I have just finished my second book about Bali and this time I have written a guide for people interested in retiring in Bali. Writing certainly doesn’t come easy for me and even though I have all of these ideas running around in my head, getting them written down is another thing all together.

I learnt quite a bit from writing my first book on starting a business in Bali and the feedback I got from it. There has also been this small revolution in publishing over the last couple of years and there is much less stigma attached to self publishing a book. In fact publishers are starting to find new authors after they have had success from selling their work directly to Kindle and other ebook readers.

There are many books on retiring to Thailand, the Philippines and South American countries, but nothing that I have ever seen for Bali or Indonesia. I am hoping my book can help to fill this gap.

You can download the book from the main part of the website here.

Anyone living in Bali for an extended period of time, will at some point have to leave Indonesia to pick up a visa or apply for a new one.

The shortest flight from Bali is Singapore, taking around 2 and a half hours. Singapore is an expensive place and a bed in a hostel is around $22 Singapore dollars. A tiny private room with bathroom (and no window) is about $50 Singapore dollars.

To cut down the time you need to spend in Singapore, many people use the service of an agent and while the fees are not cheap, it can still save money and hassle, as most visas can be processed in just one day.

One of the main visa agents is Ismail Hamdan. He has an office in the “Singapore Shopping Centre”, but I have never been to it. He employs couriers who pick up you passport, money and documents from your hotel. If you don’t want to hang around waiting for the courier, you can put everything in an envelope and let the receptionist at your hotel hand everything over.

I know the first time, I was a little worried about doing this, but I have never had a problem. The service is amazingly efficient and as long as you have provided all of the correct documents, your passport and visa will be dropped back at your hotel in the afternoon.

One time I forgot a document and it wasn’t until I got back to my hotel that I got the message from Ismail. I faxed it through to him and the visa was ready a couple of hours later.

Ismail is strictly a telephone and fax guy. He has no website and no email address, so don’t even think about mentioning sending the documents by email. He has his way of doing things and his tone quickly changes, if you even mention email. The guy seems to be very busy and he doesn’t like time wasters.

It kind of reminds me of the Seinfeld “Soup Nazi” episode: “It’s very important not to embellish on your order. No extraneous comments. No questions. No compliments.”

Here are his contact details:

190 Clemenceau Avenue #02-16
Singapore Shopping Centre
Singapore 239924

Office telephone: (65) 6334 5520
Handphone: 9636 4854
Fax No: (65) 6334 5518

If you follow any Indonesian or Bali related forum, you have probably noticed the numerous discussions going on about the new immigration laws that are soon to come into effect. The new immigration laws affect mainly foreigners married to Indonesian citizens and foreign investors. The main points of the new laws are as follows.

Foreigners married to an Indonesian citizen will now be able to get permanent residency after just two years of marriage. You then only need to report immigration once every 5 years and there is no charge for this.

If a couple divorces after 10 years of marriage, the foreigner can continue living in the country.

Children of a mixed couple can get permanent residency in Indonesia, regardless of their nationality.

Foreigner investors can get permanent residency after just three years, instead of the current five. Indonesians who changed their citizenship can now return to Indonesia and get permanent residency.

For foreigners married to an Indonesian citizen, they will also have the right to work, after obtaining permanent residency. Previously, with the spouse visa, working was forbidden.

The changes are great news and a good sign that Indonesia is becoming more foreigner friendly and supportive of mixed marriages. Foreigners with Indonesian spouses are obviously happy about being able to work.

The government has always had the attitude that allowing foreigners to work will take away jobs from locals. I don’t think this is going to happen with the salaries that most companies pay their staff. I think foreigners are more likely to start small businesses with their spouse, especially in Bali. If they are successful, then it will only lead to more employment opportunities for locals.

Indonesians who have given up their citizenship and want to return to Indonesia to work or start a business, will be able to contribute capital and skills back to their birth country.

The law just needs to signed by the president and then it will hopefully be implemented across the country.

What do you think about the new laws?

The visa on arrival only allows for a maximum stay of one month and a two month tourist visa can also be applied for in advance. For longer stays however, you will need to apply for a social visa otherwise known as the Sosial Budaya visa.

The social visa needs to be applied for in advance at your local Indonesian embassy or consulate. The visa is good for 60 days and can be extended on a monthly basis, for a maximum stay of six months. As the name implies that visa is for people wishing to visit friends and family in Indonesia, but does not allow you to undertake any form of work, paid or unpaid.

To apply for a Social Visa, you need an Indonesian sponsor. This can be any friend you have in Indonesia. Your sponsor is required to vouch for you should you get into any trouble in Indonesia and while the person can be anyone you know, if you can, choose someone with a steady job or business in the country.

Where can I find a sponsor?

There are companies that will help organize a sponsor, but if it is your first time to Indonesia, it could be a good idea to come on a tourist visa, make some friends and ask one of them to be your sponsor. I have heard of some people asking for money to be your sponsor and while I don’t think there is a problem giving a gift to someone for going to the trouble of sponsoring you, I don’t think it is a good idea to encourage people to ask for payment.

What do I need from my sponsor?

You need a copy of your sponsor’s KTP (ID card) and a letter from them inviting you to Indonesia. Other websites I have read, said you also need a copy of your sponsor’s family register and a copy of your sponsor’s bank account statement.

I only needed a copy of the KTP and letter of invitation when I applied for my visa in Malaysia.

Where should I apply for the visa?

The visa is reportedly easiest to get at the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur or in Singapore. It might take longer or you might need more documents if you apply in your own country. Your passport can be dropped off in the morning and picked up in the afternoon.

Address and telephone number of the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur

233, Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan 50400, Malaysia
+60 3 2116-4000
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Address and telephone number of the Indonesian embassy in Singapore

Embassy Of Republic Of Indonesia, 7 Chatsworth Road (S)249761
Singapore
+65 6737 7422


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The visa takes a whole page in your passport and when you get the visa, check that your sponsor’s name appears on the visa.

Should I do it myself or use an agent?

Everyone has their own opinion as to whether you should do the renewals yourself or to use an agent. If you do it yourself, you need to visit the immigration office in person three times for each renewal. The first time to submit your application, the second time to get notified when it will be ready and the third time to pick up your completed visa, over the course of about a week, or sometimes more. Since you need to do this every month and you need to apply for the visa at least one week before your visa expires, you will have to visit immigration almost every week.

This is fine if you are near an immigration office, but if you have to travel a bit to get to the office, you could be wasting nearly a day each time.

It is not surprising that people use agents for their renewals. A renewal costs about 250,000 rupiah each extension if you do it yourself and around 500,000 in total if you use an agent. Some expats just leave their passport with the agent for their whole time in Bali, so they don’t have to worry about dropping off and picking up their passport every month.

If you travel in the country, a photocopy is usually enough to check into a hotel. So, usually this is not a problem. You should make sure your agent is a reliable person, because if you overstay your visa, you will have to pay a fine for each day and long overstays could cause serious trouble with immigration.

On the second renewal, you need to visit the immigration office in person to get finger printed and photographed, even if you are using an agent.

Where to renew your social visa

You need to apply for an extension at least one week before your visa expires. There are three offices in Bali.

Kuta, near the airport:

Jalan Gusti Ngurah Rai Tuban Kuta

Denpasar:

Jl. Jalan D.I. Panjaitan
Desa Sumerta Klod, Denpasar Timur

Singaraja:

If you have any questions about applying for visas or living in Bali, I would suggest joining the Bali Expat Forum.