I

am a Dutch citizen and I have a socio cultural visa (SosBud). I love this country and I want to enjoy its beauty to the fullest. This visa has to be extended 60 days after arrival and then every 30 days for a maximum of 180 days.

I was invited on a cruise in eastern Indonesia some weeks ago and my visa needed to be extended, so my agent sent it to immigration and he informed me that it would not be back before my departure. For that reason I made a photocopy of my passport and visa. This, however, appeared to be a fatal mistake.

Halfway the cruise the immigration authorities boarded our ship and demanded to see all passengers'€™ passports. Of course I could not comply with such a request for the reasons mentioned above. They bluntly informed me that I was in direct violation of the Immigration Law. According to the 2011 Immigration Law I should have brought an official receipt, issued by the immigration authorities, which stated that my passport was in their possession for the purpose of a visa extension.

I was never informed of this regulation and my visa agent (a seasoned professional) was not either. Our captain was taken to the immigration office, where he was forced to read sections of the law aloud, which was absolutely humiliating.

After many hours he managed to broker a bribe for the ship and its passengers to be cleared, otherwise I would have been taken into custody. Because it involved a bribe I, regrettably, cannot publicly disclose in which Indonesian provincial capital this took place and what ship it concerned as it would be to the detriment of the ship and its captain.

What on earth are the objectives of the Indonesian immigration authorities when they appear to keep their regulations well-kept secrets? Are they there to regulate and facilitate tourist arrivals or are they there to trap unwitting victims and line the pocked of corrupt officials?

It is high time for the Indonesian immigration authorities to play an open hand, provide visa holders or visa applicants with concise, transparent information and stop playing the boogeyman!

Clean up your act and make Indonesia a country that welcomes guests instead of deterring them!

Frank Hall
Bali