Visa Rules in Indonesia: What Locals Actually Say

Bali just banned two Dutch expats after their run club allegedly excluded Indonesians and violated immigration terms — a reminder that "Indonesia's visa rules are easygoing" is an expat-guide line, not a local one.

July 2026 · Researched via local Indonesian and Thai internet sources using LikeLoc · 29 Indonesian sources · 26 Thai sources

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English-language relocation content on Indonesia tends to treat visas as paperwork: pick a visa type, pay a fee, renew when needed, move on with island life. It's a framing built for people who've never had a visit visa revoked or watched immigration officers detain foreigners in Bali.

I searched "immigration rules and staying compliant with visa conditions as a foreign resident" in Bahasa Indonesia through local Indonesian sources — and the picture is far less relaxed than the relocation guides suggest, and directly relevant to this week's news: Indonesian immigration just banned two Dutch nationals from a Bali run club accused of favouring foreigners over locals, citing violations of immigration law.

The expat guides say "get a visa, relax." Indonesian sources say the government is actively enforcing the rules — and being an expat doesn't put you above them.

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Indonesia

The guides say "easy visa." Locals say "strictly enforced."

The relocation-guide version of Indonesian immigration is a short checklist: apply for a visit visa, valid for 90 days, or step up to a Limited Stay Permit (KITAS) or Permanent Stay Permit (KITAP) if you're staying longer. Indonesian government sources confirm that structure exists — but they spend just as much time on what happens when foreigners don't follow it, which the English-language guides mostly skip.

A visit visa holder in Indonesia is explicitly barred from any income-generating activity — selling goods or services, paid speaking engagements, working informally while "just visiting." Indonesian sources are blunt that breaching these terms means a foreign national is considered to be in the country illegally, with real penalties attached. Enforcement isn't theoretical: Indonesian immigration authorities recently detained more than 100 foreign nationals in one operation for abusing their stay permits, several suspected of cyber-related offences on top of the immigration violation itself. That's the same enforcement posture behind this week's Bali run-club ban — immigration explicitly cited violation of immigration law, not just a social dispute over an exclusive expat event.

Indonesian sources frame this as a matter of respect for the country's laws and social order, not bureaucratic overreach — a tone the "hassle-free island visa" pitch aimed at prospective movers doesn't capture. For more on what it's actually like living in Indonesia day to day, see what locals in Indonesia say about the cost of living and how safe residents say everyday life feels — both useful context before treating any "Bali is easy" narrative as the full picture.

→ Explore the live Indonesia search on LikeLoc

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Thailand, for contrast

Thailand markets similarly relaxed visa access to relocators, and Thai-language sources describe the same gap between the pitch and the compliance burden.

Thai sources lay out a similarly strict framework: a 60-day tourist visa, Non-Immigrant visas for work or study, and mandatory address notification within 24 hours of arrival plus a 90-day check-in with immigration for longer stays. Thai sources also flag a 2026 tightening — the visa-exemption stay period was cut from 60 days to 30 days for visa-free entrants, explicitly framed as a national-security adjustment. Extensions and visa-type changes are left to official discretion, and Thai-language coverage is direct about the consequence of non-compliance: legal action and deportation, not a warning letter.

→ Explore the live Thailand search on LikeLoc

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The relocation-guide gap, in one line

Both countries sell foreign residents an "easygoing island/Southeast Asia visa" story that local-language sources don't share — Indonesian and Thai immigration bodies describe active enforcement, tightening rules, and real consequences for non-compliance, not a relaxed formality. This week's Bali case is the pitch meeting the rulebook: two expats banned not for a social media controversy but for an immigration-law violation Indonesian authorities took seriously. For anyone actually planning a move to Indonesia, the practical takeaway from local sources is straightforward — know exactly which visa or permit covers your activities, and don't assume "everyone does it" protects you from enforcement that is demonstrably real.

Selected sources

• IMIGRASI AMANKAN 103 WNA YANG MENYALAHGUNAKAN IZIN TINGGAL DAN DIDUGA MELAKUKAN KEJAHATAN TERKAIT SIBER — "Immigration secures 103 foreign nationals who abused stay permits and are suspected of cyber-related crimes" (Bali immigration authority's own enforcement report)
• WNA – Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi — "Foreign Nationals — Directorate General of Immigration" (Indonesia's official visa-type directory for foreigners)
• UU Keimigrasian – Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi — "Immigration Law — Directorate General of Immigration" (the statutory basis for stay-permit obligations and penalties)
• Tekan Angka Pelanggaran Keimigrasian, WNA Wajib ke Kantor Imigrasi untuk Perpanjangan Izin Tinggal — "To curb immigration violations, foreign nationals must visit immigration offices to extend stay permits" (Indonesia's immigration ministry on tightening compliance checks)
• ครม. ทบทวนมาตรการฟรีวีซ่า ปรับสิทธิพำนักสูงสุดเหลือ 30 วัน — "Cabinet reviews visa-exemption measures, cuts maximum stay to 30 days" (Thai government public relations department on the 2026 policy change)
• ครม.เคาะทบทวน "ฟรีวีซา" ยกเลิกสิทธิพำนัก 60 วัน ปรับเป็น 30 และ 15 วัน — "Cabinet finalizes visa-exemption review, cuts 60-day stay to 30 and 15 days" (Thai PBS News on the same policy shift)
• คนอยู่ชั่วคราว (Non-Immigrant Visa) - กรมการกงสุล กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ — "Temporary residents (Non-Immigrant Visa)" (Thailand's Department of Consular Affairs on visa categories for foreigners)