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Visa Runs from Bali: 4 More Destinations with Easy Entry (Part 2)

Visa Runs from Bali: 4 More Destinations with Easy Entry (Part 2)

In Part 1 we covered the destinations closest to Bali: Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. Part 2 adds four more options with straightforward entry: the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.

All information is current as of September 2026. As in Part 1, entry conditions depend on your passport, so we give the rules for the passports most common among our clients: the United States, the United Kingdom, EU countries, Australia, Canada, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. Visa rules change frequently, so it is worth rechecking them before you fly, or checking with us.

A reminder on timing: for a visa on arrival and short-term visas, 1 to 3 days is usually enough, while long-term visas often require 7 to 10 days or more while the approval is being processed. We calculate this period in advance for your visa, so that a return ticket is not booked too tightly.

The Philippines (Manila)

For most passports this is one of the most convenient visa runs: a direct flight and visa-free entry. Citizens of Belarus are the exception.

  • Citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, EU countries, Australia, Canada, Russia, and Kazakhstan: visa-free, for an initial stay of up to 30 days. Your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months, a return or onward ticket is required, and so is the eTravel form (online, free, within 72 hours before arrival).

  • Citizens of Belarus: there is no visa-free entry; a visa has to be arranged in advance at a consulate. As a quick visa run, the Philippines does not suit a Belarusian passport.

  • Getting there: direct flights Denpasar to Manila, around 4 hours, several dozen flights a week.

  • Advantages for a visa run: with a visa-free passport you can fit it into 1 to 2 days, and prices are moderate, lower than in Singapore.

  • Recommendation: a convenient option for most passports. For Belarus, it is worth choosing another destination from this selection.

Sri Lanka (Colombo)

Straightforward entry for all the passports covered here, but with two caveats: the authorization is arranged online in advance, and there are no direct flights from Bali.

  • Entry: an electronic ETA authorization for 30 days with double entry. Since May 25, 2026, the ETA is issued free of charge to citizens of 40 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. Citizens of other countries pay USD 50 online or USD 60 on arrival. The ETA has to be arranged in advance on the official portal eta.gov.lk. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months, and on entry you may be asked for a return ticket and proof of funds.

  • Important: the free ETA is a government scheme introduced in May 2026 and may be revised. Check the current conditions on eta.gov.lk before you travel.

  • Getting there: there are no direct flights from Bali, only routes with one connection (Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, or Bangkok), totaling around 8 to 9.5 hours.

  • Advantages for a visa run: costs on the ground are low, but the connection means this is not a same-day trip. Allowing 2 to 4 days and combining it with a short holiday makes more sense.

  • Recommendation: a good option if you want a change of scenery. As a pure "fly out and come back" trip, it loses to the Philippines on logistics.

Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)

The most budget-friendly visa run in this selection: cheap tickets, low costs on the ground, and visa-free entry for many passports.

  • Entry: citizens of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Russia enter visa-free for up to 45 days (unilateral exemption valid until March 14, 2028). Citizens of Kazakhstan enter visa-free for up to 30 days. Citizens of Belarus enter visa-free under a bilateral agreement; confirm the current permitted period before you fly. Citizens of the United States, Australia, Canada, and EU countries not covered by the exemption need an e-Visa, arranged online for USD 25 (single entry) or USD 50 (multiple entry), for stays of up to 90 days.

  • Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months, and it is worth keeping a return ticket and accommodation booking on hand just in case.

  • Before you fly: check whether a digital entry declaration is required. The information on this is inconsistent, so it is better to verify it on Vietnam's official visa portal.

  • Getting there: direct flights Denpasar to Ho Chi Minh City, around 4 hours, with low-cost carriers available.

  • Advantages for a visa run: inexpensive and simple, comfortable for a 2 to 3 day trip.

  • Recommendation: a convenient budget visa run. If you need a longer or multiple-entry stay in Vietnam, there is a 90-day electronic visa, which we can also help arrange.

Hong Kong

Visa-free entry with a comfortable margin on the permitted period, plus convenient direct flights. There is one drawback: prices in the city itself.

  • Entry: visa-free. Up to 180 days for British citizens, 90 days for citizens of the United States, most EU countries, Australia, and Canada, 30 days for citizens of Belarus, and 14 days for citizens of Russia and Kazakhstan. On entry, proof of sufficient funds is required, and as a rule a return or transit ticket as well. There is no arrival card.

  • Getting there: direct flights Denpasar to Hong Kong, around 5 hours, daily.

  • Advantages for a visa run: entry is straightforward and the permitted period leaves room to spare even for a short trip. Hong Kong remains a major aviation hub, so the trip is easy to combine with a connection or with shopping.

  • Recommendation: with a 5-hour flight, allowing 2 to 3 days works better. The city is expensive, so a shorter stay is easier on the budget.

Returning to Bali with a Visa Already in Hand

As in Part 1, the main rule stays the same: return to Bali with your Indonesian visa already arranged, so that entry back into the country goes smoothly.

Get in Touch with Legal Indonesia

The destinations in Part 2 are farther away, which means they need more precise planning. A difference in passport changes the entire route here: a US or Russian citizen flies to the Philippines visa-free, while a Belarusian citizen has to prepare documents at a consulate in advance; a British traveler enters Vietnam visa-free, while an American one needs an e-Visa. Add to that temporary programs such as the free ETA in Sri Lanka, and arrival form requirements that appear and change.

We arrange visas on arrival and Indonesian tourist visas ahead of time, help with visas for the other countries we handle, and for long-term visas we calculate the trip timeline before departure. Write to us before you fly: we will select a visa to fit your passport and advise how many days to allow for the visa run.

Head of the Visa Department Legal Indonesia
Alvia Nur Aliyah

Sources

  • Bureau of Immigration and the official e-Visa portal of the Philippines (evisa.gov.ph), visa-free entry under Executive Order 408, and the eTravel portal

  • Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka and the official ETA portal (eta.gov.lk), fees and the 40-country free ETA scheme effective May 25, 2026

  • Government of Vietnam, Resolution 44/NQ-CP on visa exemption, and the official e-Visa portal (evisa.gov.vn)

  • Immigration Department of Hong Kong, visit visa and entry permit requirements by country

  • IATA Timatic, the visa requirements reference for airlines

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