Looking for advice on Visas!

Hi everyone
I plan to be in Bali for 6 months from May 2011.
Basically Im looking for the cheapest, easiest & of course most legal way but cant seem to get one same answer to my questions.

I don't have a sponsor (for a social visa), so I can only come on a tourist visa.
Does this mean :
1) my return plane ticket must bear a 2 month max return date?
2) can I "buy" a social visa once I get to Bali, through one of the many agents ?
3) will I have to leave the country to do so?
4) at the very worst, if I leave the country every 2 months (ie do a quick low cost to Bangkok or Singapore), am I entitled to a new 30 day renewable tourist visa, no questions asked?

If anyone with experience or tips in the same matter could help I would be most grateful!
Many thanks
Lucy

Welcome on Expat.com Lucy :)

thanks Yud;)

Hi Lucy, i hope someone could answer your queries as i was relocated to Jakarta for a year and for Singaporean i do not need visa and i could stay in Jakarta for 30days. Was wondering any one know if there's a limit to the days i can been in Indonesia for a period of time or so long i leave and re-enter indonesia every 30days it will do the job.

[obsolete]

30 day VOA is extendible for 30 days.
You could do that 3 times but have to leave the country on a visa run after each 60 days.

yes it's nearly 6 of 1 half dozen of the other. There is a certain psychological inertia to be overcome with any reason is. the sense is that you're being kicked out of the country with no guarantee of ever returning. Of course, that's not the case. for sure you'll be back, within a matter of hours. but it does tend mess up your work and play rhythms, unless u've got a good mate in Sing or Bangkok waiting and then its great. to avoid the feeling of being kicked out of Indo every 60 days (or less) get the visitor visa and do the extensions. if you pay an agent (and he doesn't totally suck) then the whole thing is hassle free. just pay around a million a month or whatever he's asking and you're sorted. if your agent is good then he'll have lined up for you another agent on the Singapore side of things so that when you do have to drop by your embassy in Sing/Bangkok it's also a simple matter of paid money rather than wasted time

Hi Lucy!

We are in the same boat :) I am also looking to move to Indonesia for 6 months maybe more and need answers to the same questions!
Have majority of people applied for a long term visa in their home country before entering indo? How difficult was this process? I am looking to leave Australia as soon as I have these answers.. Can't wait for this exciting new chapter :)

Would love to hear from you residents of Indo on how you did this?

:) jaikay