Get help if you’re detained for overstaying
If the Indonesian authorities have detained you or someone you know, call the British Embassy in Jakarta.
British Embassy in Jakarta
Telephone: +62(0)21 2356 5200 (24 hours)
Paying a fine for overstaying up to 60 days
If you overstay your visa by up to 60 days, you must pay a fine of 1 million Indonesian rupiah for each day you overstayed.
You can pay at the airport when you leave the country. Immigration officers at the airport will only accept cash payments in Indonesian rupiah.
If you plan to stay in Indonesia, you can pay at an immigration office when you apply for another visa. If you apply for an extension of stay, they’ll deduct any period of overstay from your new visa. For example, if you overstay your 30-day visit visa by 5 days and apply for a 30-day extension, you’ll get a 25-day extension.
Overstaying more than 60 days: detention and deportation
If you overstay your visa by more than 60 days, the Indonesian authorities:
- will detain and question you
- will deport you
- may ban you from returning to Indonesia
You will not get a fine, but you will need to pay for your deportation flight. A friend or family member can arrange a flight for you.
If you entered Indonesia on a British passport, immigration officials will deport you to the UK unless you can prove you live in a third country. The British embassy cannot intervene and request you return to any other country.
Getting help while you’re detained
You can ask an immigration officer to tell the British embassy you’re detained. Embassy staff will try to contact you within 48 hours by either visiting you in person or contacting you by phone or video call. How the embassy contacts you depends on where you are and any restrictions at the facility where you’re being held.
If you do not have a valid UK passport, the embassy will help you apply for an emergency travel document. If you need help paying for your deportation, for example flights, transport or travel documents, we can contact your family or friends on your behalf. The embassy cannot pay deportation costs.
Detention and questioning
Immigration officials will detain you at the nearest immigration office and question you. If they discover you’ve broken other Indonesian laws, for example, working while you hold a tourist visa, you might face criminal charges. See Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) guidance on Indonesian legal and prisons systems.
The immigration office will decide when they will allow you to book a deportation flight.
If you’re sent to an immigration detention centre (IDC)
Immigration offices only hold people for about a week. If you need to stay in Indonesia longer, officials will move you to an immigration detention centre (IDC). In some cases, they may transfer you to an IDC in another city.
The immigration office will choose the mode of transport and arrange the transfer. If they are transferring people in groups, you may have to wait longer at the immigration office.
The amount of time you spend in an IDC will depend on your personal circumstances and whether you can pay for your departure flight.
Immigration staff will usually tell the embassy when you arrive at the IDC. The embassy will try to contact you within your first week of detention.
Most IDCs are overcrowded, and each has their own rules and regulations. Detainees often only have a few hours to spend outside. Immigration officers will give you limited access to your mobile phone or other devices to plan for your deportation. If you do not have any devices, officers can lend you one.
Tell staff if you have any health issues.
Deportation
Indonesian immigration will approve your deportation after completing an administration process. The British embassy will keep in contact with you throughout the process.
You, your family or friends will need to book your flight ticket. It’s often possible to do this from within an IDC.
An immigration officer must approve your flight. Some airlines do not carry deportees. Your flight is more likely to get approval if there is:
- no more than one stop to change planes
- the shortest possible wait between flights
- one airline – you cannot change airlines or have a self-transfer option by entering a country you’re transiting through
Immigration staff will escort you to the airport and:
- allow you to bring your belongings
- stay with you during check-in and the security screening
- take you to the terminal gate or a holding room
- wait with you until your flight boards
If you were detained somewhere with no international airport, you may have to pay for the escort’s transportation. This includes domestic flights.
Keep a copy of any deportation paperwork. This may help you access government support on your return to the UK.
Ban on returning to Indonesia
The Indonesian authorities may ban you from returning to Indonesia. It’s unlikely they’ll formally notify you of the ban. If you plan to return to Indonesia, contact the nearest Indonesian embassy for more information.
If you have family in Indonesia, they can ask for a waiver of your travel ban by writing to the Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration.
Returning to the UK
If you have nowhere to stay in the UK or have medical needs, discuss this with embassy staff before you leave Indonesia. They can help you explore your options.
If you’ve been out of the UK for more than 3 months, you may not be able to access some government support, such as universal credit and social housing.
