Share this article
In January, Indonesia’s tourism and creative economy minister said he would seek legal changes to restore visa-free travel to the country for foreigners from the 20 countries that most frequently visit the country.
For many years, tourists, travelers and holidaymakers from Australia, New Zealand, most European countries and the United States have been able to visit Indonesia’s top tourist destinations visa-free for up to 30 days.
Tourists who wish to stay longer can pay for their initial 30-day visa and extend it for another 30 days without leaving the territory.
Indonesia has reopened to international tourists after the pandemic, but foreign visitors to Bali, the island’s most frequented destination, have had to pay 500,000 Indonesian rupiah for a 30-day visa.
This has added huge amounts of money to the holiday budgets of tourists who avidly visit Bali every year.
The 30-day Visa on Arrival and e-Visa on Arrival allow visitors from 97 countries to take part in tourist activities, attend business meetings or visit friends and family.
As Indonesia prepares to welcome a new government, speculation is growing as to whether Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno’s proposal will be formally introduced.
Countries where visa-free travel may resume include Australia, China, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, India, France, Germany, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Japan, Russia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Italy, Spain and two yet to be confirmed countries in the Middle East.
Uno’s proposal to abolish visa fees for the top 20 tourist tiers would mean Indonesia’s most frequent tourists would join the other nine ASEAN member states (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) that are already eligible for visa-free visits to Indonesia.
However, Minister Uno has not said much about these potential policy changes since he first discussed the idea between late 2023 and early 2024. However, tourism industry experts are confident that changes will be made to relevant immigration policies when the new government takes office.
“My understanding is that Indonesia’s Tourism Minister Sandy Uno plans to recommend that around 20 countries, including Australia, should be allowed visa-free entry into Indonesia, including Bali, by October, when the new president takes office,” Robbie Gaspar, director of the Indonesia Institute, told reporters.
The Indonesian Institute is the “peak source of independent insight and engagement on Indonesia-Australia bilateral relations”.
“This will make costs cheaper for Australian families, so we expect to see even more holidaymakers heading to our favourite island,” he added.
Tourists can start re-adjusting their travel budgets as visa-on-arrival fees are set to be rock-bottom for throngs of Bali-lovers just in time for the big Christmas and New Year holiday season.
However, tourists are also required to pay the Bali Tourist Tax of 150,000 rupiah.
The fee was introduced by the Bali provincial government in February 2024 and so far remains part of provincial law with little say in its administration, although minister Uno, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and others have supported the initiative.
Funds raised from the fee will be used for nature conservation, cultural preservation and improving tourism infrastructure.
Tourists are reminded that the Bali Tourism Tax is mandatory for all international tourists and can be paid at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport upon arrival, through the Love Bali app or website, or through travel agencies and tour providers.
Bali leaders are considering introducing fines and sanctions against tourists found to have been paying the fee.
However, for now, and for the foreseeable future, tourists from 97 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the countries listed in Minister Uno’s proposed policy changes, must pay IDR 500,000 per person for Indonesian visas on arrival and e-visas on arrival.
