A mid RTW change of plans means I will be visting Indonesia for a few days. As I have already left the UK I will not be able to get a proper business visa and will need to pretend to be a tourist to make use of the visa on arrival scheme. A couple of questions:

*Anyone had any hassles using the VoA scheme when they are technically on business?
*I've seen the little booth at Soekarno Hatta before so know where to go. But, do I need photos and will Indonesian Rupiah suffice to pay the fee?

TIA.

1. Definitely pretend to be a tourist.

2. You won't need a photo.

3. Rupiah will be fine. So will most major western currencies.

4. Have some small bills to pay bribes if needed.

5. Have fun.

I used to live in Jakarta, so I'm confident with this advice.

I recently tried to get my Indonesia visa in Tokyo, but the person flat out denied me. I was quite agitated, as I like to get visas in advance (especially when I must rush to get somewhere after the plane lands) but to help you out, I have gotten my visa on arrival thrice times at Soekarno-Hatta, and each time was less than five minutes. It was either $20 or $25 and you do not need a picture.

Excellent! Thanks.

I arrived into Bali in October.....US$10 fee for 7 days or less, US$25 for 8 to 30 days. As others said, no photo necessary--they just want your cash.

Same situation in Jakarta. It used to be US$10 for 3 days but a few months ago they extended to 7 days (the receipts still say 3 days IIRC).

I tick Business on the form and never have any problem getting Visa on Arrival for my British passport so you should be OK to do that. I know Asian colleagues who go in as tourists but that's because they're from countries that don't need visas for tourism but do need them for business. They're the same colleagues who get asked why they're bringing a laptop on holiday...

grahamb is spot on, they won't bat an eye if you tick Business and apply for a visa on arrival. All they want to see is US$10 (obligatory) and your return ticket (sometimes). I did once see a Singaporean guy get shaken down for ticking business and trying to enter without a visa as ASEAN nationals are allowed to do -- but for tourism only.

Agree that it's no problem getting your VoA for Indonesia as long as you've got the $$. The easiest by far is cash US dollars, but they will also take Euros, Sterling, Singapore Dollars, Aussie Dollars and just about anything else that seems like hard currency. Change will be given in Rupiah.

As others have stated, it's US$ 10 for 7 days (recently upped from 3) or US$ 25 for 8-30 days, counting from the day you enter Indonesia.

Apparently you can even pay by Visa or Mastercard, though I have never done this. I just take the cash.

BTW, you only officially need a business visa if you plan to sign contracts or something like that while in Indonesia. If you're there to look at some factories, have some meetings and a business dinner or two, you're nothing more than a corporate tourist. Tick tourism as your purpose of visit if you want to be on the safe side, ticking business shouldn't be a problem though.

Thank you all - really helpful advice. I will tick business with pride and have Rp50,000 on hand if needed.