$31), is also easy to extend. It can be extended online without having to go directly to the immigration office.

So foreign tourists who want to enjoy their stay in Indonesia for longer can easily extend their visa using the same system. The e-VOA extension can be done once to benefit from 30 new days on site, and is priced at IDR 500,000.

“We are committed to continuously improving immigration services, both in terms of quality and integrity, to support the tourism and investment sectors in Indonesia,” says Acting Director General of Immigration, Saffar Muhammad Godam.

97 countries eligible for e-VOA to travel to Indonesia

Here is the list of 97 countries and territories whose citizens can apply for an electronic visa on arrival (e-VOA) in Indonesia: