Tourists to Australia advised to beat the rush

Indonesians planning to travel to Australia for holidays over the next few months should lodge their visa applications as soon as possible to avert delays.

The Australian Embassy processes more than 62,000 visitor visas for Indonesians planning a holiday or short stay in Australia. During school and Eid-ul-Fitri holidays particularly there is a strong rise in the number of visa applications received by the embassy. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta grants one of the largest amounts of tourist visas of any Australian Embassy in the world.

Although the embassy tries to finalize visa applications in less than 5 days, during the holiday season people are encouraged to plan ahead and lodge their visa applications as soon as possible to avert any delays.

“If Indonesian visitors lodge visa applications now, we can process most in less than five working days. When our applications double in the weeks ahead, these visas may take longer” Australian Ambassador Bill Farmer said.

The Embassy is issuing more clients with a long-duration multiple-entry visa, which allows them to travel as often as they like for a longer period after the visa is issued.

Routine adjustments to visa application charges will be applied from 1 July. The application charge for a visitor (tourist) visa will increase to IDR 880 000, from the current charge of IDR 790 000 from 1 July 2009. Fees for other visas can be found on the Embassy’s website: www.indonesia.embassy.gov.au.

Visa applications can be lodged Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4pm, at the Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC), Level 22, Plaza Asia, Jl Jend Sudirman Kav 59, Jakarta (opposite Sudirman Place Shopping Mall), or in Bali, Perkantoran Duta Wijaya Unit 12, Jl Raya Puputan, Renon, Denpasar. Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC) offices will close early at 12 noon on 30 June 2009 for annual stocktaking and will not receive any applications after midday. The Embassy and the Bali Consulate-General will assist clients requiring urgent service.

To avoid the rush and queues at AVAC, applicants also have the option of selecting a courier service and applying for visas from the comfort of home – call 5140 1590-91 (Jakarta) or (0361) 264 958 (Bali) to arrange this service.

For more information on Australian visas, please visit the recently revamped web pages of the visas and migration section on the Embassy’s website: www.indonesia.embassy.gov.au.

Media Enquiries:
Toby Lendon, (Press Attaché) tel. (021) 2550 5290 mob. 0811 187 3175