Bottom line: Most travelers are advised to get the e-VOA (e-Visa on Arrival)—apply online within 14 days before departure, with the same fee of Rp 500,000 (about USD$16). Upon arrival, you can breeze through immigration, avoiding the uncertainty of waiting in line for a Visa on Arrival (which could take 10 minutes or over an hour, especially when European or American flights arrive at the same time). Both are valid for 30 days and can be extended once for up to 60 days. If you want to avoid hassle and long queues, go for the e-Visa; only consider the Visa on Arrival if you prefer to handle it at the airport.
Bali Travel: Visa on Arrival or e-Visa?
Bali is Indonesia’s most famous tourist destination, attracting travelers from around the world. For foreign visitors from non-ASEAN countries, entering Bali requires either a Visa on Arrival or an e-Visa obtained in advance. So, which option is better?
Choosing between Visa on Arrival and e-Visa | Image source: Tensor Arts AI
Visa on Arrival
A Visa on Arrival is obtained at the immigration counter after arriving at Bali’s international airport. The application fee is 500,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about USD$16), valid for 30 days, and can be extended once for a maximum stay of 60 days.
The advantage of the Visa on Arrival is its simple process: upon arrival at Bali’s airport, present a passport valid for at least six months, a return or onward ticket, and pay the fee of 500,000 IDR in cash (in specific currencies, see here) or by credit card (accepted card types listed here).
However, the downside is that you can never predict how long it will take—it could be quick or require waiting in line for hours. Some travelers have mentioned they find “applying for an e-Visa too troublesome, and queuing for a Visa on Arrival at immigration only took about ten minutes.” Yet, this is purely a matter of luck! Others have spent over an hour waiting in line for a Visa on Arrival. Those who got through quickly were just incredibly fortunate!
If your flight happens to arrive around the same time as flights from Europe or the US, most of those passengers won’t have applied for an eVisa. In that case, the manual payment and visa-on-arrival counter will have a long queue, and after getting the visa, you’ll still need to queue again for passport stamping at immigration. Whether you want to waste that much of your precious vacation time is up to you!
You can never predict when the queue will be huge! Image source: Tensor Arts AI
eVisa
An eVisa is a visa that travelers apply for online through the official website of the Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration before departure. The application fee is also 500,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about USD$32), valid for 30 days, extendable once for a maximum stay of 60 days. However, paying by credit card incurs an additional fee; see here
The advantage of an eVisa is that the application process is simple. Just follow these steps within 14 days before departure:
- Fill out the form on the website (<—This is the only official website! There are many fake ones online trying to scam you)
- A passport valid for at least six months
- Upload your passport (photo page) and a photo (a clear phone photo of yourself is fine)
- Have a credit card ready for payment (online payment requires Visa, Mastercard, or JCB. Up to five people can apply/use one card. Amex is not accepted! There’s a surcharge, so the final amount is Rp. 519,500)
The eVisa processing time is short, usually just a few minutes. The advantage of getting an eVisa in advance is that you don’t have to queue for a visa on arrival after landing. Starting in 2024, you can also use the fully queue-free automated immigration gates (see Bali’s 2024 facial recognition automated clearance system: eVisa holders can speed through immigration)
Check out our comparison table:
Enjoy your vacation time! Image source: Tensor Arts AI
Both visa-on-arrival and eVisa have their pros and cons, so travelers can choose the method that best suits their needs and preferences. If you don’t want to apply for a visa in advance or spend too much time researching online applications, you can opt for a visa on arrival. If you want to save time queuing after landing, choose an eVisa. If you’d like to see what others have experienced, check this out: Entering Indonesia/Bali: Visa on Arrival vs. eVisa – Practical Advice
👈 Back to the Ultimate Bali Travel Guide
Want to see the complete beginner’s guide? Click here to read the ‘2026 Bali Ultimate Travel Guide’ to get everything sorted before you go.
