This document contains important and helpful information about visas and travel arrangements. Please read this information carefully, especially if you have requested subsidy for your travel expenses (see section III, Subsidized Travel). Participants are generally responsible for making their own travel arrangements, but please feel free to contact GCF staff with questions.

All participants must send their entire itineraries to Joy Lee as soon as tickets are purchased.

Due to a large demand for travel subsidies, the Global Gathering budget may not be able to grant full subsidy to all participants who have requested it. Participants who have requested full subsidies are encouraged to be open to the possibility of partial subsidies.

• Visa Information – p. 2
• Travel Arrangement Information – p. 5
• Subsidized Travel Information and Insurance Coverage – p. 7
• Lists of Visa on Arrival Countries and Non-Visa Short Visit Countries – p. 8
• Countries where there are no Indonesian embassies/consulates – p. 9

Contacts:

Contact for Registration, Travel, Visa, or Accommodation questions:
Ms. Joy Lee, Assistant to GCF Secretary (Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA)
PO Box 120172
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
USA

Email: gcf.assistant@gmail.com  (preferred)   Phone:  +1 267 288 7311 (mobile)

Contact for Travel Subsidy questions:
Mr. Hubert van Beek, GCF Secretary (Versoix, Switzerland)
Global Christian Forum
PO Box 306
CH-1290, Versoix
Switzerland

Email: gcforum@sunrise.ch     Phone: +41 227554546       Fax:  +41 227550108

Contact for Special Authorization Process for Indonesian Visa:
Mr. Toesmoyo,
Communion of Churches in Indonesia (CCI/PGI)
Jl. Salemba Raya 10
Jakarta 10430
Indonesia

Email:  pgi@bit.net.id / pgi_jakarta@hotmail.com      
Phone:  +62 21 3150455; 3150451; 3908120

I. VISAS

The visa information we provide is only general information. If you need a visa, please make sure you contact the Indonesian embassy or consulate in your country to find the fee and required documentation for visa applications.

• Fees are usually below 100 USD (around 50 USD)
• See the end of this document for a list of countries that do not have an Indonesian embassy or consulate.  

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides a directory of Indonesian embassies and consulates. You can search for Indonesian embassies/consulates on their official website: www.deplu.go.id (go to “Mission” from their homepage).

Other helpful directories:
http://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/indonesia
http://assahatea.blogspot.com/2006/12/embassy-of-republic-of-indonesia.html

Applying for a Visa

1. Determine whether or not a visa is required for citizens of your country (see information on Visa On Arrivals and Non-Visa Short Term Visits on page 4).

If a visa is required: you must apply for a Short Visit Visa (also called Single Entry Visa). This visa is for business, social, or touristic visits. Some embassies make a further distinction between business, social, and touristic visit visas. In this case, apply for the Business Visa. The purpose of your stay is business (to participate in a conference). Do not apply for a Limited Stay Visa unless you intend to stay several months. The Short Visit/Single Entry Visitor’s visa is valid for up to 60 days.


2. Check the expiration date on your passport. To apply for a visa, your passport must be valid at least 6 months after your planned date of entry to Indonesia. The same requirement applies to a Visa On Arrival. If your passport expires before April 10, 2012, you must renew your passport.  

For citizens of countries that need special authorization for visas, the passport expiration date must be at least 12 months after the date of entry to Indonesia (October 2012).  For more information, see the information about "Countries Requiring Special Authorization."


3. Gather your documents for the visa application. Documents that may be required are:

• Visa Application Form (usually available on the embassy website or at the embassy)
• 2 or 3 Passport-sized, color photographs (attached to application form)
• Passport (valid after April 10, 2012)
• Invitation Letter from Indonesian churches
• Return plane ticket or flight booking confirmation (required by some countries)
• Proof of sufficient funds to cover living expenses while in Indonesia (for example, a bank or credit card statement).
• Proof of employment

*This list is only suggesting some documents that may be required. Every embassy or consulate has its own set of required documents for a visa application.

Invitation Letters:
All confirmed participants who will need to apply for a visa will be sent an invitation letter by mail and email from the national organizing committee in Indonesia. To send you an invitation letter, we must have accurate names, passport information, and contact information. Please provide this information through your registration forms as soon as possible to Ms. Joy Lee.

If you are close to the time of submitting your visa application and you have not received an invitation, please contact Mr. Toesmoyo (see first page of document).


