Alright, so I've been doing social work in Indonesia for two months, and I just lost my passport yesterday in Jogjakarta, on Thursday morning. It was stolen along with my bag. I made a police report, and I went to Jakarta as fast as I could. I spent all of Friday rushing around, getting a temporary passport. I managed to do this, but I couldn't complete my temporary visa before the office closed. So right now I have: -temporary passport -photocopy of original passport/visa -letter from my volunteer organisation explaining the situation in indonesian language -police report -digital/printed plane ticket with travel dates Since my plane leaves on Sunday at 14:00 (2pm), and my passport expires on Sunday, before the visa office opens again on Monday, my hope is to attempt to get through the airport on Saturday and deal with whatever red tape I have to there. Is it possible to leave on Sunday without my visa, and avoid changing my flight and paying overstay? Where should I go? My friends/family in Jakarta are advising me to wait until Monday when the Visa office opens again. Then I can get my temporary visa after going through an interview process, and probably, if I'm lucky, leave on a flight Monday night. However, in that case I will have to pay about 100 dollars for a flight change, 40 for visa overstay, and then some money for government corruption, which I would rather not support or have to suffer. So I plan to go to the airport tomorrow morning, on Saturday, and attempt to deal with my lack of visa there. Does anyone know if Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will be able to help me on a Saturday? What parts of the airport are likely to be open and for how long? If I manage to get through security and to my gate, will I be safe to wait there until my flght leaves? I don't mind suffering a night in the airport, as long as I save my cash and assets from the Indonesian police. Hey guys! If you want to know how things worked out, I was able to beg the Indonesian police at the airport to stamp my passport, a few hours before my original flight left. In fact, I didn't have to bribe anyone or pay anything! It was amazing. I just told them I didn't have any money on me, that everything had been stolen, and that it was completely impossible to reschedule my flight or stay anywhere in Indonesia. (Which was partly true.) Eventually, the head of the police was so fed up with me that he stamped my passport. Thanks for your advice, you two! It was very helpful to me.
Immigration - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I think for the most part you should be fine. I'm sure you will have to speak with several "upper" people but I think after you state your case to about 5 people you will be fine. Show up at the airport very very very early. Have you tried contacting anyone about this in the US?
2 :
Staying overnight in the airport is bound to get you into trouble. You won't know which gate until the flight is called, and you don't even know if the airport is in 24/7 service -- last I was there it closed after the last evening flight arrival. Even if the airport is in 24 hr operation now, the police are going to arrest you if you hang out there all night. Your friends are right -- you have to stay until offices are open on Monday, pay the bills, get squared away, and make sure you can enter whichever country your going to. If you do not get this all resolved properly, you are going to have to deal with a more expensive mess.
