Colleague deported from CGK

[CGK]

I am not going to discuss about bribery. I am not there. And so I can't make a judgement call from how the original conversation went.

A colleague (Canadian)'s passport did not have any empty spaces left.
So when he presented his passport at the Visa on arrival counter, the counter staff told him that he cannot issue a visa on arrival to him.
My colleague then say "Why cant you just stamp the visa over an existing visa?"

The person responded "So what can you give me?"

Colleague:"I am not going to give you anything!"

He was then promptly deported from CGK.

First, I must say just from the first sentence, that my fellow Canadian in this case is a bit unprepared, uninformed, or just taking everything for granted. Look, if I am traveling for business purpose (since the OP uses the word colleague, I interpret that they went to Jakarta not for holiday), I should know the requirement of entering the country. Again, without any page left in the passport, he/she should expect any problems along the way. I had been through Changi immigration many times. Some officers will be kindly enough to look for the page where I have another stamp from Singapore. But some just stamped in a new page.
If I were the colleague, I would know that I must have a new passport, especially the visa on arrival would need a page.

Secondly, putting myself as the counter staff, knowing that I need to put a visa in one page, and this visitor doesn't have any blank page, how can I issue a visa? Where to put the visa?
And yeah, how could she/he suggested to put on top of other previous visa? I think it's unreasonable. Okay, I am still holding Indonesian passport. Almost everywhere I go I need visa. So I had been dealing with immigration from other countries too many times. I know that no visa consuler will put one visa on top of another. I had a visa from Japan. The consuler wrote my name as MRS CGK. The consuler corrected it. He/she did not put the visa on top of the incorrect one, but put it in the new page.
Also, when I get a Schengen visa, I had to copy all the previous stamps and visa to the application form. And I had seen the staff at the German Consulate counted exactly what I wrote.

In short, without touching any sign of bribery, I regretfully must say that the OP's colleague is at fault since before the trip. He/she should know that visa on arrival need one page for the visa, and he/she should aware that his/her passport has none left. Without the ability to put the visa in the passport, the pax would be denied entry.

[up and away]

I would not be surprised if most countries which put in a full page visa sticker say you need to two clear pages one for the visa and one for the in and out stamps. However I expect the reality for most of them is that as long as you have one clean page for the visa and enough space for the entry and exit stamps then this would be OK.

I remember South Africa states you need two clear pages and their visa is not even a full page sticker, it only takes up about a quarter of a page.

But some visas really do require a whole page (for example Australian student visas, they are like little cards which just fit into a european passport)

Also in some countries it might get you into trouble to have too many visas stamped on top of each other if they want to check where you travelled to during the last few months.

[acey]

In short, without touching any sign of bribery, I regretfully must say that the OP's colleague is at fault since before the trip. He/she should know that visa on arrival need one page for the visa, and he/she should aware that his/her passport has none left. Without the ability to put the visa in the passport, the pax would be denied entry.

I think he made two mistakes

1. Not having an empty page in his passport
2. Not willing to bride the immigration officer

[singaporu_kooku]

2. Not willing to bride the immigration officer

I definitely not willing to take the immigration officer as my bride to gain entry to Indonesia
lol...

[Savage25]

I definitely not willing to take the immigration officer as my bride to gain entry to Indonesia
lol...

[acey]

I definitely not willing to take the immigration officer as my bride to gain entry to Indonesia
lol...

Ops..my spelling mistake.
But FOCUSING on the issue, do comment if you would fork out some money to pay your way thru.
I think I would, afterall, I could claim it as travel expense.
Just dont try it in places like Singapore, because the immigration officer would arrest you on the spot and claim an award.

[up and away]

Ops..my spelling mistake.
But FOCUSING on the issue, do comment if you would fork out some money to pay your way thru.
I think I would, afterall, I could claim it as travel expense.
Just dont try it in places like Singapore, because the immigration officer would arrest you on the spot and claim an award.

Yah, but if an Officer asks you for a bribe? Ok, in Singapore I'd think twice about that, but in many other countries

[MovieMan]

But FOCUSING on the issue, do comment if you would fork out some money to pay your way thru.
I think I would, afterall, I could claim it as travel expense.

Hmm you could? How would you list it in your expense report? As tips? What if you need a receipt?

[Lobster]

Hmm you could? How would you list it in your expense report? As tips? What if you need a receipt?

In the UK at least it would be illegal for your company to reimburse you for a bribe.

[up and away]

I think that would be illegal pretty much anywhere in the world

[acey]

Hmm you could? How would you list it in your expense report? As tips? What if you need a receipt?

Just call it "tips" or something in your expense report and say that "receipt not available". That works in my company.
Quite often pple claim for "taxi expenses - without receipt"....