The introduction of a new transitory visa has been announced by Silmy Karim, the Director General of Immigration for Indonesia.

Foreign nationals living in Indonesia for an extended period will find it simpler to switch visas without having to leave the nation thanks to this new visa.

This new visa is a component of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights' new Transitional Residence Permit policy, according to the Directorate General of Immigration.

For foreign nationals (WNA) living in Indonesia, the visa—also known as a Bridging Visa—serves as a "bridge" between an expired residence permit and a new one.

On April 1, 2024, the new policy was enacted as Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation Number 11 of 2024.

According to Karim, this new policy enables foreign nationals with visitation stay permits, limited stay permits, and permanent stay permits that are not renewable to apply for new residence permits without having to exit Indonesian territory.

For many international visitors staying in Indonesia for an extended period of time, this is tremendous news.

It will be a tremendous relief to be able to switch from one visa to another without having to leave the country. This will save a laborious reapplication process outside of the nation and a thoughtful wait for confirmation that the new visa has been granted. 

In a press statement, Karim explained, “In this way, it is possible for foreign citizens holding a Visit Stay Permit to submit it via visa.immigration.go.id to obtain a Limited Stay Permit without having to leave Indonesian territory.”

Government representatives frequently refer to the website visa.immigration.go.id; however, https://molina.imigrasi.go.id/ is the real URL that takes users to Indonesia's official e-visa website.

Karim added, “With a Transitional Stay Permit, foreigners can save time, energy, and accommodation costs that would otherwise be incurred if foreigners had to leave Indonesian territory in order to submit an application and wait for approval for a new visa.”

Foreign nationals have to apply for the Transitional Residence Permit online at https://molina.imigrasi.go.id/ at least three days before to the expiration of their existing visa.

According to Karim, the Directorate General of Immigration is working to give foreign nationals legal certainty and streamline the Indonesian immigration system. This new policy is a part of that endeavor.

He expressed his expectation that the new policy will facilitate more effective and comfortable stays for foreign visitors to Indonesia and boost foreign confidence in Indonesian immigration processes.

Only foreign nationals who currently reside in Indonesia are eligible for the 60-day Transitional Residence Permit.

Karim affirmed that, as long as they apply for a Transitional Stay Permit at least three days prior to the original visa expiring, foreign nationals who have been granted one will not be charged for overstaying if their application is accepted after the previous stay permit's validity period ends.

Indonesian Immigration says, “If you overstay your visa, you might be asked to pay fines of IDR 1,000,000 per day, detained, deported, or banned future travel to Indonesia for a specific period.”

Overstaying a visa is strictly prohibited in Indonesia, therefore visitors should always confirm that they have been granted the number of days they had planned to remain from the moment they are stamped into the nation until the day their visa expires.

Foreign nationals who are currently in Indonesia on a limited-stay visa may apply for the Transitional Visa, often known as the Badgering Visa.

The majority of socio-cultural visas and the visa on arrival are not included in this. The Golden Visa, some student visas, and the Limited Stay Visas E28 A–F can all be utilized in conjunction with the new Bridging Visa.