Nationals from included countries will no doubt be pleased to hear the latest news from Indonesia’s immigration department.
Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, intends to grant visa-free visits to citizens from 20 nations, including Australia, China, and India, by October, according to its Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.
“The process is almost complete, and the list of 20 [countries] has been submitted. We are proposing visa-free entry for tourists from countries that provide the greatest economic impact,” said Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno in Jakarta, as reported by Antara News Agency.
The proposed list includes major tourism markets such as India, Australia, China, Japan, the United States, South Korea, France, Germany, Qatar, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, among others.
Nationals of ASEAN countries, including Malaysia, of course already enjoy visa-free entry to Indonesia.
Initially submitted in December of the previous year, the proposal is anticipated to be implemented by October, according to the Jakarta Globe. The implementation of visa-free visits will undergo a six-month evaluation period to assess its effectiveness.
In an effort to boost tourism recovery, the ministry put forth this proposal in December, aiming to grant visa-free entry to 20 countries. Indonesia, which welcomed 11.7 million foreign tourists last year, lags behind many of its regional neighbours in tourism numbers. The country has set an ambitious target of attracting 17 million tourists this year.
In the first quarter of this year alone, Indonesia welcomed 3 million foreign arrivals, marking a significant step towards its annual goal.
Indonesia frequently updates its tourist visa regulations, reflecting its malleable approach to enhancing tourism. Sometimes, visa waivers are expanded, while at other times they have been dramatically curtailed. At one point, Indonesia offered visa-free entry to more than 150 countries, but that was all but eliminated in mid-2023, with the waiver rescinded for all countries except those in ASEAN. Now the pendulum has swung again. With this latest shift re-extending visa-free access to more countries, it seems to be part of Indonesia’s broader efforts to revitalise the travel sector and compete with neighbouring countries in attracting international visitors.
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