4. Visa Application Form Information:

As you complete your visa application form, you will be asked to provide the address of the place where you will stay during your visit. The main venue of the Second Global Gathering is:

Hotel Novotel
Jalan AA Maramis Kayuwatu
Kairagi II
Manado, North Sulawesi 95254
INDONESIA
Tel (+62) 431/818889 Fax (+62) 431/818899
E-mail:  info@novotelmanado.com

The form will also ask for an Indonesian contact person or sponsoring organization. Please provide the following contact information:

Name of organization:
Communion of Churches in Indonesia/Persekutuan Gereja-Gereja di Indonesia (CCI/PGI)
Name of contact: Mr. Toesmoyo
Address: Jl. Salemba Raya 10, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
Phone number: +62 21 3150455


5. Submit your visa application after July 6 (06/07/2011). Your visa application should not be submitted before July, because visas to Indonesia expire 90 days after the date of issue. If your visa is denied, please inform Hubert van Beek (GCF Secretary) and Joy Lee as soon as possible.

Visas are usually issued in a few days. Visas requiring special authorization from the Immigration Authority will take several weeks (2-3 weeks). See below for more information on special authorizations.

Countries Requiring Special Authorization
Citizens of the following countries must receive special authorization from the Indonesian Immigration Authority in order to apply for a visa.

1. Afghanistan
2. Bangladesh
3. Cameroon
4. Congo
5. Ethiopia
6. Guinea
7. Ghana
8. Iraq
9. Israel
10. Liberia
11. Niger
12. Nigeria
13. North Korea
14. Pakistan
15. Rwanda
16. Somalia
17. Sri Lanka
18. Tanzania
19. Uganda
20. Zambia

If you are a citizen of one of these countries, please see the other travel information document, "GCF SGG Special Authorizations for Visas." You will need assistance from our national organizing committee in Indonesia to obtain the special authorization.

Visa On Arrival
Citizens of 64 different countries are eligible for a Visa on Arrival. Citizens of these countries do not need to obtain a visa before arriving in Indonesia. The Visa on Arrival can be obtained at the first port of entry into Indonesia. Most Global Gathering participants will arrive through the international airports in Jakarta or Manado. Both airports offer the Visa on Arrival.

How to get a Visa On Arrival:  
Upon arrival and after customs, follow “Visa on Arrival” signs to the Visa on Arrival counter(s). You will pay a small fee (25 USD), and the visa will be stamped in your passport. No forms need to be completed.

The maximum stays permitted for the visa on arrival is 30 days. If you plan to stay longer than 30 days, you must mention your intention to stay longer. The Visa on Arrival can be extended for another 30 days. 

General Requirements for Visa on Arrival:

• Expiration date of the applicant's passport must be at least 6 (six) months away from the date of entry.
• Round-trip airplane ticket
• Fees: Visa for stay up to 30 days = $25 USD  (same price for 30 day extension)

See the end of this document for a list of Visa On Arrival countries.

Non-Visa Short Term Visit
Citizens from 11 countries are allowed non-visa short term visits for purposes of holiday, exhibition, tourism, business, and social or cultural visits. The Non-Visa Short Term visit is valid for 30 days. This Visa cannot be converted or extended to obtain other immigration permits.
See the end of this document for a list of Non-Visa Short Term Visit countries.

II. TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

As soon as you have purchased your tickets and finalized your travel plans, please e-mail or mail the following information to Joy Lee:*

1. Your entire itinerary (the whole return trip between your departure city and Manado). Please include cities, flight numbers, airline names, dates, and times. If you are arriving or departing by another form of transportation (car, bus, train), please indicate this and simply provide the arrival and departure times and dates.   

2. If you have an overnight connection through Jakarta, please indicate whether you will reserve your own room at the Jakarta Airport Hotel or would like help with transportation and reserving a room at a local hotel. (See information about Transit Hotels on next page).

*Participants receiving subsidies for travel expenses must send a tentative flight itinerary and price to the GCF Secretary, Hubert van Beek before purchasing the tickets. Tickets should only be purchased after receiving final approval. See next page for more details.

Arrivals – Monday October 3
General participants are asked to arrive on Monday, October 3. Participants coming from outside of Asia should note that travel could take up to 2 full days. Local transportation will be provided from the airport to your hotel. Please remember that you must provide arrival and departure information in advance to ensure local transportation between the hotel and the airport.

