Overall4/10Harder visas than about 75% of cities
Good to know
Good to Know
- Most Western passport holders (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, NZ) are NOT on Indonesia's free visa-exemption list — budget for the ~500,000 IDR (about $28) Visa on Arrival fee rather than assuming free entry.
- Because Mentawai has no international port of entry, your visa/VOA is actually processed at your first Indonesian entry point (e.g. Jakarta or Bali), before you fly on to Padang and take a boat or ferry to the islands — factor that extra domestic leg into your 30-day clock.
- If you need more than 60 days total (30 + one 30-day extension) or want to work remotely for a foreign employer, look into Indonesia's separate remote worker visa rather than relying on VOA extensions.
- Indonesia's visa-exempt country list has changed more than once recently (a 2024 cut from 169 countries down to a short list, then additions like Brazil and Türkiye in mid-2025) — always double-check your specific nationality on the official portal before booking flights.
- There is no Mentawai-specific visa — you'll be dealing with the same national Indonesian visa and tax system used anywhere in the country, just without Bali's dense network of visa agents and immigration offices nearby.
- Most short-stay nomads use the B211A social/cultural visa via an agent rather than applying alone — this is standard practice across Indonesia, not just Bali.
- If you're island-hopping in and out of Mentawai for surf trips, keep a written log of your entry/exit dates — Indonesia's 183-day tax residency count is cumulative across any 12-month window, not just consecutive days in one place.
- Because Mentawai is remote, any in-person immigration office visits (extensions, KITAS processing) will likely require travel to Padang on the West Sumatra mainland rather than a same-island office.
Visa Free Entry
- Country Scope
- National Indonesian immigration rules apply uniformly to the Mentawai Islands — there is no separate regional visa regime. However, Mentawai has no international airport or seaport of entry itself; visitors clear immigration at a designated port (typically Jakarta, Bali/Denpasar, or another international gateway) and then travel onward domestically (commonly via Padang) to reach the islands.
- Official Government Source
- https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id/
True Visa Exempt List
- Cost
- Free
- Process
- No pre-arrival application or fee. Travelers on this list simply present a passport (valid 6+ months) and proof of onward/return travel at immigration on arrival.
- Extendable
- No
- Days Allowed
- 30
- Who Qualifies
- A short list of nationalities receive genuinely free, no-paperwork entry: the ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam), plus a small set of non-ASEAN countries added in 2025 — Hong Kong, Colombia, Suriname, Brazil, Peru, and Türkiye.
- Important Caveat
- Indonesia sharply cut its old blanket 169-country visa-exemption list down to this much smaller list under a 2024 presidential regulation, so most Western nomad nationalities (USA, UK, EU countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) are NOT on this free list — they fall under Visa on Arrival instead (see below).
Overstay And General Notes
- Overstay Risk
- Overstaying either the visa-exempt or VOA period leads to daily fines and, for longer overstays, immigration sanctions or entry bans.
- Conversion Rule
- Neither the visa exemption nor the VOA can be converted into another visa type or long-stay permit — anyone planning to stay long-term or work needs a different visa category applied for in advance (e.g., a business/social-cultural visa or the newer remote worker visa).
Default Baseline For Most Nomads Visa On Arrival
- Cost
- IDR 500,000
- Process
- Can be purchased in advance online as an e-VOA through the official immigration e-Visa portal (evisa.imigrasi.go.id), paid by Visa/Mastercard/JCB, or obtained on arrival at designated airports/seaports. Extension must be done in person at an immigration office inside Indonesia.
- Extendable
- Yes
- Days Allowed
- 30
- Extension Cost
- IDR 500,000
- Allowed Purposes
- Tourism, social visits, government duty/meetings, purchasing goods, transit — NOT paid employment, technical work, or journalism.
- Extension Detail
- Extendable once for an additional 30 days at an Indonesian immigration office, for a maximum total stay of 60 days.
- Who This Applies To
- Most nomads from North America, Europe (non-ASEAN), Australia, and New Zealand are not visa-exempt and must use the paid Visa on Arrival (VOA / e-VOA) — this is the realistic default entry route for the majority of Western digital nomads.
Requirements
- Passport valid at least 6 months from date of entry
- At least one blank passport page
- Proof of onward/return ticket
- Online arrival card (e-CD) submitted within 3 days before arrival
Digital Nomad Visa And Tax
- Visa Ease Tier
- low
- Renewal And PR Path
- After 3 years of residence in Indonesia, an ITAS holder can apply for permanent residency, ITAP.
