Indonesia Visa on Arrival for Families 2025: Read This Before You Fly

Applying for a visa pada saat kedatangan for family is the same as applying for a regular visa on arrival. The only difference is volume, since each person needs their own visa, including infants. In 2025, it costs IDR 500,000 per traveler for 30 days, and you can extend once for another 30 days. You can bulk apply online in one sitting with e-VOA, so every family member gets their own approval or you can do it at the airport if you do not mind the queue

Who must apply? Everyone holding a passport, parents, teens, kids, and babies, too.

What many people miss is that they assume parents’ visa covers the family, or they forget the onward or return ticket, the first Indonesian address, and the six-plus months passport validity. They also skip checking that ticket names match passport names for the kids.

Keep reading for the exact document checklist and the step-by-step bulk apply flow, so everyone clears immigration together without drama.

Entry Requirements for Families: The Quick Answer

If you only read one section, make it this:

• Who can use it: Most foreign nationals from eligible countries qualify for a visa on arrival (VOA) or an electronic visa (e-VOA). Check the official immigration website before you book flights.
• Cost and duration: The visa fee is IDR 500,000 (roughly $32 USD) per person for a single-entry visa valid for 30 days. You can extend it once for another 30 days at a local immigration office.
• Yes, your baby needs one too: Every family member needs their own Indonesia visa if their nationality requires it. Even the six-month-old. Even the toddler. There’s no “free baby entry.”
• The basics: Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the entry date. You need at least one blank page. You need proof you’re leaving Indonesia (return ticket with everyone’s names on it).
• e-VOA vs airport VOA: The e-VOA lets you apply online before you go and skip the payment queue. Regular VOA means you pay at the airport when you land. Both work fine for tourism purposes. One’s just easier with tired kids.

That’s the snapshot. Now let’s dig into the details so you can actually do this.

Eligible Countries: Who in Your Family Actually Needs a Visa?

Eligible Nationalities (Parents & Kids)

First things first: does your passport qualify? The Indonesian government offers a visa on arrival to citizens from about 90 countries. The list includes common nationalities like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Qatar, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Brazil, Brunei, Palestine, and Peru.

Don’t assume. Check the current list on the official immigration website before you book anything. The Directorate General of Immigration maintains the updated list of eligible countries. The rules can change, and you don’t want surprises leading to denied entry.

Got a mixed-nationality family? Each person’s eligibility depends on their passport, not where you live or where the kids were born. Your American passport qualifies. Your spouse’s German passport qualifies. But if grandma’s joining and she’s from a country not on the list, she’ll need a different visa type entirely.

Children & Infants

Here’s where families often mess up: they think kids get in free or don’t need a visa. Wrong.

The rules are the same for a three-month-old as they are for you. If their nationality requires a VOA, they need their own single-entry visa. If they have a passport, they need the same visa to match. No exceptions for being small and cute.

The myth about “free baby entry” won’t help you with immigration officers.

Exceptions & Special Cases

Some travelers don’t need a VOA at all for short visits. ASEAN nationals, like those from Brunei, get visa-free entry for tourism. If one parent is Indonesian or from an ASEAN country, they might not needa  VOA, but the rest of the family still does.

Here’s where it gets tricky: if even one family member doesn’t qualify for VOA, you can’t just leave them behind. You’ll need to explore other options for everyone or get that person a different visa through the visa application process before you go.

Thinking about staying longer than 60 days total? VOA probably isn’t your answer. Consider other visa types for family visits, business meetings, purchasing goods, or even medical treatment if needed. The tourist visa serves different purposes than the arrival grants system.

E-Visa vs VOA: Which Application Process Should You Choose?

What is e-VOA 

The e-VOA is the electronic version of the visa on arrival. You apply online before your trip through Indonesia’s official immigration portal. You pay the service fee online using a valid Mastercard, JCB credit card, or other accepted payment methods. You get an approval with a QR code. You show that approval to immigration officers instead of paying at the airport.

Big warning: only use the official government website. Scam sites pop up all the time, charging more money and sometimes stealing your information. The real site is run by the Indonesian immigration. If a site looks too slick or asks for way more than IDR 500,000 per person, it’s probably fake.

