The Indonesian government has suspended visa-free entry for citizens of 159 countries and territories, citing concerns about public order and the potential transmission of diseases.
The Ministry of Law and Human Rights in Indonesia issued a decree earlier this month scrapping visa-free entry for Non-ASEAN countries, which is now in effect. This move comes after authorities launched a crackdown on visitors who misbehaved with officials, committed crimes, rode motorbikes without helmets or posed naked for photos at sacred sites.
According to a statement from the ministry, there is also a risk of diseases carried by people from countries not certified as disease-free by the World Health Organization. Hence, all tourists must now obtain a visa from Indonesian missions abroad or online.
“By temporarily halting visa-free visits, the government aims to mitigate the potential risks associated with individuals entering the country without proper scrutiny and documentation,” the ministry added.
Indonesia has waived visa requirements for travelers from 169 countries, including 10 ASEAN countries since 2016. However, this visa waiver has been suspended for all countries except for the ten ASEAN countries.
Intra-ASEAN travel continues to remain visa-free, and visitors from any ASEAN country can stay in Indonesia for up to 30 days with a confirmed return ticket.
