How does Visa on Arrival work? Is it worth to get the visa in advance or just wait until you get there?
It depends on the country, the type of visa, country of origin, and the processing time. When we went to the UK, they recommended 3 months in advance but their app was super easy to use and the approval came almost instantaneously.
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Which country are you asking about?
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Indonesia. For a short visit. It is a tourist attraction. I am guessing it will be lax?
I wouldn’t make the assumption that the visa will be lax!
According to the Indonesian government site:
“You are advised to create a Visitor Visa request at least 48 hours before your departure.”
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Thanks. It seems to contradict Visa on Arrival. Apparently, you can get the visa at the airport on arrival. The lines are long, it says, and recommends to get it on line.
This was in the late 90’s, but one of my colleagues was told to put a $50 bill in her passport by our local client. Worked.
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I asked a colleague who visited last year and he said you can get it at the airport on arrival, but applying online saves a lot of time. He recommends doing the latter.
Perhaps you meant that in jest, but given Indonesia’s recent crackdown on corruption, I strongly advise against trying this. The benefits are minimal (if any) since the visa process for US citizens is straightforward. Certainly not worth the risk of imprisonment!
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True anecdote, but was not serious advice in this day.
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My daughter traveled throughout SE Asia (inc. Indonesia) this past summer. She was able to do all of the Visa requirements online a day or so before they planned to travel to each place.
Summer 2025, but both my daughter and her friend had to pay extra cash to get into Vietnam. My daughter was solicited right on the official Vietnam visa website (wouldn’t issue the visa without extra payment even though all info was correct) and her friend, who got through the online part unscathed (with a visa) was held up in customs and told she would have to pay extra (cash only in Vietnam currency) in order to enter the country. My daughter had to run around the airport trying to find a place to exchange money.
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What do you mean paying extra? In addition to the feather already charge to issue visa?
Another anecdote, this time in Chicago. Many, many years ago, people had to stick a $5 bill in the visor when taking the driving test to pass.
Yes. They both had to pay extra. My daughter had to pay the equivalent of $75 US dollars online and her friend had to scrape together some Vietnamese dong at the airport.
They had no trouble getting into Indonesia (or Singapore, Malaysia or Thailand).