Tourist visas in Bali top out at 180 days, and anything longer needs a KITAS or a Second Home visa. The visa on arrival costs about $30 (IDR 500,000) for 30 days and extends once by another 30, while the C1 visit visa runs 60 days and extends twice. Vietnam undercuts all of it with 45 days visa-free for Russian passport holders and a 90-day e‑visa for $25.
I file Vietnam e-visas for a living, so the Vietnam numbers below are the ones I see on real applications. The Indonesian rules come from the immigration service’s own pages at evisa.imigrasi.go.id and from the 2026 regulations named in each section.
How long can you stay in Bali on a tourist visa?
On a visa on arrival you get 30 days, and one extension adds another 30. You file it at an immigration office such as Kantor Imigrasi in Denpasar (Renon) or Singaraja, so the practical ceiling is 60 days. Both the visa and the extension cost about $30 (IDR 500,000). Russia is on the list of countries eligible for the VOA and the online e-VOA. Your passport needs 6 months of validity and a return ticket within the 30 days.
Immigration announced on 12 August 2026 that the e-VOA will rise to about $45 (IDR 750,000) and the airport VOA to about $60 (IDR 1,000,000). No start date has been published, and the portal still showed the old price at the time of writing, so check it before you pay.
Two items apply to every short stay. The free All Indonesia Arrival Card has been mandatory since 1 October 2025. It is one form for immigration, customs and health that replaced SATUSEHAT and the old e-CD, it issues a QR code, and you can fill it in up to 3 days before landing at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id. Bali also charges a one-time tourist levy of about $9 (IDR 150,000) per person, paid at lovebali.baliprov.go.id.
If 60 days is too short, the C1 visit visa replaced the old B211A in June 2025. It is valid for 60 days and can be extended twice by 60 days, which caps the stay at 180 days. Extensions need a local sponsor, in practice an agent, and agent prices vary widely, so I would not quote a fee here. C1 gives no right to work and no residence card, so treat it as a bridge while you decide where to settle.
Is the Second Home visa worth it for living in Bali?
The Second Home visa grants 5 or 10 years of residence, but it asks for proof of IDR 2 billion, about $130,000, in an Indonesian state bank, or property worth from $1 million. Eligible banks include Mandiri, BNI, BRI and BTN. There is no age limit and no sponsor. Work is not allowed, and the deposit stays on the account for as long as the visa is valid.
You apply with a passport valid for at least 36 months, a 4x6 photo and a CV. After approval you have 90 days to place the deposit. This visa suits people living on savings or passive income. For investors the Golden Visa starts from $350,000 for 5 years and $700,000 for 10 years, and the fees for it are quoted differently by different sources, so confirm them with an agent.
Can a remote worker get a KITAS in Bali?
Yes, the E33G Remote Worker KITAS is built for it. It lasts one year, allows multiple entries and needs no Indonesian sponsor, but you must earn at least $60,000 a year from an employer outside Indonesia. You cannot take income from Indonesian sources on this visa.
The file asks for bank statements showing at least $2,000 over the last 3 months, a contract with a non-Indonesian company, health insurance and a passport valid for 6 months. You enter Indonesia within 90 days of issue. The E33G does not renew, so you reapply every year, and your spouse and children come on dependent visas. A working KITAS (E23) is a different product: it needs an Indonesian employer as sponsor and only fits you if you take a local job.
Tax matters more than the visa fee. Staying more than 183 days in any 12-month window makes you an Indonesian tax resident, and a KITAS valid for longer than 183 days makes you a resident from the issue date, and residents are taxed on worldwide income. PER-23/PJ/2025 made the residency test factual, so immigration and tax records are compared. Law firms read the relief for foreign income differently, so ask a tax adviser before you apply.
What does the same stay look like in Vietnam?
Russian citizens can enter Vietnam for 45 days without a visa under Resolution 44/NQ-CP, valid from 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028. Any nationality can apply for an e‑visa valid for up to 90 days at evisa.gov.vn: $25 for a single entry or $50 for multiple entries, non-refundable if the application is declined.
Vietnam has no digital nomad visa in 2026. The 10-year Golden Visa is still a proposal, and the 5-year Talent Visa is the only part of that package already launched, so remote workers rotate through 90-day multiple-entry e-visas. A work permit becomes mandatory once you work more than 90 days in a calendar year (Decree 219/2025/ND-CP), and a temporary residence card for 1 to 2 years follows from it. Tax residency starts at 183 days in a calendar year, or 183 days in 12 months from your first entry, with rates of 5% to 35% on worldwide income.
The part where people stall is payment. In my files the portal often rejects Russian cards, and a wrong entry point on the form can get you turned back at the airport. You can file the application yourself whenever you hold a card the portal accepts. At BestBus Vietnam I file the 90-day e‑visa, pay the state fee with a card the portal takes and choose the entry point for your route, so tell me your route on WhatsApp and I will say which entry point fits it.
If you want to price the lifestyle side of this choice, the Da Nang, Chiang Mai and Canggu cost comparison puts monthly budgets next to the same visa routes.
How do Bali and Vietnam compare side by side?
The table puts every route from this guide on one scale: how long you can stay, what money you must show and whether you are allowed to work. Bali routes come first, in order of length, and the two Vietnam options close the table so you can read across.
| Option | Stay | Money you need | Work allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bali visa on arrival | 30 days, one 30-day extension | $30 fee (IDR 500,000) | No |
| Bali C1 visit visa | 60 days, two 60-day extensions | Fee set at immigration, check the portal | No |
| Bali E33G Remote Worker KITAS | 1 year, no renewal | Income from $60,000 a year | Only for your foreign employer |
| Bali Second Home visa | 5 or 10 years | Deposit of about $130,000 (IDR 2 billion) | No |
| Vietnam visa exemption, Russian passport | 45 days | $0 | No |
| Vietnam e‑visa | Up to 90 days | $25 single entry, $50 multiple entry | Only with a work permit |
Which should you choose, Bali or Vietnam?
For a stay up to 45 days, Vietnam’s exemption costs a Russian passport holder $0, while Bali’s visa on arrival costs $30 for 30 days and another $30 to reach 60. For six months to a year, Vietnam’s 90-day multiple e‑visa has no income test, while Bali’s E33G requires $60,000 a year. Pay for Second Home only if you can park about $130,000 for years and do not need to work.
When the deadline is the worry, a declined e‑visa costs you the fee and days you may not have. The application takes one evening on the government portal if you hold a card it accepts. If the deadline is tight, send me your arrival date on WhatsApp and I will tell you what can still be approved before you fly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fine for overstaying in Bali?
The fine is about $60 (IDR 1,000,000) per day. Up to 60 days of overstay you pay it at the airport before departure. Beyond 60 days, immigration can detain you, deport you and ban re-entry.
Is there a cheaper long-stay option than Second Home for people over 55?
Indonesia has retirement visas, including the 5-year E33E with a deposit of around $50,000 in a state bank and no sponsor. The minimum age differs by category, so confirm it before applying.
Can I extend a Vietnam e‑visa without leaving the country?
No. An e‑visa cannot be extended inside Vietnam. You apply for a new one for $25 or $50, then leave and re-enter on it.
What is the overstay fine in Vietnam?
Under Decree 282/2025, 1 to 15 days cost about $20 to $80 (500,000 to 2 million VND), from 16 days about $200 to $400 (5 to 10 million VND), and 90 days or more up to about $1,600 (40 million VND) plus expulsion.
What happens if I miss the 90-day deposit window on Second Home?
The approval lapses and you would have to start the application again, so line up the transfer to a state bank before you file. Confirm the exact consequence with the immigration office or your agent.
