JAKARTA, 30 May 2022 - President Joko Widodo has approved the plan to open the tourist door for Batam and Bintan after various preparations were carried out under the coordination of the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. Batam and Bintan entrances are accepting international travelers starting from 24 January 2022 with specific rules and regulations. Starting from 18 May 2022, traveling to Indonesia becomes more convenient with no RT-PCR test results required to be taken prior to departure from the country or region of origin. Be sure to catch all the details below!
Entering with Visa Exemption Arrangement Facility and Visa On Arrival
According to the Circular Letter of the Directorate General of Immigration No. IMI-0603.GR.01.01 of 2022 concerning the Ease of Immigration to Support Sustainable Tourism during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as of 30 May 2022, the Indonesian government has added countries and special entities whose citizens can enter Batam and Bintan with Visa Exemption and Visa On Arrival (VOA) for leisure purpose.
You can check the details of this new regulation on this link. And here are the list of ports of entry for VOA holders and Visa Exemption Arrangement Facility holders at seaports in the Riau Islands:
1. Immigration Checkpoints on Airports
- Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam Island
2. Immigration Checkpoints on Seaports
- Bandar Bintan Telani Lagoi in Bintan Island
- Bandar Seri Udana Lobam in Bintan Island
- Batam Centre in Batam Island,
- Citra Tri Tunas in Batam Island
- Marina Teluk Senimba in Batam Island,
- Nongsa Terminal Bahari in Batam Island,
- Sekupang in Batam Island,
- Sri Bintan Pura in Bintan Island, and
- Tanjung Balai Karimun in the Great Karimun Island.
Below are the list of countries and special entities for Visa Exemption Arrangement facility in alphabetical order:
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
The list of countries and special entities for VOA, in alphabetical order are as follows:
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kuwait
Laos
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Morocco
Myanmar
Netherland
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
People's Republic of China
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Seychelles
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
The Arab Republic of Egypt
The Kingdom of Bahrain
Tunisia
Türkiye
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States of America
Vietnam
The details of rules and regulation for VOA can be found on this link and can be summarized as follows according to the circular note from The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia No. SE/00073/PK/05/2022/64:
Visit Visa Exemption or Visa on Arrival for Leisure Purpose can be issued accordingly with the following requirements:
1. Passport (diplomatic/official/ordinary) that is valid for a minimum of 6 (six) months,
2. A return ticket or a pass to continue the trip to another country,
3. Proof of payment of PNBP Visa on Arrival of 500,000 IDR (in the case of applying for a Visa on Arrival for Leisure Purpose), and
4. Proof of ownership of health insurance which includes financing for handling COVID-19 and medical evacuation to a referral hospital.
The entry stamp on the granting of a Visit Visa Exemption or Visa on Arrival for Leisure Purpose will be valid as a Visit Stay Permit with the certain period, as follows:
Visit Visa Exemption: maximum 30 days and cannot be extended.
Visa on Arrival: maximum of 30 days and can be extended once for another 30 days at the Immigration Office in the area where the foreign national lives.
- Visit Visa Exemption or Visa on Arrival for Leisure Purpose can also be granted for foreign nationals on official visit or government duties to attend international events, for which shall be applied additional requirement: to enclose an invitation letter issued by the Indonesian government to attend the international conferences/trials/meetings.
- The provision of Visit Visa Exemption or Visa on Arrival for Leisure Purpose as stipulated above applies to holders of diplomatic passports, service passports, or ordinary/general passports.
Entering with E-Visa
According to the Circular Letter of the COVID-19 Task Force Number 19 of 2022 concerning Health Protocol for International Travel during the COVID-19 Pandemic, which came into effect since 18 May 2022, there are also other entries to the Riau Islands, available for e-visa holders.
All International travelers, both Indonesian citizens and foreign nationals can enter Indonesia through the entry points assigned, which are:
a. Airports
- Hang Nadim International Airport, Batam Island;
- Raja Haji Fisabilillah International Airport, Bintan Island;
b. Harbors
All international seaports in Indonesia are now opened as entry points for international travel through the consideration of the Directorate General of Sea Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation.
Health Protocols
International travelers must comply with health protocols detailed in this link according to the Circular Letter of the COVID-19 Task Force Number 19 of 2022 concerning Health Protocol for International Travel during the COVID-19 Pandemic. These protocols can be summarized as follows according to the circular note from The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia No. SE/00058/PK/05/2022/64:
1. All foreign travelers (foreign nationals) who will enter the territory of the Republic of Indonesia shall adjust the general travel requirements to be allowed to enter the territory of Indonesia, which includes COVID-19 vaccination certificate and the use of PeduliLindungi application.
2. Foreign travelers are not required to show a negative RT-PCR test result in which samples were taken in the country or region of origin.
3. Upon arrival at the entry points, foreign travelers must undergo a COVID-19 symptom check, including a body temperature check, with the following conditions :
If there is no symptom of COVID-19 and body temperature is below 37.5 degrees Celsius: no need to undergo RT-PCR examination upon arrival
If there is any symptom of COVID-19 or body temperature above 37.5 degrees Celsius: must undergo RT-PCR examination upon arrival.
4. The provision regarding the period of isolation (quarantine) applies for all foreign travelers with the following categories:
Quarantine is no longer required for those who have received the complete dose of vaccine at least 14 days before the departure time.
Quarantine period of 5 x 24 hours is required for those who have not been vaccinated or received the complete dose of vaccine.
Foreign travelers under the age of 18 (eighteen) years and/or require special protection can follow the quarantine period provisions imposed on their parents or caregivers.
5. The provision for showing COVID-19 vaccination certificate (physical or digital) is excluded for all foreign travelers with the following categories:
Foreign nationals who hold diplomatic or official visas related to official/state visits of their foreign officials at the ministerial level and above and foreign nationals who enter Indonesia under the Travel Corridor Arrangement scheme, according to the principle of reciprocity;
Foreign nationals who intend to travel domestically in order to go outside the territory of Indonesia, as long as they do not leave the airport area during the transit process, provided that they (i) have been authorized by the Port Health Office and (ii) show the flight ticket schedule for direct transit from the city of departure to the international airport in Indonesia;
Under 18 years of age;
Have finished the COVID-19 quarantine and have been declared clear from COVID-19, required to bring a COVID-19 recovery certificate from a public hospital or Ministry of Health in the country/region of origin of departure; or
Have a special health condition or comorbid disease that prevents the foreign travelers from receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, as evidenced by a doctor's certificate from a public hospital of the country/region of origin of departure.
6. The above policies are temporary and will be readjusted according to global health developments.
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*Disclaimer : This article was updated on May 30, 2022. Due to the dynamic nature of travel regulations, please refer to official websites and links found in this article for the latest updates and developments.
