The Law and Human Rights Ministry has launched an online visa application for foreign citizens who wish to enter Indonesia. Those who intend to apply for the visa must fill in their personal information and purpose for travel on the website visa-online.imigrasi.go.id. If their application is granted, they will receive an approval letter by e-mail. Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said the e-visa sought to create a faster, easier and more transparent entry permit service.
“This is to bring a positive message to [other countries] that Indonesia has made bureaucratic reforms and is ready to become a destination for foreign investment,” Yasonna said in a statement on Tuesday. He added that he hoped the new policy would help the country’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by creating jobs through foreign investment and international tourism.
The Regulation of Minister of Law and Human Rights Number 26 of 2020 on visas and stay permits in the new normal states that visa applications should be done online and applicants will be issued an electronic visa, or eVisa.
Visa and/or stay permit refer to an official, diplomatic, visitor, and temporary stay visas, and official stay, diplomatic stay, temporary stay, and permanent stay permits.
This also includes crew members arriving to join transport, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Cardholder, and traditional border crossing pass/cardholder. Transport operators must ensure every passenger provides a valid declaration of a negative PCR test result.
Until now, the minister has still temporarily suspended the granting of visitor visa exemptions and visa on arrival until the COVID-19 pandemic is declared over. The temporary suspension of the visitor visa exemption is imposed on foreign nationals entitled to visa exemption facilities as annexed in President Regulation Number 21 of 2016 on Visitor Visa Exemption. It means that the 30-day free stamp is not currently available, nor is the 30-day paid-for visa which can be extended one time.
Links to more on this story
Full Jakarta Post article available here
Full Indonesian Expat article available here
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