Pros & Cons for Families

e-VOA advantages: You skip the payment queue at the airport. When you’re juggling a stroller, a diaper bag, and a cranky toddler who missed their nap, skipping even one line is huge. You handle the payment and online application at home when you’re calm and have wifi. No fumbling with credit cards while your kids melt down.

e-VOA drawbacks: You need accurate information upfront. Typos in passport numbers or names can cause problems. You need a stable internet connection to complete the application process. If you’re not comfortable with digital forms, it might stress you out.

Regular VOA advantages: Super straightforward. Land, walk to the VOA counter, pay, and move to the immigration office checkpoint. No advance planning required. If you’re booking a last-minute trip or you’re just not into applying online, this works fine for most travelers.

Regular VOA drawbacks: You’re paying and processing at the airport with your entire family. If the queue is long and your kids are done with travel, you’ll feel it.

Quick recommendation:

• Got toddlers, a stroller, and a long-haul flight behind you? Get e-VOA. Skip that payment queue.
• Booking last minute or prefer simple? VOA at the airport works just fine if you’re prepared for the queue.

Family Visa Requirements & Documents (Made Simple)

Let’s make this dead simple. Here’s what each person in your family needs to enter Indonesia legally.

For Every Family Member

• Passport valid for six months: Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your entry date into Indonesia. Not from today. From when you actually arrive. Check every passport, including the kids’. This applies whether you have a regular passport, temporary passport, emergency passport, emergency travel document, alien passport, alien travel document, or titre de voyage.
• Blank pages: At least one completely blank page in each passport for the visa stamp and entry requirements.
• Return ticket or onward travel: Proof you’re leaving Indonesia. This needs to show every family member’s name. A hotel booking isn’t enough. Immigration wants to see that you’ve got flights or other transport to leave Indonesia within your visa validity period.
• Passport-size photograph: Some immigration officers may request this, though it’s not always enforced for VOA. Better to have one just in case.

Extra Documents When Traveling with Kids

Family travel adds a layer of paperwork. It’s annoying but necessary according to Indonesian law.

Birth certificates or family cards: Especially important if your kids have different last names than one or both parents. Immigration officers need proof you’re actually related.

Consent letter: If only one parent is traveling with the kids for family visits, bring a notarized letter from the other parent giving permission. If kids are traveling with grandparents, aunts, uncles, or family friends, they definitely need consent letters from both parents.

Custody or guardianship papers: Separated or divorced parents should carry documentation showing custody arrangements. You don’t want to get stuck explaining family law at the immigration checkpoint.

The smart move? Carry both printed and digital copies of everything. Store photos of these travel documents in your phone. Put physical copies in your carry-on. Not in checked luggage, where you can’t access them.

Documents to Prepare Before You Fly

e-VOA approvals: If you went the electronic route, have those confirmation emails with QR codes ready on your phone. Download them so they work offline. Double-check that all information matches your passport exactly.

All Indonesia Arrival Card: Indonesia now requires digital customs declarations through an app or website. Everyone in the family needs one submitted before arrival. You can do this a few days before you fly.

Proof of accommodation: Hotel bookings or your Airbnb confirmation for your tourism purpose stay. Immigration doesn’t always ask, but they can.

Travel insurance: Not officially mandatory for VOA, but seriously, you’re traveling with kids. Get insurance. Medical emergencies abroad with children are no joke, even if you’re not there for medical treatment.

Step-by-Step: How to Get VOA as a Family (Airport Flow)

Before Departure

Week before: Double-check everyone’s passport validity and blank pages. Make your e-VOA vs airport VOA decision based on your travel plans. Get those birth certificates and consent letters printed if needed.

48 hours before: Submit the All Indonesia Arrival Card for every family member. The app can be finicky, so don’t wait until you’re boarding.

At airport check-in: Confirm everyone has return tickets showing. Airlines sometimes check entry requirements before letting you board.

Understand the Bali tourism levy: There’s a separate tourism levy in Bali (and potentially other areas). This is different from the Indonesian visa fee. The Bali tourism levy is typically IDR 150,000 per person and paid separately. Check current rules before you go, but don’t stress too much. It’s usually a small fee and clearly posted for Bali visa requirements.

At the Airport with Kids

You’ve landed. You’re tired. The kids are tired. Here’s how to move through efficiently.

If you have e-VOA: Head straight to the immigration office checkpoint. Skip the payment counter entirely. Show your e-VOA approval with QR code and passports to the immigration officer.

If you’re getting VOA on arrival: Find the VOA payment counter first. You can usually pay for multiple family members in one transaction using a valid Mastercard or JCB credit card. Tell them you’re paying for your whole family. Have all the passports ready.

