UNWTO welcomes Indonesia’s cutting edge tourism visa policy

By Presidential Decree of 21 of 2016 dated on 2 March 2016 on Visa Free, replacing Presidential Regulation Number 104/2015 on Amendments to Presidential Regulation Number 69/2015 on Visa Free, Indonesia now provides special Short Stay Visa Free facilities for tourists who are nationals of a total 169 countries who wish to travel to Indonesia.  

UNWTO has expressed its full support to the decision of the Government of Indonesia to grant free visa to citizens from 169 countries. The measure looks for attracting international tourism to the country by simplifying travel procedures and follows research by UNWTO and WTTC that shows that visa facilitation in the ASEAN economies could create between 333,000 to 654,000 new jobs in a period of three years.

 
The Indonesian Government extends Visa on Arrival (VoA) to nationals of 61 countries which can be obtained at designated entry airports and sea ports. Visa-on-Arrival are valid for 30 days and are extendable with another 30 days to be applied at Immigration offices in Indonesia.

All travelers to Indonesia must be in possession of a Passport that is valid for at least six (6) months from the date of arrival, and have proof (tickets) of onward or return passage.

The visa exemption facility can be used for tourism, family visit, social visit, art and cultural, government duty, to deliver a speech or attend a seminar, international exhibition,meetings with head office or representative office in Indonesia, or transit.

The following are the Countries granted Visa Free Facilities according to Presidential Decree No. 21 of2016:

1. Albania
2. Algeria
3. Andorra
4. Angola
5. Antigua and Barbuda
6. Argentina
7. Armenia
8. Australia
9. Austria
10. Azerbaijan
11. Bahamas
12. Bahrain
13. Bangladesh
14. Barbados
15. Belarus
16. Belgium
17. Belize
18. Benin
19. Bhutan
20. Bolivia
21. Bosnia & Herzegovina
22. Botswana
23. Brazil
24. Brunei Darussalam
25. Bulgaria
26. Burkina Faso
27. Burundi
28. Cambodia
29. Canada
30. Cape Verde
31. Chad
32. Chile
33. China
34. Comoros
35. Costa Rica
36. Croatia
37. Cuba
38. Cyprus
39. Czech Republic
40. Denmark
41. Dominica (Commonwealth)
42. Dominican Republic
43. Ecuador
44. Egypt
45. El Salvador
46. Estonia
47. Fiji
48. Finland
49. France
50. Gabon
51. Gambia
52. Georgia
53. Germany
54. Ghana
55. Greece
56. Grenada
57. Guatemala
58. Guyana
59. Haiti
60. Honduras
61. Hong Kong
62. Hungary
63. Iceland
64. India
65. Ireland
66. Italy
67. Ivory Coast
68. Jamaica
69. Japan
70. Jordan
71. Kazakhstan
72. Kenya
73. Kiribati
74. Kuwait
75. Kyrgyzstan
76. Lao, People’s Democratic Republic
77. Latvia
78. Lebanon
79. Lesotho
80. Liechtenstein
81. Lithuania
82. Luxemburg
83. Macao
84. Macedonia
85. Madagascar
86. Malawi
87. Malaysia
88. Maldives
89. Mali
90. Malta
91. Marshall Islands
92. Mauritania
93. Mauritius
94. Mexico
95. Moldova
96. Monaco
97. Mongolia
98. Morocco
99. Mozambique
100. Myanmar
101. Namibia
102. Nauru
103. Nepal
104. Netherlands
105. New Zealand
106. Nicaragua
107. Norway
108. Oman
109. Palau
110. Palestine
111. Panama
112. Papua New Guinea
113. Paraguay
114. Peru
115. Philippines
116. Poland
117. Portugal
118. Puerto Rico
119. Qatar
120. Romania
121. Russian Federation
122. Rwanda
123. Saint Kitts and Nevis
124. Saint Lucia
125. Saint Vincent and Grenadines
126. Samoa
127. San Marino
128. Sao Tome and Principe
129. Saudi Arabia
130. Senegal
131. Serbia
132. Seychelles
133. Singapore
134. Slovakia
135. Slovenia
136. Solomon Islands
137. South Africa
138. South Korea
139. Spain
140. Sri Lanka
141. Suriname
142. Swaziland
143. Sweden
144. Switzerland
145. Taiwan
146. Tajikistan
147. Tanzania
148. Thailand
149. Timor Leste
150. Togo
151. Tonga
152. Trinidad and Tobago
153. Tunisia
154. Turkey
155. Turkmenistan
156. Tuvalu
157. Uganda
158. Ukraine
159. United Arab Emirates
160. United Kingdom
161. United States
162. Uruguay
163. Uzbekistan
164. Vanuatu
165. Vatican City State
166. Venezuela
167. Vietnam
168. Zambia
169. Zimbabwe

