Tourists traveling to Bali with dreams of volunteering and lending a hand while on vacation have been issued with strict new advice.
Unlike many countries in the world, foreigners who wish to volunteer in Indonesia have to have a specific volunteer visa, and volunteering on a normal visa on arrival could land well-meaning visitors in a lot of trouble.
Indonesia Immigration has issued new guidance for foreigners wishing to volunteer in Indonesia. In Bali, plenty of incredible charities and locally registered Yayasan depend on volunteers’ hard work and dedication to deliver their programs and create a positive impact on the island.
However, tourists entering Indonesia on a visa on arrival or multiple-entry visas (B1, C1, or D1 categories) are not permitted to engage in formal volunteering activities.
The stipulations of the visitor visas are clear. As stated by the official Indonesian Immigration website “With this visa you can: Performing activities related to tourism, and visiting friends or family; Discussing, negotiating, and/or signing business agreements conducting field visits to production sites, mines, offices, factories (site visits); and Activities related to treatment including but not limited to medical facilities or other health facilities.”
Indonesia haa strict rules when it comes to volunteering for a number of reasons, least not because there has been a sharp rise in the number of foreigners who have been caught abusing the visa system.
Latest figures shared by the Indonesian Immigration Department show that the department processed 1,610 immigration enforcement cases between January and April 2024. During the same period in 2025, this has risen to 2,201 cases of immigration enforcement, which is a 36.71% increase.
Tourists who wish to volunteer in Bali must meet a certain set of criteria and must only volunteer with a legally registered charity/Yayasan, a private institution that has permission to welcome international volunteers, or a government agency.
The C6 Volunteer visa can be applied for via the official Indonesian immigration website, though it is not immediately obvious where to find it.
The C6 Volunteer Visa can be found by following these steps. Head to the Official Indonesia Immigration website home page and click ‘Apply’ – on the new form page, select the nationality of the applicant. Under ‘The main purpose of my visit to Indonesia’ select ‘General, Family or Social’.
Under ‘The sub purpose of my visit to Indonesia is’ select ‘social’ – and under “I want to explore and choose visa’ select C6 – Social, Humanitarian and Volunteering. In a partnership with Indonesian Immigration, content creator Farah Hoogervorst explains “The Visa C6 is a special single entry visa for [those] who want to give but also want to enjoy the beauty of Indonesia.”
She continues, “You can stay for up to 60 days and also extend twice, giving you up to 180 days to stay, help out, and learn. This is what you need to apply for Visa C6: a valid passport for at least 6 months. A personal bank statement for the last 3 months. A recent color photograph. A sponsorship letter. A statement from a government agency or private institution.”
The statement and the sponsorship letter should outline the volunteers’ activities during their time in Indonesia, confirm that the hosts are responsible for the individual in question, and confirm the organization’s legal registration and permission to host international volunteers.
As Hoogervorst confirms, the C6 Visa can be extended twice, though this week has seen a significant shake-up in the way in which all socio-cultural visa extensions will be processed from now on. Indonesian Immigration has just confirmed the launch of the new Hybrid Application System, which requires visa holders to first register their extension application, before visiting an Immigration Office in person to complete document verifications and biometrics, before the extension is granted.
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