At the immigration checkpoint: Present everything together. Hand over all your family’s passports at once so the officer understands you’re one unit traveling together. This is especially helpful if you’ve got different surnames or if kids look nothing like you yet.

Practical tips that actually help:

Keep all travel documents in one folder or large envelope. Digging through four different bags while your toddler escapes is not fun.

Screenshot everything important and make sure those screenshots work offline. Airport wifi is garbage.

Think about queue management before you get there. Bathroom before the line. Water bottles filled. Snacks accessible. The VOA and immigration queues can take 20 to 45 minutes, depending on how many flights have just landed.

After Passport Control

You made it through. Last step: check your entry stamps.

Look at each passport’s stamp. Confirm the entry date and the date your visa expires. The visa on arrival VOA gives you 30 days from entry. Make sure it’s marked correctly for each person. This single-entry visa means you can’t leave and return on the same visa.

If you went through an e-gate instead of getting a physical stamp, you should have gotten a printed confirmation. Keep that safe. You’ll need to prove your entry date if you extend or if there’s ever a question.

Staying Longer Than 30–60 Days: Options for Families

Extending the VOA Once (All Family Members)

You can get a visa on arrival extension once for another 30 days. That’s the maximum. You can’t extend twice. You can’t extend indefinitely.

Smart move: synchronize your extension dates. Don’t have one person’s visa expiring on the 15th and another on the 22nd. That’s just asking for mistakes. Apply for extensions together at the local immigration office so everyone’s visas stay aligned.

Extensions happen at immigration offices in Indonesia. You can’t do it online from home before the trip. You go in person to a local immigration office, pay the extension fee, and wait for processing. With kids in tow, this takes time. Plan accordingly. Kindly inform the staff that you’re a family traveling together.

When VOA is the Wrong Tool

Some families need more than 60 days total. Maybe you’re doing a long, slow travel thing. Maybe you want to come back multiple times in a year. Maybe you’re combining tourism with business meetings or government visits.

VOA isn’t built for that. Here’s what to look at instead:

Visa Turis: Gives you 60 days initially with options to extend multiple times. More expensive and more paperwork upfront through the visa application process, but way better for longer family visits.

Multiple-entry tourist visa: For families who want to come and go. You can enter Indonesia multiple times over several months without reapplying each trip. The single-entry visa restriction of VOA won’t work for these travel plans.

Long-term options: If one parent is working in Indonesia, doing business, or investing there, there are dependent visas for spouses and children. That’s a whole different process through official immigration channels and beyond what we’re covering here, but know those options exist if your family situation is more complex.

The bottom line: if you’re thinking “we might want to stay longer” before you even book the flights, don’t default to VOA. Look into these other options now. Switching visa types while you’re already in the country is complicated and not always possible under Indonesian law.

Real-Life Scenarios (So You Don’t Guess Wrong)

Scenario 1: Family of Four, 21 Days, All Eligible Passports

You, your spouse, and two kids aged 8 and 4. Everyone has passport. You’re going for three weeks for tourism purposes.

Apa yang harus dilakukan: Either e-VOA before you go or a regular visa on arrival at the airport. Both work perfectly. Cost is IDR 500,000 times four people. Bring everyone’s passport valid for six months, proof of return ticket with all four names, and birth certificates just in case. If visiting Bali, budget for the Bali visa tourism levy too. That’s it. Straightforward and stress-free.

Scenario 2: Single Mom, Two Kids, Different Surname

You’re a divorced mom traveling with your kids. The kids have their dad’s last name. You have your maiden name back.

What to bring: Birth certificates showing you’re the mother. Notarized consent letter from the father saying the kids can travel internationally with you. Custody documentation if you have full custody. The Indonesia visa itself is simple, but have this documentation ready because immigration officers need to verify family relationships when names don’t match.

Scenario 3: Grandparents Flying with Grandchildren

Grandma and grandpa are taking the grandkids on a special trip for family visits. Parents are staying home.

What you need: Notarized consent letters from both parents for each child. The letters should include full names, passport numbers, travel dates, and explicit permission for the grandparents to travel internationally with the kids. Bring copies of the parents’ passports too. VOA is fine for the actual visa, but the documentation proving consent is critical to enter Indonesia legally.

