Alternatively, get a 60 day visa before entering, at places such as Vanimo. See this blogpost for more details. That could be a good plan!
From evisa: "If you know that you are going to be here in Indonesia for more than the 30 day VOA allowable stay then you are far better off applying for the 60 day tourist visa in advance of your trip through the closest Indonesian embassy or consulate where you reside. Once again, a sponsor letter is not supposed to be a requirement for a 60 day tourist visa, BUT, there are inconsistencies in the way one embassy or consulate office will interpret and process such applications.
The logic behind whether or not a sponsor is required is pretty simple. For a tourist who simply wants a long visit to Indonesia, the idea that they should have an Indonesian sponsor is rather absurd, as after all, they are expected to be first time (but long time) tamu…guests. On the other hand, one who is visiting here for social (visiting family and friends) or culture studies…the so called social budaya visa which is also a 60 day visa but extendable in country for up to 360 days understandably does require a local (Indonesian) sponsor.
Another tip my wife’s uncle offered, and a good one as it sounds to me, is that when applying for your 60 day tourist visa include an itinerary of your planned trip to Indonesia. The more this itinerary illustrates that a 60 day tourist visa is needed…so much to do, so little time, the more likely your visa will be granted without problems.
All of Indonesia’s visa and immigration laws and regulations are centered around one common goal…to protect local jobs and economic opportunities within Indonesia for Indonesians. IMHO, that’s fair enough.”
Gary D on Thorn Tree said for Australians wanting the 60-day visa: "If you apply to an Indonesian Consulate in Australia or the Indonesian Embassy in Australia, you do not need a letter from a sponsor or your employer for a 60 Day Tourist Visa. I rang the Indonesian Embassy last year in Canberra and asked what was required to get a 60 Day Turis Visa. The consular staff responded by saying that I had to supply the following: • $A60.00 Money Order payable to Embassy of Indonesia; • Two completed Visa Application Forms (the form can be downloaded from the website for the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra); • A valid passport with at least six months validity; • Two passport photographs; • An itinerary; • Evidence of a return ticket. You do need a letter from a sponsor for a Sosial/Budaya Visa which can be extended up to a total period of six months..." Try to find myself in largish cities with a Kantor Immigrasi when it is time to renew my Indonesian tourist visa.
To extend either a Tourist Visa or Social Visa, you must have an Indonesian citizen as a ‘sponsor’. That can be anyone – guest house owner or staff, a friend or acquaintance. [...] If you arrive in Indonesia with a Tourist Visa, you will arrive without a sponsor. (since a sponsor is not required to get the visa) After arrival you must find a sponsor in order to get an extension. You have some flexibility, if you’re going to extend several times, in that you can have a different sponsor each month. If you’re traveling around the country and applying at different immigration offices, you’ll need new sponsor each time – a local. [...] Pai, a Korean/Russian woman, probably had a Sosial Budaya Visa!Visit Immigration Highway in Ubud!
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