Indonesian government resumes the visa-on-arrival scheme for 86 countries.

The Indonesian government is all set to welcome international travelers after resuming its Visa on Arrival (VoA) scheme for 86 countries, including India, the US, and China. 

International travelers from 86 countries are eligible for visas on arrival by producing their documents and paying visa fees online at www.indonesiavoa.vfsevisa.id before travel.  

A confirmation will be sent to the registered email ID and the visa will be processed in advance to be stamped upon arrival. 

Once the visa payment is settled online, the on-arrival process involves just stamping the visa documents.  Travelers have to pay the ‘Visa on Arrival fee of 500,000 IDR ( Rs 2,694.47).

Foreign travelers need to have two doses vaccinated and go through a health check on arrival. Visitors need to pay for visas before going through the immigration counter, according to a tourism official. 

The Indonesian government resumes Visa on Arrival schemes.

Out of 86 countries, 42 are from Europe, 27 from the Asia region, 5 from Africa, 2 from Oceania, 3 from North America, and 7 countries from Latin America.

For nine ASEAN countries, visitors can also enter without visas: Brunei Darussalam, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The issue of a Visa on Arrivalpassport is done based on the requirement that a diplomat, service, or general passport holder be valid for approximately six months. Besides, a return ticket to another country and proof of payment of non-tax revenue is required.

The visa validity period is for a month, with a one-time extension available for another 30 days. 

The island country of Indonesia was one of the popular destinations for tourists before the COVID-19 pandemic. Islanders are major sufferers as international travellers are banned from entering the country. 

Visitors throng the island nation.

Indonesia recorded half a million foreign visitors in July and placed in the record books for most in a month since COVID-19.

A visa on arrival is granted to foreigners who visit the country in the context of tourism, government duty, business discussion, purchase of goods, meetings, and transit, an official from the tourism department said.

The tourism officials said Bali is expecting international arrivals to reach pre-pandemic levels of six million by 2025. 

Recently, the Indonesian government announced that remote workers using current B211A visa holders are allowed to work online for up to six months using a socio-cultural visa without paying tax. 

The Digital Nomad Capital of the Planet.

The Indonesian government is planning to encash the trend by making surfer’s paradise Bali into the ‘digital nomad capital of the planet’. 

According to tourism ministry officials, overall 1.22 million international travelers visited Indonesia, and more than 3,000 foreigners have utilized B211A visas to work as digital nomads since January 2022.

Indonesia’s biggest source countries are Russia, Great Britain, and Germany. Plans are afoot to promote the new scheme in others, including Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Following in the footsteps of Indonesia, other East Asian countries like the Philippines offer ‘workcation’ packages on their popular island of Boracay. 

Malaysia also announced regulations to allow digital nomads into their country who hold a visa to stay for a year.