The cost of a Visa on Arrival (VOA) in Indonesia could soon increase, with different fees depending on whether travelers apply online before departure or obtain their visa after arriving in the country.
The proposal was presented on August 12, 2026, by Hendarsam Marantoko, Director General of Indonesian Immigration, during a briefing held at the Directorate General of Immigration headquarters in Jakarta.
According to ANTARA, Indonesia’s national news agency, the proposed fees would be 750,000 rupiah (about $42) for an e-VOA and 1 million rupiah (about $56) for a VOA issued upon arrival.
750,000 rupiah for the e-VOA, 1 million for a visa obtained on arrival
Under the plan outlined by the Director General of Immigration, Visa on Arrival fees would vary depending on how travelers apply.
Travelers who obtain their electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VOA) before their trip would pay 750,000 Indonesian rupiah, while those who complete the process after arriving in Indonesia would pay 1 million rupiah.
Currently, both options cost 500,000 rupiah (about $28) for an initial 30-day stay. The official Immigration portal continues to display that fee as of today. The VOA can be extended once, allowing a total stay of up to 60 days.
The proposed change would therefore represent a 50% increase for the e-VOA obtained before departure, while the fee for a visa issued upon arrival would double.
Lower e-VOA fee aimed at encouraging travelers to apply before departure
Immigration officials have cited two main reasons for the proposed pricing difference.
The first is financial. Hendarsam Marantoko said the current 500,000-rupiah fee needs to be reassessed, notably in light of changes in the rupiah’s exchange rate and the revenue generated by immigration services.
The second involves managing passenger flows at airports. By keeping the advance e-VOA fee lower, authorities hope to encourage more travelers to complete the process before departure, reducing lines at visa counters, particularly at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
The proposal also comes as Immigration seeks to increase government non-tax revenue. As of August 10, 2026, the Directorate General reported 6.54 trillion rupiah in non-tax state revenue (PNBP) since the beginning of the year, representing 76.81% of its annual target. Visa services alone accounted for 54.9% of that revenue, or approximately 3.6 trillion rupiah.
More than 4.3 million e-VOAs issued in 2026
Figures released during the briefing also highlight the growing importance of the Visa on Arrival program within Indonesia’s immigration system.
Between January and July 2026, the Directorate General of Immigration said it issued 4,879,160 e-Visas. Of those, 4,323,319 were e-VOAs, making the electronic Visa on Arrival by far one of the most widely used entry documents among foreign visitors.
The trend was already apparent during the first half of 2026. Between January and June, Immigration recorded 3,481,490 Visas on Arrival, compared with 113,323 C1 visitor visas and 83,852 C20 visas.
Those volumes also underscore the financial implications of the proposed fee increase. Any change to the VOA fee, given how widely the document is issued to foreign visitors, could have a significant impact on Immigration revenue.
No new fees have taken effect yet
Despite the announcement by the Director General of Immigration, no effective date for the new fees has been announced so far.
As of today, official information from the Directorate General of Immigration continues to list the fee for a 30-day Visa on Arrival at 500,000 rupiah (about $28), whether travelers apply electronically before their trip or obtain the visa upon arrival.
For now, the proposed increases to 750,000 rupiah (about $42) and 1 million rupiah (about $56) should therefore be considered an announced change that is still being prepared, pending formal regulatory approval and confirmation of an effective date.
VisasNews Take
For travelers, nothing changes for now: the official Visa on Arrival and e-VOA fee remains 500,000 rupiah, or about $28. If the proposal announced by Immigration is confirmed, applying electronically before departure would become more cost-effective than waiting until arrival in Indonesia, with a difference of roughly $14 between the two options. Travelers should therefore watch for the publication of the new fee schedule and, most importantly, its effective date.
