Travelers heading to Bali should be aware of common visa and passport mistakes that can lead to unexpected costs and delays at the airport. One Australian tourist recently shared her experience to help others avoid the same costly error.

Indonesia offers a visa-on-arrival and e-visa-on-arrival option for tourists from 97 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the US, and most European nations. These visas are valid for 30 days, with an option to extend for another 30 days. The fee for the visa is IDR 500,000, and travelers can either apply online through the Indonesian eVisa website or pay at international airports like Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Melbourne-based traveler Laura Devy recently encountered a problem when she applied for her eVisa on Arrival before her Bali trip. Although the application process is simple and can be completed in minutes, Devy made an error when entering her passport number. She missed two important letters at the beginning of her passport number, making her visa invalid. Upon arrival in Bali, immigration officials noticed the mistake, and Devy was required to pay for a new visa, costing an additional IDR 500,000.

Australian passports, like those of many countries, contain both letters and numbers. Devy assumed that the letters “PA” in her passport number were not part of the number itself, but this misunderstanding resulted in a costly error. To avoid similar issues, travelers should ensure that all characters, including letters, are entered correctly when applying for a visa.

In addition to errors like Devy’s, Bali immigration officials are known for their thorough inspections of passports. They carefully check for any damage to the passport book, including rips, ink stains, folds, or bends. Travelers with damaged passports may be denied entry and forced to return home at their own expense.

To prevent issues at the airport, travelers should ensure that their passports:

• Are in perfect condition, without damage to the spine, pages, or cover.
• Have at least six months of validity remaining.
• Contain at least two empty pages for visa stamps.

By double-checking visa applications and ensuring the condition of travel documents, tourists can avoid costly mistakes and enjoy a smoother arrival process in Bali.