Scenario 4: Mixed Passports, One Parent Not VOA-Eligible

Dad’s got a UK passport (VOA-eligible). Mom’s got a passport from a country not on the eligible countries list. Kids have dual citizenship, but you’re using the non-VOA-eligible passports for them.

The problem: You can’t just do VOA for dad and figure out mom and the kids later. The whole family needs to plan around whoever has the strictest entry requirements. Mom needs to apply for a tourist visa through an embassy or sponsor before the trip through the formal visa application process. That might take weeks. You can’t split up at the immigration office.

The fix: Everyone should probably get the same visa type mom needs. Or, if the kids have both passports, use their VOA-eligible passports, and mom gets her separate visa sorted beforehand through official immigration channels. Do not show up at the airport hoping to figure this out. The risk of denied entry is real.

Common Mistakes Families Make (and How to Avoid Them)

Assuming kids don’t need a visa. We’ve said it three times already because families mess this up constantly. Babies need visas. Toddlers need visas. Teenagers need visas. If they have a passport, they need a visa to enter Indonesia.

Forgetting the return ticket for all passengers. You booked a family flight home, but somehow only the parents’ names show on the confirmation. Airlines and the immigration officer want to see that every person has a way to leave Indonesia. Check your booking confirmation carefully.

Letting one passport drop below six months’ validity. You checked yours six months ago. Great. Your teenager’s passport validity period expires in four months? That’s a problem. Double-check every single passport in your family before you fly.

Getting e-VOA from fake websites. Those scam sites rank high on Google. They look like the official immigration website. They’re not. Verify you’re on the actual Indonesian government portal. If it’s charging you way more than IDR 500,000 per person in service fees, it’s probably stealing from you.

Not syncing visa expiry dates. You arrived on different flights somehow, or you entered at different times, and now your arrival grants expire on different days. Coordinating extensions at the local immigration office and departures gets messy. Try to enter together so your 30-day clocks start together.

Overstaying “just a few days” with kids. Maybe your daughter got sick. Maybe you lost track of time. Overstaying your visa is illegal under Indonesian law and comes with fines, possible detention, and a ban from reentering Indonesia. Don’t risk it. If you need more time, extend at a local immigration office before your visa expires or leave Indonesia on time.

Confusing visa types and purposes. The visa on arrival is specifically for tourism purposes, short visits, family visits, and similar activities. It’s not for business, medical treatment, government visits, or purchasing goods. Using the wrong visa type for your actual purpose can cause problems with immigration officers.

FAQs: Visa on Arrival for Families in Indonesia

Do babies need a visa?

Yes. If your baby has a passport and their nationality requires a VOA, they need their own Indonesia visa. Age doesn’t matter. Indonesia doesn’t offer free entry for infants. Every foreign national needs the proper documentation.

Can I pay VOA for my whole family on one card?

Usually yes. At the VOA payment counter, tell them you’re paying for multiple people. Have all the passports ready. Most airports handle family payments in one transaction with a valid Mastercard or JCB credit card. The total visa fee will be IDR 500,000 times the number of people.

Can separated or divorced parents travel with kids?

Yes, but bring documentation. If you’re the custodial parent, bring custody papers. If you share custody, bring a notarized consent letter from the other parent. Immigration officers need to verify that you have permission to take the kids out of the country to enter Indonesia legally.

What if our surnames don’t match?

Bring birth certificates or family registration documents proving the relationship. This happens all the time with divorced parents, remarried parents, or families where kids keep one parent’s surname. Just have the proof ready for the immigration officer.

What happens if one family member overstays?

They’ll face fines, possible detention at the airport, and potentially a ban from returning to Indonesia. The consequences hit the person who overstayed, but it creates stress and delays for your whole family trying to leave Indonesia. Everyone needs to exit on time or extend legally at a local immigration office before their visa expires.

What’s the difference between a tourist visa and a visa on arrival?

A tourist visa requires an advance application through Indonesian immigration channels and typically allows longer stays with multiple extensions. The visa on arrival VOA is simpler, available at the airport for eligible countries, but limited to 30 days plus one 30-day extension. Choose based on how long you’re staying.

Can I use an emergency passport or temporary passport for VOA?

Yes, as long as it’s a valid passport issued by your government. Whether you have a regular passport, temporary passport, emergency passport, emergency travel document, or even an alien passport or titre de voyage, the key requirement is that it must be a passport valid for at least six months and recognized by Indonesian immigration.