Indonesia offers grace period on visa-on-arrival switch

Indonesian resort destinations Batam, Bintan and Karimun have been given a transition period of three months to apply the single Visa on Arrival (VoA) facility.  The government had announced regulations in January to remove the US$10 one-week VoA and leaving only the 30-day VoA costing US$25, a move that raised concerns in the three destinations as regional travellers tend to stay less than a week. 

 

The regulation is expected to hit Batam and Bintan particularly hard as both rely on visitors coming via Singapore and Singapore-based expatriates who visit on weekends.   A statement from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights said the grace period would allow tour operators holding contracts with overseas partners with the seven-day visa, to adjust to the change.  Directorate General of Immigration spokesperson, Bambang Catur was quoted in the local media as saying expatriates living in Singapore would be able to apply for a one-year multiple visas to visit Batam, Bintan and other parts of Indonesia.