Bali Immigration Offers Visa Relief to Stranded Gulf Travelers

‍BALI — Immigration authorities at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) are preparing for an increase in visa overstays after flight cancellations to the Middle East left hundreds of foreign travelers unable to depart Bali over the weekend.

Bugie Kurniawan, head of the immigration office at DPS, stated that officials will assist foreign nationals whose visas are expiring or have lapsed due to these disruptions, to prevent administrative violations beyond passengers’ control.

Disruption to Gulf-bound flights

Jakarta Globe reports that routes from DPS to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Iran have been affected, as airspace restrictions and closures in the region have forced airlines to suspend or cancel operations.

As of Sunday, at least five flights from Bali to Dubai (DXB), Abu Dhabi (AUH), and Doha (DOH) had been canceled since Saturday, affecting more than 1,600 passengers. Etihad Airways (EY), Qatar Airways (QR), and Emirates (EK) are among the carriers impacted.

Extensive disruption permeates across commercial aviation networks, with airlines canceling flights and key Middle East airspace corridors largely unusable, forcing reroutes and grounding traffic at major hubs.

Immigration response: increased staffing, early reporting guidance

Bali’s airport immigration office has increased personnel at international arrival and departure terminals to manage longer queues and is coordinating with airport and airline stakeholders as schedules change.

Passengers whose stay permits are about to expire—or have already expired due to cancellations—are urged to report immediately to the immigration office or airport service counters for guidance and processing.

Recommended actions for travelers

With flight schedules and onward connections subject to change, authorities urge travelers, especially those transiting through Middle East hubs, to check flight status through official airline channels and coordinate with airlines before going to the airport.

This is a developing situation, and airline schedules may change with little notice as airspace restrictions evolve. So far here the lates update from Cirium data.