Bali Volunteer Visa: How to Get the C6 Social Visa (Updated October 2026)

If you are joining a volunteer programme in Bali, the 30-day visa on arrival that most visitors use is the wrong visa. The UK Foreign Office says it is not suitable for volunteering, and volunteering on a tourist visa breaks its conditions, which can mean a fine or deportation. What you need is the C6 Social Activities visa (Visa Kegiatan Sosial), which many people, including our older pages, still call the C6B or the social-cultural visa. It is applied for online before you travel, and it needs a sponsor in Indonesia.

Do I need a visa for Indonesia?

The C6 is Indonesia's visa for social and voluntary activities. The official eVisa website lists "activities related to voluntary program" as its main purpose, and it also lets you travel as a tourist and visit friends during your stay. It does not let you work: you may not sell goods or services, or receive wages or any reward from anyone in Indonesia.

It is a sponsored visa. Every application needs a guarantor in Indonesia who takes responsibility for your stay, plus a letter from an organisation describing what you will be doing. On our Bali programmes, our team in Bali is your sponsor and sends you the invitation letter once your place is confirmed, so you do not need to find a sponsor of your own. You can make the application yourself, or pay a visa agency to make it for you.

This applies to every nationality we take on our volunteer programmes, including the UK, Ireland and the rest of the EU, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. None of them can volunteer on the visa on arrival or the e-VOA. Rules change, so check the official sources linked below before you travel.

• Visa: C6 Social Activities visa (often still called C6B), applied for online before you fly.
• Cost: IDR 2,000,000 in government fees at the time of writing (October 2026), paid online.
• Stay: up to 60 days, which your sponsor can extend from inside Indonesia.
• Sponsor: required. On our Bali programmes our local team sponsors you and provides the invitation letter.
• Use it within 90 days: the visa must be used within 90 days of being issued, so do not apply too early.
• No paid work: you may not sell goods or services or be paid by anyone in Indonesia.

Entry checklist

• Passport: valid for at least 6 months from the date you arrive, with at least 2 blank pages (the UK Foreign Office rule for British passports; the eVisa site asks for 6 months' validity).
• Funds: a personal bank statement for the last 3 months showing at least US$2,000 or the equivalent, with your name, the dates and the balance visible.
• Photo: a recent colour photograph.
• Sponsor's guarantee: proof of guarantee from your sponsor in Indonesia. On our programmes this comes with your invitation letter.
• Statement of activities: a letter from an organisation explaining what you will be doing and where during your stay.
• Return or onward ticket: the Foreign Office says you need proof of your return or onward journey.
• All Indonesia arrival card: every visitor completes this free online form within 72 hours before arrival, whatever their visa.
• Bali tourist levy: IDR 150,000 (about £8), paid online before you fly or on arrival in Bali.

How to apply for the C6 visa

You apply on the official Indonesian eVisa website. Allow time: the visa has to be approved before you fly, and an incomplete application takes longer. Equally, the visa must be used within 90 days of issue, so do not apply months ahead.

• Book your programme and your flights. Choose your start date and length, then book flights that match it. Your flight details go on the application.
• Get your invitation letter from us. Once your place is confirmed, we send the invitation letter from our team in Bali, who act as your sponsor. It covers the sponsor and activity documents the application asks for.
• Gather your own documents. A clear colour scan of your passport photo page (not cropped, no fingers in shot), a recent colour photo, and a bank statement covering the last 3 months showing at least US$2,000.
• Apply on evisa.imigrasi.go.id. Choose the visit purpose "General, Family, or Social" and the social visa, upload your documents and the letter, and pay the IDR 2,000,000 fee online at the time of writing (October 2026).
• Wait for the email. The approved visa is emailed to you. Check that your name, passport number and dates are correct, and keep a copy on your phone and on paper.
• Before you fly, complete the free All Indonesia arrival card within the 72 hours before you land and, for Bali, pay the tourist levy if you want to skip the queue on arrival.

Travelling within Indonesia

The C6 covers the whole of Indonesia, so you can travel before or after your programme on the same visa, as a tourist. Our Bali programmes run from 1 to 12 weeks: Turtle Conservation: Bali, Volunteer Kindergarten: Bali, Construction & Renovation: Bali and Environmental Education: Bali. If your programme plus any travel runs past 60 days, the visa has to be extended in Indonesia before it runs out: the sponsor applies at the immigration office with a copy of your passport and proof of your departure. Tell us when you book and we will plan it with you. Overstaying costs IDR 1,000,000 a day and can lead to detention and deportation. If you also want to see the islands on a group trip, Backpacking Bali fits neatly before or after a programme. For everything else about entering Indonesia, see our Indonesia visa guide, and for the seasons, our Bali weather guide.

Where to check the latest rules

Check the latest visa requirements:

• UK Foreign Office: Indonesia entry requirements
• Indonesia eVisa (official, for the C6 application)
• All Indonesia arrival card (official)
• Contact the Indonesia embassy or consulate in your country

Before you fly

• Money: dodge bad exchange rates with a Wise travel card.
• Flights: compare fares for your Indonesia flights on Skyscanner.
• Travel insurance: cover your backpacking trip with Nomad Insurance from SafetyWing.

Get the visa right and the rest is easy: a sponsor letter from us, a few documents of your own and one online application. Beware of websites that look official and charge extra; the Foreign Office warns about fake visa agents, so apply only through evisa.imigrasi.go.id. If anything in your application is unclear, ask us before you pay. See our volunteer programmes