Contents:
How Immigration Can Track You and General Recommendations for Staying Legally on the Island?
You can find detailed information on how immigration tracks offenders and tips on staying legally on the island without breaking the law in THIS ARTICLE: How to Avoid Deportation in Bali - https://bali-legal.com/en/deportaciya-na-bali-en.
Imagine you’re sitting in a nightclub with friends, and an immigration check happens. Officers approach and introduce themselves:
“Hello sir/ma’am, this is the immigration service. Please prepare your passport and valid visa.”
You calmly take out your phone and show a photo of your passport and the latest visa stamp. If you’re simply enjoying drinks at the bar and watching our stunning sunsets, this should be enough.
The officer will check your passport, compare the photo, and verify the visa expiration date. They may also scan the QR code on the visa sticker, then move on to the next table.
Usually, IF YOU HAVE NO VIOLATIONS IN THESE TWO AREAS, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
THE MOST DIFFICULT SITUATIONS arise when there’s a complaint against you or you’re suspected of illegal business activities (e.g., from your ads on Instagram). The network of “helpers” working with immigration is growing, with many Indonesians voluntarily helping to spot foreign business operators to clear the island of offenders.
In such cases, immigration officers may come to your home. Finding your address isn’t difficult—you often confirm it during your immigration interviews.
Here are the INSPECTION STEPS you might face:
1 - Passport Check: Ensure your passport is always up-to-date and accessible.
2 - Valid Visa Check: If you’re conducting business, the officers likely already know and have proof of this. Ensure your visa isn’t a tourist visa but a KITAS investor visa. Learn more HERE - https://bali-legal.com/en/kitas-company-en.
If you still have a tourist visa, prepare for deportation.
3 - Company Inspection:Many expats are caught here, especially those with “nominal” companies—businesses set up with multiple co-founders who don't actually know each other or conduct joint business, used solely to obtain a 2-year KITAS. If your KITAS was obtained this way, consider closing it, which is easy and affordable. Then, open a legitimate company following all the rules HERE - https://bali-legal.com/en/kitas-company-en.
Otherwise, Indonesia may consider this fraudulent.
4 - Company Knowledge: You must know exactly what your company does,who the founders are, and how reporting is managed. Keep all necessary documents accessible and submit all required reports on time. These are the questions you’ll be asked during an inspection.
If no violations are found at this stage, the inspection may conclude, and your status will be confirmed. If additional questions arise, you may be invited for an interview..
Potential Questions You Might Face:
Where is your company registered?
How exactly does your business process work?
How do you receive payments for your services?
Who is the manager of your company?
Who provides the services?
Where are the goods sourced? And more.
Each of these questions aims to fully understand what kind of business you run and whether it actually exists.
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How You Can Be Invited to an Immigration Interview?
You will only be invited to an immigration interview if there is suspicion of wrongdoing. Before anything else, double-check that you haven't violated any regulations.
Remote Invitation
If you are invited to an interview remotely—usually via SMS or through your visa agent—and you feel guilty or know you've been breaking the rules (like working illegally), my main advice is: LEAVE THE ISLAND before you get deported. Once the situation settles down, you can ask your agent to check if your name is on the blacklist for re-entry. If it’s clear, you can safely return.
In-Person Invitation
I’ll continue with an example from my acquaintances. To understand why their passports were taken and they were summoned to an immigration interview, read the beginning of their story HERE - https://bali-legal.com/en/deportaciya-na-bali-en.
Step-by-Step Breakdown:
1 - Unclear Accusations:. No one will tell you exactly what you are suspected of. This tactic is used to make you disclose as much information as possible, potentially increasing the severity of your alleged violation or the amount of any bribes.
Passport Confiscation:The first thing they do is take your passport. In exchange, you receive a paper slip as a temporary ID for each passport taken.
Details of the Invitation to the Immigration Office
The document includes:
The date and time of your required appearance at the immigration office;
The name of the officer who will conduct the interview or interrogation;
The specific violation that was identified;
A letter containing your passport details, noting that your passport has been confiscated.
All documents are in Indonesian and require your signature upon receipt, often leading to significant confusion.
Key Point!
You can only attend the interview with your visa agent. They serve as your guarantor or representative on the island. Unfortunately, in many cases, as seen with my acquaintances, visa agents refuse to accompany their clients, fearing for their reputation, or, more commonly, because they themselves have submitted documents with violations.
If your agent refuses to go with you, contact us HERE. Our specialist can help negotiate on your behalf and, if needed, accompany you to the interview.
2 - Consult with Your Agent or Us Before the Interview.
It's crucial to understand the reason for your summons to ensure the interview becomes a mere formality with rehearsed responses. This approach will increase the likelihood of getting your passport back and allow you to continue your life on the island without further complications..
In the case of my acquaintances, they discovered two reasons for their summons. (HOW WOULD THEY HAVE FIGURED THIS OUT WITHOUT THE HELP OF A VISA AGENT?!)
Mismatch of Address: The address on the KITAS did not match their actual residence. The fine for this violation is currently 25,000,000 IDR per KITAS. For two adults and one child, this amounts to 75,000,000 IDR, or about 5,000 USD.
Suspected Fraud: Opening a fictitious company with ten partners solely to obtain a KITAS. The penalty for this violation is deportation. However, deportation will not occur until any previous fines are paid, which can also result in imprisonment.
Checking if your company is real or fake is straightforward.If you don’t know where your company’s documents are, what the company’s name is, who the founders are, what the business does, its registered capital, or where its office is located, then your company is 100% fake, and you have been caught up in this scheme, whether intentionally or not.
In the situation with my acquaintances, it became clear that there was indeed a violation. The company was fictitious (proving this during the interview would be easy), and negotiations were necessary.
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3 - The Role of a Visa Agent in Negotiations
Visa agents are crucial as they can negotiate "peace terms" before you even have to go to the immigration office. This might involve a bribe that the client pays to avoid guaranteed legal consequences.
After lengthy negotiations, a sum was determined that the violator must pay to stay on the island, ranging between 50 to 70 million IDR per person. For a family of three, the maximum total was 210 million IDR, approximately 14,000 USD.
Through negotiation, the amount was reduced to 60 million IDR for two family members. The local officials were convinced that a one-year-old child is not responsible for their actions. The final amount was lowered to 120 million IDR, about 8,000 USD. This is fairly reasonable given the violations discovered during the surprise inspection. Without a visa agent, there would be no discussion about money. Indonesia has corruption, but it’s always managed cautiously and through “trusted” intermediaries.
At this point, it’s up to the violator. If they pay, the issue is nearly resolved. If they don’t, they will need to attend the interview and prove their innocence, which is not advisable, especially if you know you’ve violated the law.
4 - Attending the Interview
Even if you pay the fine, attending the interview is mandatory, and it’s still advisable to go with your visa agent. The process becomes a mere formality, just reciting the responses practiced with your agent.
You will likely be required to keep the entire situation confidential, including the consequences, costs, and terms of any informal agreements.
This case is being shared because the individuals involved chose not to pay; they opted to prove their innocence instead. Therefore, the proceedings followed legal channels, which is all I can disclose at this point.
From this example, you can gauge the typical costs, understand which violations to avoid, and learn how to verify your current status in Indonesia.
By simply following these guidelines, you can easily pass any checks and enjoy a pleasant and worry-free stay on the island.
For more detailed consultations on relocation, starting, and running a business in Bali, contact our local manager: HERE OR HERE.
Together, let’s make life on the island comfortable.