Departures – Saturday, October 8
The Global Gathering program officially ends on Friday evening, October 7, at approximately 5pm. However, on Friday evening, the Mayor of Manado will be hosting a farewell celebration for Global Gathering participants. The general date for departures is Saturday, October 8.

Extended Stays
Participants are welcome to stay extra days in Manado, at their own expense. Participants receiving a subsidy for food and accommodation will be responsible for all expenses outside of the Global Gathering days (October 3 night – October 7 night). The hotel room rate will remain the same (slightly discounted for Global Gathering participants). If you plan on extending your stay, please provide tentative dates to Joy Lee as soon as possible.

Optional Outing: An optional outing to local attractions may be offered after the Global Gathering. More details on this will follow.

Flight Routes
The Global Gathering will take place in the city of Manado, in the province of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Please make sure your final destination city is Manado, not Jakarta. The two cities are on completely different islands. Flying to and from Manado (Sam Ratulangi International Airport, MDC) will require a connection through Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta Jakarta International Airport, CGK) or Singapore (Singapore Changi Airport, SIN).


Recommendation for flight searches: Flights run more frequently between Jakarta and Manado. You can find more options and reduce transit time in Jakarta by searching for two separate round trip tickets (one ticket between your departure city and Jakarta, and one ticket between Jakarta and Manado). To find tickets between Manado and Jakarta, go directly to one of the Indonesian airline websites (see below).

Flights between Jakarta and Manado

You can also compare all Indonesian airline prices at www.tiket2.com.

Raptim - Indonesia travel agency
You may book a Jakarta-Manado ticket through Raptim – Indonesia travel agency. The Communion of Churches in Indonesia (contact information on the first page of this document) will pay for your ticket on your behalf and inform the Global Christian Forum staff of the total price.

If you are not a subsidized participant, the GCF will include the amount due for the ticket on an invoice (with any other amount due to the GCF) that will be sent to you (or your church/organization) after the gathering. If you are granted a travel subsidy, the GCF will reimburse the Communion of Churches on your behalf.

Website: www.raptim-indonesia.co.id  Contact person: Ms. Renny, renny@raptim-indonesia.co.id 

Transit Hotels
If you arrive in Singapore or Jakarta in the evening, you may need to spend one night in a transit hotel. Both Singapore and Jakarta airports have transit hotels:

• Singapore - Ambassador Transit Hotel:

www.harilelahospitality.com. About 30 – 50 USD/single room.

• Jakarta –

• Jakarta Airport Hotel:www.jakartaairportonline.com/jakarta-airport-hotel. About 120 USD/single room. (We may be able to negotiate a lower price for Global Gathering participants. We will notify you if we have succeeded in lowering the price).

• Hotels near Jakarta Airport:  The national organizing committee in Jakarta can provide transportation between several local hotels and the Jakarta Airport. If you would like this assistance, please notify Joy Lee and provide the following details:

• Time, date, airline name, and flight number for arrival in Jakarta
• Time, date, airline name, and flight number for departure from Jakarta
• If you need the same assistance for your departure from Indonesia, please provide the same information for your departure connection through Jakarta
  

Subsidies for travel expenses will be issued through a reimbursement system. As mentioned at the beginning of this document, participants are encouraged to consider partial subsidies as an acceptable alternative to full subsidies. Participants who are granted travel subsidies should submit an itinerary and total price to Hubert van Beek for final approval before purchasing tickets. Subsidized participants will be sent further details on reimbursement arrangements closer to the time of the gathering.

Extra travel/Additional destinations:  Subsidized participants who add extra travel (additional destinations) to their itinerary should inform Hubert van Beek of the difference between a direct return trip to Manado and a trip with travel that is not related to the Global Gathering. Subsidized participants are expected to cover the difference.

IV. INSURANCE
All participants of the Second Global Gathering will have travel and medical insurance coverage through a blanket insurance policy (purchased by the Global Christian Forum).

In order to ensure coverage for you, the Global Christian Forum staff must receive your registration form.

Visa on Arrival Countries

Non-Visa Short Term Visit countries

Countries (on the invitation list) without Indonesian embassies/consulates

*Information below is from the internet. Some of the contact information may be out of date. Please contact the nearest embassy/consulate to ask if they accept visa applications from citizens of your country. You should also search for the nearest embassy/consulate at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affair’s website (www.deplu.go.id - go to their “Mission” page).

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