Regarding Plans to Ease Russian Visas for Indonesia, Here's the Explanation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Illustration of Russian visas. (Wikimedia Commons/Andre Development)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has spoken out regarding Russia's plans to relax visa grants for Indonesian Citizens (WNI), in line with the latest announcement from the Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Russia is preparing an agreement on visa simplification with six countries, including India, Syria, and Indonesia, Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov told TASS.

"Besides India, we are also working on a draft intergovernmental agreement that implies mutual simplification of visa regimes with Angola, Vietnam, Indonesia, Syria, and the Philippines," said Ivanov, citing TASS March 6.

Previously, Ivanov revealed that Russia is working on visa-free travel agreements with 11 countries, including Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Zambia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago.

In this regard, the Director for Europe II of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Winardi Hanafi Lucky, explained that what is meant is visa simplification which is still under discussion.

"The agreement on visa simplification is also an old issue, since 2018 if I'm not mistaken, it's still ongoing discussion. The substance is at the Directorate General of Immigration," he explained in a text message to VOI.

In July last year, Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Teuku Faizasyah said, "Regarding visa easing, currently the following agreements are still in the process of being discussed:

Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia on Simplification of Visa Regime for Mutual Trips of Citizens of the Russian Federation and Citizens of the Republic of Indonesia."

Lucky further explained, last February Russia had also announced a unilateral policy in the form of visa convenience for 19 countries, including Indonesia.

"For convenience for Indonesian citizens to go to Russia, it was announced openly last February. This is a unilateral, unilateral policy from Russia. The ease of staying for up to six months is only with a hotel reservation," he explained.

Last February, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree approving a list of 19 countries whose citizens are entitled to a tourist visa in Russia for up to six months based on hotel reservations, as displayed on the official legal information portal.

In order, the list of countries includes Bahrain, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Iran, Cambodia, China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, and the Philippines.

Previously, a law passed in August 2021 simplified the procedure for issuing visas to foreign tourists and allowed a person to obtain a Russian visa for up to six months if they had a hotel reservation.

Then in December 2022, a law was passed in Russia, according to which the government received the right to approve lists of countries from which tourists can apply for tourist visas in this way. Thus, citizens of countries that are not included in the approved list, do not yet have the opportunity to receive an ordinary six-month tourist visa based on a hotel reservation.