House Of Representatives Commission VII: Visa Schengen For Indonesian Citizens Can Expand The Indonesian Product Market In Europe

DPR-MPR Building. (Dino Januarsa-Unsplash)

JAKARTA Deputy Chairman of Commission VII DPR RI, Chusnunia Chalim welcomes the European Union (EU) policy which provides easy long-term visa access for Indonesian citizens (WNI), who want to travel to the Schengen region.

According to him, the granting of this Schengen visa can open up opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration between Indonesia and European countries, as well as expand the Indonesian product market on the blue continent.

"We welcome the latest Schengen visa policy from the European Union. This is not only a matter of ease of access, but also opening the door to collaboration in various fields," Chusnunia told reporters, Tuesday, August 5.

Chusnunia said this policy is also in line with strengthening economic relations through the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) agreement. Therefore, he reminded the government to optimize the policy for the national interest.

"The government must optimize this opportunity so that the impact feels broad, both in terms of economy, education, and energy transition," said Chusnunia.

For information, the agreement opens new market access for Indonesian products, including green and automotive industrial raw materials, as well as strengthening critical material supply chains for the clean energy transition in Europe which also encourages increased domestic added value.

"This must be utilized optimally. We want the impact not only to increase the number of Indonesian citizens visiting Europe, but also to create various forms of strategic cooperation that are beneficial for the progress of the nation," continued the PKB legislator.

As is known, the Indonesian government is collaborating with the European Union regarding cascade visas, which provides significant convenience for Indonesian citizens to travel to the Schengen region.

The policy is the result of a bilateral meeting between President Prabowo Subianto and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, Belgium, on Sunday, July 13.

Meanwhile, data shows that the interest of Indonesian citizens to visit Europe continues to increase. In 2024, there were 203,000 submissions of Schengen visas from Indonesia, making it the country with the 13th largest submissions in the world and 3rd in the ASEAN region after Thailand and the Philippines.