What is the Social Visa C1/C2 in Indonesia?
The social visa is a visa, also known as C1/C2 visa, or social visit visa, or sosial budaya visa and previously known as B211 visa is a type of visa typically used for longer stays in Indonesia with family, friends, or cultural reasons.
Unlike the Visa On Arrival (VOA), this visa must be specifically applied for in advance from abroad. It also requires you to be sponsored by an Indonesian entity: in most cases, your agents is your sponsor.
The visa duration are as follow: initial 60 days, renewable twice for a total of 180 days in Indonesian territory.
Who is the social visa suitable for?
The C1/C2 visa is quite interesting for several different profiles.
The C1 social visa is perfect for those who want to stay between 2 and 6 months in Indonesia
If you are from countries eligible for Visa On Arrival (VOA), such as all EU countries or Australia, you can buy your visa directly at the airport and stay in Indonesia for 30 days. You can then apply for an additional extension of 30 days for a total of 60 days.
If you wish to stay more than 60 days, the B211 visa is your only option without having to leave Indonesia.
The C1 social visa is mandatory for those who cannot benefit from VOA for less than 2 months
If your country of nationality is not on the list of countries with access to VOA, the social visa is your only option to stay in Indonesia, including Bali.
However, there's no need to worry; a C1 visa is relatively easy to obtain, although it takes a bit longer and is more expensive than a simple VOA.
The C1 visa is a long-term visa option for Bali for people who don't work in Indonesia
Let's be clear, the social visa is not really a visa designed to live in Bali. However, in practice, many people live in Bali on these types of visas.
While there are some significant drawbacks to staying long-term in Indonesia on a B211 visa (see below), there are also some advantages: price and ease of obtaining in particular.
Every 6 months, however, you will need to leave Indonesia and apply for a new visa.
Documents required for obtaining a C1 or ex B211 visa
The documents required to obtain a B211 visa are very easy to obtain, and you probably already have them all:
- Copies of the cover of your passport
- Copies of the main page of your passport
- Passport-size photo
- Round-trip plane ticket or "onward ticket" reservation (explained here)
- Sponsor letter (provided by your agent)
- Last 3 bank statements (ideally with more than $1500 or equivalent)
Attention: as with all other visas in Indonesia, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into Indonesian territory.
How long does it take to get a B211 visa after applying?
A B211 visa is generally obtained between 7 and 10 days after the start of the process.
For all agents, the process begins when they receive your payment. If you don't have a local Indonesian account, I strongly recommend using Wise for a transfer that will arrive as soon as possible. If you use this invitation link, the first 500 euros of your transfer are free!
If you're in a hurry, you can apply for an express visa, which can be processed in 2 or 3 days after receiving payment, for an additional fee.
In any case, you have 3 months to enter Indonesian territory once you have your visa. So there's no need to apply for your C1 visa 6 months in advance; it will expire before your departure!
What Is the Cost of a Social Visa for Indonesia?
The cost of a C1 visa is generally as follows:
- IDR 2,500,000 for the initial offshore application with sponsor (and 60 days of stay)
- IDR 1,900,000 for the 60 days extension
In other words, social visa like a C1 with two extensions allows you to stay almost 6 months (180 days) for about $600, or an average of $100 per month if you go through each extension.
What You Need to Know Before Applying for a B211 Visa
Before applying for a B211 visa, it's essential to keep several things in mind.
You cannot transform a VOA into a social visa
If you are in Indonesia after the 60 days of your VOA and feel like coming back (it happens), you cannot directly switch to a social visa.
Your Visa On Arrival cannot be transformed into any other visa for that matter. So, you will need to apply for a C1 visa with an agent, leave Indonesia, and re-enter with your new visa.
If you are in this situation, contact your agent, who will advise you on the best course of action.
You cannot leave the Indonesian territory during this visa
The social visa is primarily intended for long vacations or extended visits to family, not for living in Indonesia.
This visa is, therefore, single-entry. As soon as you leave Indonesian territory, you lose your visa, and you will have to start all over again.
Only residence visas such as KITAS or KITAP allow you to enter and leave Indonesia at will.
You cannot work in Indonesia with a social visa
It is absolutely prohibited to work in Indonesia with a social visa. Doing so exposes you to very severe penalties and a highly likely expulsion from the territory.
Many digital nomads use this visa to stay for a few months or even a few years in Bali, but their presence is tolerated only on the condition that they do not work with Indonesian companies.
The C1 visa does not make you an Indonesian resident
A C1 visa makes you a tourist in the longer term, but nothing more. Therefore, you cannot do many things that are only open to locals or residents, such as opening a bank account, getting a driver's license, or benefiting from the Indonesian healthcare system.
Conclusion
If the C1 visa is so popular, it's mainly because it remains very practical for many profiles and is relatively economical.
For medium-length and slightly longer stays, the social visa remains the preferred option as long as you are not working in Indonesia.
For those who do not have access to VOA, the C1 visa is your only option to stay in Indonesia, and therefore in Bali, even for less than 2 months.
