Much has been said in recent months [mostly complaints] about the Immigration desks at Ngurah Rai International Airport and their lack of ‘speed’ in processing newly arrived tourists. Despite assurance from the immigration department that this process would be vastly improved, as yet, it still remains the same.
Getting excited upon arriving in Bali and looking forward to a holiday in paradise isle is soon soured at immigration. Sure, there are times when it appears the long queues seem to be moving reasonably smooth, and it is at these times I can guarantee there were not many flights just arrived on the island.
Generally for those tourists arriving in the mornings there are numerous flights arriving within a 30 minute period and it is this backlog of tourists at immigration that spawn bitter complaints. I read a good article in the Bali Discovery about this actual subject and it appears, as the article explains, foreign tourist continue to complain bitterly about long lines encountered upon arrival at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.
If you are travelling on another visa not related to a tourist visa then you go to a different counter. But, for those visiting Bali for a few days or weeks, the long wait is inevitable.
My advice is to be patient. I know it’s hard having just planted your feet on Balinese soil and to you the time spent at immigration could be time spent out of the airport doing what you came to Bali for. Although I am not confident the problem of long queues will be solved imminently, it will get better. After all, when a lot of tourists bitch about something sooner or later somebody listens.
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Bali I love, & like many other frequent visitors, have been coming here for 20 years+. However for how much longer will we put up with the total inefficiency at the airport Visa/immigration. Take notice the ongoing delays are threatening to stop tourists coming to Bali & hence the revenue of the Indonesian government, the Balines government & everyone in Bali who want to continue to earn money from us tourists. Yes the hotels, restaurants etc & the ordinary Balinese people all rely on tourists coming to Bali for their only existence. 80% of all Balinese depend on the tourist trade for their sole income.
Bali is not the only holiday destination in Asia, but I’ll bet has the only airport where you wait 2 hours to be processed through visa immigration.
The average wage of an immigration official is around US$200/month = US$2400 PA. The annual revenue for the Indonesian government for visa on arrival @US$25 is US$50,000,000 ( 2,000,000 tourists x US$25)
Note: Any tourist who is required to wait more than 30 minutes to be processed through immigration is already thinking of not coming to Bali again
Bali airport today: Bali airport has only booth/windows for maximum 20 visa officers on face to face duty at any one time. On average the total number of officers manning these booths at peak or off-peak plane arrival time is no more than 12, leaving 40% unmanned, when the number of booths & officers really needed to process visas is more like 40 at peak times.
If you extend the figures, 20 booths + back up staff 10 = 30 staff on visa duty per shift = 60 per day @ annual cost per officer US$2400 = US$144,000 annual cost for 60 immigration staff.
Collection US$50,000,000 cost US$144,000 SURPLUS US$49,856,000. Yes that’s US49 million SURPLUS
COME ON INDONESIA, TOURIST ASSOCIATIONS, HOTEL & RESTAURANT LOBBY GROUPS MAKE THE AUTHORITIES USE SOME OF THE SURPLUS TO BUILD MORE VISA BOOTHS & EMPLOY MORE TRAINED VISA PROCESSING STAFF. MAKE THE OBJECTIVE FOR VISA PROCESSING IN BALI LESS THAN THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD OF 30 MINUTES
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