- Visa Ease Tier Rationale
- Indonesia has no dedicated digital nomad visa (only a B211A visit visa, an income-gated E33G remote-worker ITAS requiring ~$60k/year in foreign income, or a high-net-worth Second Home Visa), the 183-day/intent-to-reside tax trigger adds real compliance complexity, and Mentawai itself has none of the visa-agent or immigration-office infrastructure found in Bali, meaning most paperwork must be handled remotely or via mainland Sumatra/Jakarta.
- Jurisdiction Note
- The Mentawai Islands are part of Indonesia (West Sumatra province) and have no local or regional visa rules of their own — all visa categories, income requirements, and tax residency rules below are set at the national Indonesian level and apply identically here as anywhere else in the country.
Tax Notes
- Non Resident Rate
- Non-residents face a flat 20% rate on Indonesian-sourced income.
- Resident Tax Rates
- The tax system in Indonesia operates via a progressive personal income tax, ranging from 5% to 35%, depending on your income level.
- Double Tax Relief
- For most digital nomad visa holders from major treaty countries, properly applied DTA relief reduces or eliminates the net Indonesian tax on foreign-sourced income. The catch is that the relief isn't automatic — you need to hold a valid Certificate of Domicile (Form DGT-1) from your home tax authority.
- Residency Trigger
- Under Indonesian law, any foreign national who spends more than 183 days in the country within a single fiscal year is classified as a tax resident. This rule applies irrespective of visa category, income source, or nationality.
- Filing Obligations
- Tax residents are required to register for an NPWP (Nomor Pokok Wajib Pajak), Indonesia's tax identification number, and file an annual income tax return (SPT). The annual SPT covers the calendar year and is due by 31 March of the following year.
- Intent To Reside Rule
- The 183-day rule is the standard test most people know. The intent-to-reside rule is the one that catches digital nomad visa holders: you become a tax resident from the day you arrive on the KITAS, regardless of how many days you spend in the country that year.
- 2025 2026 Regulatory Shift
- December 2025: PER-23/PJ/2025 took effect, introducing the substance-based tax residency test and integrating immigration and tax records — meaning visa type and physical presence are now cross-checked against tax filings rather than treated as separate systems.
Visa Options
B211A Social/Cultural Visit Visa
- Type
- Tourist/visit visa commonly used by short-stay remote workers
- Duration
- The B211A social/cultural visa provides 60 days and is extendable up to 180 days for approximately $300 total.
- Renewal Path
- Extended in-country at an immigration office up to the 180-day cap; a visa agent is almost universally used to handle sponsor letters and paperwork.
- Work Permission
- Does not authorize local employment or Indonesian-sourced income; intended for those whose income comes entirely from abroad.
- Documents Required
- Passport, sponsor letter (usually via a visa agent), proof of funds, and travel itinerary; applications are typically filed before arrival.
- Income Requirement
- No formal minimum income requirement published; primarily proof of funds and a sponsor letter.
E33G Remote Worker Visa ("Second Home Remote Worker Visa")
- Type
- Purpose-built ITAS (Limited Stay Permit) for remote workers
- Duration
- Valid for up to 12 months, as long as you work for foreign clients.
- Renewal Path
- Renewable annually while continuing to meet the foreign-income threshold; unlike the B211A it is a proper ITAS rather than a visit visa.
- Work Permission
- It explicitly prohibits earning income from Indonesian sources or establishing a local business entity.
- Documents Required
- Bank statements/income proof, employment or client contracts showing foreign-sourced income, valid passport, and (per late-2025 update) a dependent KITAS option now exists for spouse, children, and parents.
- Income Requirement
- By May 2026, applicants must demonstrate an annual income of at least $60,000 (or $5,000 per month) from employers or clients outside of Indonesia.
Second Home Visa (E33B / B512 / B513)
- Type
- High-net-worth long-stay visa, not designed for typical nomads but used by some as a long-term base
- Duration
- Two tiers available: 5-year (B512) and 10-year (B513) with multi-entry.
- Renewal Path
- Opens a pathway to KITAP (permanent residency) after 3 years of continuous residence.
- Work Permission
- Does not explicitly grant a work permit; holders may work remotely for foreign companies as long as they do not engage in local employment.
- Documents Required
- Proof of deposit or property purchase, passport valid 36+ months, health/travel insurance, clean criminal record, CV.
- Income Requirement
- Financial requirement: IDR 2 billion in an Indonesian state bank or IDR 5 billion in property. Deposit is refundable and interest-bearing, not a fee.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this visas research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Mentawai Islands
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.