How easy to make E-Passport and apply Visa Waiver to Japan

My passport expired still in a long time, can I still change into e-passport?

No worries, that's happened to me too haha and in this post I'm going to tell you about my experience for e-passport etc, things that made Indonesian are easily to go to Japan lately is because free visa for e-passport holder so I decided to change into one in beginning of January 2016 even though my expired date still long time, 2019, haha but I just think to apply to make it more easier to have my visa to be granted. For e-passport holder, you will get permission to go to Japan in 3 years for each visit 15 days. For the requirements as usual I will talk in Bahasa since this is only valid for Indonesian people like me haha :p

left (old passport) - right (e-passport with chip in the bottom)

I went to immigration at Mampang, at South Jakarta, in the morning, around 5.30 AM, if you take Trans Jakarta, just find Imigrasi bus stop for Trans Jakarta, the office open around 7.30 or 8 AM. I write down my name in the blank paper while everyone also write down their name, looks like absence which is actually not valid because you will get the real queuing number in the 2nd floor. And when I went there they just make new system which is you don't have to come early in the morning because they will serve you no matter what on the same day for those that already got queuing number by 10 AM for that day.


Requirements that you need to bring, copy & original, please take note copy and original :) you don't want to waste your time again if you forgot to bring the original one, right?

Here the documents that I brought when I made my own e-passport : (in bahasa)
1. Paspor lama, asli beserta copy cover paspor
2. KTP, copy & asli
3. Kartu Keluarga, copy & asli
4. Akte Kelahiran, copy & asli

Heading to 2nd floor to get the queuing number, the officer will check your documents first while you queuing and don't forget when you get your number, tell the officer that you are going to make e-passport so they will stamp it, they will give you a form that should be filled while waiting your number to be called to have next step which is interview, fingerprints, sign and photograph. All is done in half day actually, I finished around 1 PM. After you get photographed etc, they will give you official receipt and telling you to come back in 2 days, you need to pay the passport at the bank, BNI, total fee is Rp655.000 for e-passport. And there is additional transaction fee Rp5.000 when I paid through the Bank.

I asked my brother to get my e-passport, they will give the new one and return your old passport also. I love stamping so I told my brother not to forget to ask my old passport, haha. The different between standard passport with the e one is they put a chip in the cover, so you need to be careful. And I love how they design every page, so Indonesian :) enrich with our cultures.

NEXT
How did I apply my visa waiver to Japan?

I managed to taking care my visa waiver in early April, which was 2 weeks before my departure. I know I can get free visa with e-passport but of course you still need to embassy to get the visa waiver sticker. And remember to get this before your departure. I browsed into Japan embassy website for the requirements so on and to get the Visa Waiver Form, filled it up and bring it when you go to embassy. So I only bring that form and my e-passport, make sure not to fold your form, need to be neat. I went to Japan Embassy that located next to Plaza Office at Jl. MH Thamrin, just get in and tell the security you want to apply visa, while waiting the embassy to be opened, they have waiting room, and you can sit there first. The embassy open around 7.30 or 8 AM, it was not that crowded when I applied and the process is really fast and so easy. 

Get your visitor card and go in, go get your queuing number on the machine that placed beside their locket. Fill the small form and wait until your number is called. If you go with your friend like me, please get one queuing number only, and when they call that number just go together to the locket. There are 2 lockets that serving us who apply visa, 1 for group visa like travel agent and another one for Japanese citizen. It only takes 5 minutes when our turn, we only gave our passport, the visa waiver form and the small form. And the officer told us to come back on the next day to get our e-passport and that's it! Das ist super! hahahaha...sooo fast and I finished around 9 AM. 

We go back on the next day and the schedule to get the visa is start from 1.30 PM, I came around 12.30 PM in order to get it quickly (hopefully) since I need to go back to work, haha. The process is kinda same, get your visitor card, get your queuing number on the machine, wait your number to be called and yeayy..our turn and we got our e-passport back completed by visa waiver sticker inside our passport that valid for 3 years and each visit for 15 days plus it;s FREE :) we are so happy with their service, and Japan wait for us!!! :) :) :)

Visa Waiver Sticker :)

Japan post will gonna be looongg post, so please wait for it haha but it's gonna be fun & exciting post that I write since I did have a great time there! ;) I took lots of pictures there xDD