B211A Visa Bali: Everything You Need to Know

The B211a visa is great visa option for extended stays in Bali, Indonesia. With Bali being a top destination for digital nomads and remote workers, many people are interested in spending more than 30 days on the island. The B211a visa allows eligible foreigners to stay and work in Bali for up to 6 months.

After living and working in Melbourne for a year on the working holiday visa, my time was up. Despite moving to Australia with a relocation package from work, I had issues with the 482 sponsored visa application. With my WHV expiring date looming, my company allowed me to stay in Bali for 6 months, and come back to Australia on a new visa. The updated WHV is being released on July 1, 2024, omiting the need for the traditional 88-day farm work.

In this blog post, I’ll provide an overview of my experience applying for the B211a visa. This will include cost, application process, processing time, length of validity, and other key details those looking for a long-term stay in Bali need to know.

How to Apply for B211a visa?

To make life easier, I went down the path of using a Bali visa agent. I chose a reputable agency, with good Google reviews and seemingly positive recommendations from those in Bali expat FB groups. After our initial correspondences, they requested a few items to get the application process started. This included:

A scanned, colour copy of your passport and cover of your passport (full no crop). Your passport needs to be valid for at least 9 months and you must have at least 2 empty pages. I didn’t have access to a scanner, but my iPhone photos of the passport and cover were fine. Note: Foreigners with Travel Documents that are not passport or nationality documents must attach a re-entry permit from the country/immigration that issued the document.
A recent passport-size photo of yourself. It can be a selfie with any background.
Provide an address in Indonesia. This can be the initial accommodation you’re staying at. I planned to travel around Indonesia for 6 months, with my first two weeks in Ubud. The address I provided was accepted with no problems, despite having no other accomodation booked.

You can apply through the Indonesian Government website. However, other backpackers I met who went down this route ran into a few issues. Primarily with the extension part of the visa. I didn’t go down this route, so can’t advise from personal experience.

Key Information

Although this is a 6 month visa, it’s actually set up as a 60-day visa with the possibility to extend twice. Meaning there will be admin and costs every 60 days in order to get the full 180 days.

Typically the first extension has to be done at the immigration office, whereas the second one can be done through your visa agent. This is because they need to collect biometrics from you.

The B211a Visa Cost

The visa cost will depend on a few factors including; if you a visa agent, their costs, how you choose to extend the visa and the processing time you choose. The quote I received from my visa agent in January 2024:

Normal Service: IDR 2,850,000 – 10 business days processing time.

VIP Service: IDR 4,700,000 – 3-4 business days processing time.

VVIP Service: IDR 6,500,000 – 2 business days processing time.

These processing times don’t include weekends or public holidays. The price included the visa fee, sponsor fee and free airport pick up for some destinations. These don’t include the price of extending the visas every 2 months. Each extension costs IDR 2,500,000. However, some agents will charge an additional IDR 1,000,000 to extend the first time, if you can’t go to the immigration office for biometrics.

I imagine prices vary slightly between different visa agents but this is what I was quoted.

How Long Does B211a Visa Processing Take?

Processing times for the B211a visa application averages 1-2 weeks. I was applying for the B221a offshore visa and chose the 10-business day turnaround as it was cheaper. However, my visa ended up arriving 6 business days after it was submitted. Be sure to factor in busy bank holiday periods, like Christmas and New Year, as this will slow down the process. Otherwise, it seems very quick.

How Long is the B211a Visa Valid For?

The B211a visa valid for 60days with the possibility to extend twice, giving you a total of 180 days in Indonesia. You don’t need to leave the country for any visa runs. The process starts 2 weeks before your 60 days are over, by providing your visa agency with your passport. They will book dates for a visit to immigration to take biometrics and get the visa extended by 60 days. For your second extension, you won’t need to visit immigration. The visa agent can take your passport and sort the extension out.

The B211a can’t be extended beyond the initial 6 months, so once the visa expires, you’ll need to leave the country and re-apply for a new visa, if you intend on staying in Indonesia.

A Few Notes from My Experience

Although the entire application process was very smooth and straightforward, I ran into issues at immigration. My departure from Melbourne Airport was on Friday 2nd February, with my flight out of Indonesia on 11th July to London. This period of time is well within the allowed 6 month visa period. However, because the visa is technically only valid for the first 60 days, before you pay to extend, this caused issues.

The first problem was at Melbourne Airport, where the Quantas check-in desk said they’d never heard of the visa. Furthermore, they weren’t sure if they could accept my July flight as proof of onward journey, as it was after the initial 60 day visa period. After much explaining, they let me on the plane. I then had issues when I landed in Bali. For the same reason, he was concerned I’d overstay my visa. Luckily after some back-forth he let me through.

Overall, it was a pain free process and the visa agency were brilliant at sorting the bulk of it out.

For digital nomads, remote workers, and extended backpackers, the B211a visa provides an excellent long-term option for staying in beautiful Bali. The reasonably priced visa allows up to 6 months in the country with minimal processing time, hassle, and paperwork. With outdoor cafes and co-working spaces across the island, Bali is growing as a hub for location-independent lifestyles. Spend your days in rice paddy villages, surfing beginner waves, or eating fresh tropical fruit bowls – Bali has something for everyone. The B211a visa lets you fully experience all the magic for up to 180 days.

Check out my post on applying for the VOA in Bali for those looking for a shorter stay in Bali – 30 to 60 days.