Indonesia eVOA upload problems: the hidden 200 KB rule and other traps

Indonesia's eVisa portal (for the eVOA and other visas) fails uploads in ways travelers have documented extensively: there is an effective 200 KB size limit on the passport picture that the portal does not clearly advertise, the passport must be uploaded twice in two formats (once as a JPG image, once as a PDF), and the auto-filled data read from your passport's machine-readable zone is often wrong, especially dates. Compress the passport image to a clear JPG under 200 KB, prepare a PDF copy as well, and double-check every auto-filled field before submitting.

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The hidden size limit

Travelers who applied repeatedly report that oversized passport pictures fail or hang the upload, with roughly 200 KB as the effective ceiling, while the portal's own guidance does not state a clear number. Export the bio page as a JPG, sharp and glare-free with the two machine-readable lines fully visible, then compress until the file is under 200 KB. The compressor below does this in your browser.

The double upload and the OCR trap

The application asks for your passport twice: as an image early on, then again as a PDF. Converting your JPG to PDF takes seconds with any free converter, so prepare both before you start.

After the image upload, the system reads your passport's machine-readable zone and fills the form automatically, and it gets things wrong often enough that travelers treat checking every field as mandatory: birth dates and passport issue and expiry dates are the usual casualties. An application submitted with OCR errors causes problems at the border, not just in the portal.

Two more traps with real consequences: payment must be completed within 2 hours of submitting or the application is void, and the card must support 3D Secure. If the portal throws a server error, the community playbook is clear cache, different browser, different network, and try again later; the error is on their side.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my passport photo upload keep failing on the Indonesia eVisa site?

Most reports point to file size: keep the passport image a JPG under roughly 200 KB, clear and glare-free. Larger files fail or hang without a helpful error.

Why does the portal ask for my passport twice?

The application flow requires the bio page once as an image and once as a PDF. Prepare both versions before starting and the flow goes smoothly.

The auto-filled information from my passport is wrong. Does it matter?

Yes, greatly. The portal's text recognition frequently misreads dates. Correct every field before submitting, because errors carry into the visa itself.