Nationals of the 169 countries can enter and exit Indonesian Territory through 124 Immigration Checkpoints in airports, seaports and land borders as follows:

Airports:

1.     Adi Soemarmo, Surakarta
2.     Adi Sucipto, Yogyakarta
3.     Ahmad Yani, Semarang
4.     Bandara International Lombok, Mataram
5.     Belitung, Tanjung Pandan
6.     Binaka, Sibolga
7.     El Tari, Kupang
8.     Frans Kaisiepo, Biak
9.     Halim Perdana Kusuma, DKI Jakarta
10.     Hang Nadim, Batam
11.     Husein Sastranegara, Bandung
12.     I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Bali
13.     Juanda, Surabaya
14.     Kuala Namu, Medan
15.     Maimun Saleh, Sabang
16.     Minangkabau, Padang
17.     Mopah, Merauke
18.     Mozes Kilangi, Tembaga Pura
19.     Pattimura, Ambon
20.     Polonia, medan
21.     Sam ratulangi, manado
22.     Sepinggan, balikpapan
23.     Soekarno Hatta, Banten
24.     Sultan Hassanudin, Makassar
25.     Sultan Iskandar Muda, Banda Aceh
26.     Sultan Mahmud Badarudin II, Palembang
27.     Sultan Syarif Kasim II, Pekanbaru
28.     Supadio, Pontianak
29.     Tarakan, Tarakan

Seaports:

