Anticipating Disease Spread, Government Temporarily Stops Visa-Free Visits For 159 Countries

JAKARTA - Indonesian Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly temporarily suspended the visit visa-free policy (BVK) for 159 countries through the Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia Number M.HH-GR.01.07 of 2023, which was ratified on June 7, 2023.

Quoted from the official website of the Directorate General of Immigration, Ministry of Law and Human Rights in Jakarta, Friday, the granting of free visit visas has an impact on aspects of state life.

"On the basis of these considerations, this Ministerial Decree was determined," said Public Relations Sub-Coordinator Achmad Nur Saleh as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, June 16.

The aspects of state life in question include disturbances in public order and the spread of disease from countries that have not been declared clean or free of certain diseases from the World Health Organization. Therefore, said Achmad continued, the number of recipients of the policy was rearranged.

Previously, the 159 countries were included in 169 countries as regulated in Presidential Regulation Number 21 of 2016 as recipients of free visit visas with 10 ASEAN countries.

Currently, there are only 10 countries that are subject to free visit visas, namely ASEAN member countries, including Brunei Darussalam, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.

Free of visit visas is valid for 30 days and cannot be extended. The requirements that must be shown to immigration officers at TPI are passports that are still valid for at least 6 months, as well as tickets to leave Indonesian territory.

"To stay longer in Indonesia, foreigners can choose other types of immigration residence permits, such as e-VOA (electronic visas on arrival), visit visas or limited stay visas," said Achmad.