The Bridging Visa: 60 days without flying out
The Bridging Visa is a 60-day transitional status for people already in Indonesia. It does two jobs: it keeps you legal while a new KITAS is under review, and it lets you extend a stay on a visa on arrival by another 60 days without flying out. It costs IDR 4,000,000 with us. It removes the central fear of changing visa: the old status has ended, the new one is still being assessed, and no overstay fine accrues. It is issued only alongside an application for a new status and works only inside the country: leaving cancels it.
Updated: 27 August 2026 · Verified by the Malina Visa team
What it is and why it exists
There used to be a grey zone between 'the old visa has expired' and 'the new one has been issued': either a visa run with a flight, or an overstay at IDR 1,000,000 a day. The Bridging Visa closes exactly that gap.
- ✓It gives 60 days of lawful waiting inside the country
- ✓No overstay accrues during that period
- ✓It is issued only alongside an application for a new status
- ✓The mechanism is provided for in the current visa and stay permit framework
Who it suits
- ✓Moving from a visit visa to a KITAS — the classic case: from an e-VOA, C1, C2, D1/D2 or D12 to an investor, family, work or remote-worker status
- ✓Converting to an E33G from an e-VOA or C1 — moving to remote-worker status without leaving the country; IDR 16,000,000 turnkey with us
- ✓Changing KITAS category — for example from family to investor once a company is running
- !It does not work from visa-free entry. A change of status is prohibited there outright, so there is nothing to bridge
- !You cannot extend a holiday through bridging — that is not what it is for
How it works
Assemble the basis for the specific KITAS: company documents, an employer's offer, a marriage certificate, proof of income.
Issued with the application — there is no separate request to make.
Up to 60 days of lawful stay while the application is assessed.
Once approved, the limited stay permit is issued with biometrics.
What to keep in mind
- !It works only inside the country. Fly out and it is gone; you would return on a new visa
- !It is not open-ended. Sixty days is a waiting period, not a buffer for 'when I get round to the papers'
- !It does not grant the new status early. Until the KITAS is issued you cannot work on it
On timing specifically: the change-of-status function is busier than usual in 2026. Allow extra room and start assembling the basis early — detail in our conversion article.
Bridging, a visa run or an overstay
When your old visa runs out and the new status is still being assessed, you have exactly three options. Two of them are bad.
- ✓Bridging — you stay lawfully for up to 60 days, no fines, the process continues
- ✓A visa run — a flight, a hotel, lost days, and on return the new application may need reassembling
- ✓An overstay — IDR 1,000,000 per day, per person, and a damaged record for future applications
The choice is obvious, but it only works on one condition: the application for the new status must be filed before your current permit expires. A bridging permit is never issued retroactively — once the deadline has passed you are dealing with an overstay, not a bridge.
Case one: extend a VOA by another 60 days
This is the most common reason people come to us for a transitional permit, and almost nobody knows it is possible. Here is the standard path on a visa on arrival:
- ✓30 days — the base VOA term on entry
- ✓+30 days — the regular extension, which is the one and only
- ✓+60 days — the Bridging Visa on top of that, without leaving the country
That is four months on the island instead of two, with not a single flight out for a stamp. For comparison, a chain of visa runs over the same period eats two tickets, two hotels and several lost days, and comes to a similar sum.
Case two: change your type of status
The second job of a transitional permit is to close the gap while one status is ending and the next is still under review. Here are the two situations we see most often.
You arrived on a VOA, decided to stay and work remotely. There is no direct switch from a VOA to a KITAS — the route runs through a transitional permit, which also keeps you legal while your E33G is processed. From a C1 visa, unlike a VOA, the conversion is direct.
Say you held an investor KITAS (E28A), the company has been closed, but you keep working for a foreign client and now need an E33G. The old status closes, the new one is not issued yet, and the transitional permit covers that gap.
The procedure costs IDR 4,000,000 with us. Changing KITAS type also requires closing the previous status: we covered how that works in our guide to EPO and ERP.
How many days each step buys you
A clear view of why the bridging permit exists: without it a VOA hits its ceiling on day sixty.
| Step | Adds | Total on the island | Flight out? | In person? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry on a VOA | 30 | 30 | no | no |
| Standard extension | +30 | 60 | no | yes, biometrics |
| Bridging Visa | +60 | 120 | no | no, fully remote |
| Without bridging | — | 60 | yes, a visa run | — |
Four months instead of two, and not a single flight for the sake of a stamp. The bridging permit costs IDR 4,000,000; a chain of visa runs over the same period eats two tickets, two hotels and several lost days.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Bridging Visa cost?
IDR 4,000,000 with us, per procedure. That covers document preparation, filing and support through to the stay permit being issued.
Do I have to go to the immigration office in person?
No. Documents are filed remotely, this procedure requires no verification visit, and the stay permit is issued immediately. That is a notable difference from an ordinary visa extension, which since June 2025 requires an in-person visit and biometrics.
What is the Bridging Visa code?
There is none, and that is not an oversight. Its official name is Izin Tinggal Peralihan — a transitional stay permit. It is not a visa in the immigration classification but a mechanism for moving between permits, so it has no index like C1 or E33G. If you see a "bridging visa code" quoted somewhere, it is invented.
What is a Bridging Visa in plain terms?
A 60-day transitional status for people already in Indonesia awaiting a decision on a new stay permit. No overstay accrues throughout.
Can I get one on its own?
No. The bridging permit is issued only together with an application for a new status, usually a KITAS. It cannot be arranged by itself.
Does it expire if I leave?
Yes. It works only inside the country: leaving cancels it, and you would have to return on a new visa.
Can I work during that period?
No. The rights of the new status begin only once the KITAS is issued. Until then you cannot work.
Does it apply if I entered visa-free?
No. From visa-free entry a change of status is prohibited entirely, so a bridging permit does not apply.
We will run the change of status with no gaps
We assemble the basis, file the application together with the bridging permit, and see it through to the KITAS.
Bridging visa service: IDR 4,000,000