1.     Achmad Yani,  Ternate
2.     Amamapare, Tembaga Pura
3.     Anggrek, Gorontalo
4.     Bagan Siapi-api, Bagan Siapi-api
5.     Badar Bentan Telani Lagoi, Tanjung Uban
6.     Bandar Seri Udana Lobam, Tanjung Uban
7.     Bandar Seri Setia Raja, Bengkalis
8.     Batam Center, Batam
9.     Batu Ampar, Batam
10.     Belakang Padang, Belakang Padang
11.     Belawan, Belawan
12.     Benete, Sumbawa Besar
13.     Biak, Biak
14.     Boom Baru, Palembang
15.     Celukan Bawang, Singaraja
16.     Citra Tri Tunas, Batam
17.     Ciwandan, Cilegon
18.     Dumai, Dumai
19.     Dwi Kora, Pontianak
20.     Gunung Sitoli, Sibolga
21.     Jambi, Jambi
22.     Jayapura, Jayapura
23.     Kabil, Batam
24.     Kendari, Kendari
25.     Kota Baru, Kota Baru
26.     Kuala Enok, Tembilahan
27.     Kuala Langsa, Aceh
28.     Kuala Tanjung, Tanjung Balai Asahan
29.     Kuala Tungkal, Jambi
30.     Lauren Say, Maumere
31.     Lembar, Mataram
32.     Lhokseumawe, Lhokseumawe
33.     Malahayati, Aceh
34.     Malundung, Tarakan
35.     Manado, Manado
36.     Marina Teluk Senimba, Batam
37.     Marore, Tahuna
38.     Merauke, Merauke
39.     Miangas, Tahuna
40.     Nongsa Terminal Bahari, Batam
41.     Nusantara, Pare-pare
42.      Nusantara, tahuna
43.     Padang Bai, Singaraja
44.     Panarukan, Panarukan
45.     Pangkal Balam, Pangkal Pinang
46.     Panjang, Bandar Lampung
47.     Pantoloan, Palu
48.     Pasuruan, Pasuruan
49.     Pemangkat, Sambas
50.     Probolinggo, Probolinggo
51.     Pulau Baai, Bengkulu
52.     Sabang, Aceh
53.     Samarinda, samarinda
54.     Sampit, Sampit
55.     Samudera, Bitung
56.     Sekupang, batam
57.     Selat lampa, Ranai
58.     Semayang, Balikpapan
59.     Siak Sri Indrapura, Siak
60.     Sibolga, Sibolga
61.     Sintete, Sambas
62.     Soekarno Hatta, Makassar
63.     Sorong-Sorong
64.     Sri Bayintan, Tanjung Pinang
65.     Sri Bintan Pura, Tanjung Pinang
66.     Sungai Guntung, Tembilahan
67.     Tanjung Balai Karimun, Tanjung Balai Karimun
68.     Tanjung Benoa, Denpasar
69.     Tanjung Emas, Semarang
70.     Tanjung Gudang, Pangkal Pinang
71.     Tanjung Harapan, Selat Panjang
72.     Tanjung Intan, Cilacap
73.     Tanjung Kelian, Pangkal Pinang
74.     Tanjung Lontar, Kupang
75.     Tanjung Pandan, Bangka Belitung
76.     Tanjung Perak, Surabaya
77.     Tanjung Priok, DKI Jakarta
78.     Tanjung Uban, Tanjung Uban
79.     Tanjung Wangi, Jember
80.     Tarempa, Tarempa
81.     Teluk Bayur, Padang
82.     Teluk Nibung, Tanjung Balai Asahan
83.     Tembilaha, Tembilahan
84.     Tri Sakti, Banjarmasin
85.     Tual, Tual
86.     Tunon Taka, Nunukan
87.     Yos Sudarso, Ambon
88.      Yos Sudarso, Cirebon

Land Borders:

1.     Aruk, Sambas
2.     Entikong, entikong
3.     Metamauk, Atambua
4.     Mota’ain, Atambua
5.     Nanga Badaum Sanggau
6.     Napan, Atambua
7.     Skouw, Jayapura

For details and enquiries please contact the Indonesian Embassy in your home country.

The visa-free policy is valid for a maximum stay of 30 days, has no restriction on the number of visits per year, and is non-extendable nor convertible to any other stay permit. Nationals of visa-free countries can enter Indonesia in any of the 124 immigration check points that the country possesses.

Visitors from other countries must apply for visa at Indonesia Embassies or Consulates in their home country. In addition, visas cannot be replaced with any other immigration letters. The visa shall then be administered by  the Visa Officer in the presence of the applicant concerned. 

 

“Indonesia is setting an example to the world. UNWTO welcomes the decision of the Government of Indonesia which clearly reflects the commitment of the country with the development of the tourism sector as a driver of economic growth, jobs and well-being for its people” said UNWTO Secretary-General,Taleb Rifai. 

 

UNWTO has been extensively advocating for the benefits of safe, secure and seamless travel as a means to promote tourism development and multiply socio-economic benefits of the sector.

 

According to the UNWTO/WTTC Report Impact of Visa Facilitation in ASEAN Member States, ASEAN stands to gain 6 to 10 million additional international tourist arrivals from improved visa facilitation. The additional receipts generated by these tourists could reach between US$7 and US$12 billion.

 

Progress has been made at global level yet many opportunities remain for improvement, namely through maximizing the use of new technologies.

 

The 2015 UNWTO Visa Openness Report shows that the share of total tourists required to obtain a traditional visa prior to travelling continues to decline and is at its lowest level ever. In 2015, 39% of the world population could travel for tourism without obtaining a traditional visa prior to departure as compared to only 23% in 2008.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia