The First Week of Opening, the Government Has Issued 447 Visas on Arrival for Tourism to Indonesia

In connection with the implementation of the trial of entering Indonesia without quarantine in Bali, the Government has also reissued a Visa on Arrival (VoA) specifically for tourism on March 7, 2022. It is noted that during the period 7-12 March 2022, the government has issued 447 VoA specifically for tourism.

The VoA facility issued by the government is given to 23 countries that have met several criteria, such as High Tourism Spender, having easy flight access to Bali, having easy quarantine policies for PPLN, and countries in the ASEAN region.

On the first day, the percentage of VOA users was 4.46% of the total foreigners who entered through the Immigration Checkpoint (TPI) I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport.

The percentage of VOA users shows an increasing trend, with details as follows, quoted from the official Immigration website:

1. Monday, March 7, 2022: 4.46%
2. Tuesday, March 8, 2022: 21.09%
3. Wednesday, March 9, 2022: 14.04%
4. Thursday, March 10, 2022: 31.16%
5. Friday, March 11, 2022: 28.39%
6. Saturday, March 12, 2022: 30.63%

The data also reveals which countries have the most citizens using the VoA facility, namely Australia as many as 76 people, Singapore 64 people, the United States 47 people, the Netherlands 44 people, and Malaysia 39 people.

Meanwhile, some of the monitored country subjects have not used VOA for Tourism, namely Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Brunei Darussalam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Sub Coordinator of Public Relations of the Directorate General of Immigration, Achmad Nur Saleh, explained the factors that trigger tourist arrivals.

He said, “There are several factors that can determine the arrival of foreign tourist subjects to Bali using VOA. For example, quarantine policies in the country of origin, the ease of getting insurance from the country of origin, tourist preferences, and others. The government will continue to monitor the VOA policy specifically for tourism to Bali.”

For information, foreign tourists who come to Bali using VOA Special Tours are exempt from quarantine obligations. In order to be free from quarantine, they are required to show proof of payment for hotels/accommodations in Bali for a stay of at least 4 (four) days, a Covid-19 vaccination certificate, and the results of the RT PCR test.

“Regarding the choice of hotel/accommodation, the Immigration Office does not issue a special policy. In order to get the VOA sticker, foreign tourists simply attach a passport, a ticket to leave the territory of Indonesia (return), and the documents required by the Covid-19 Task Force. Therefore, for information other than VOA requirements, please confirm with the Covid-19 Task Force or the Bali Provincial Government,” concluded Achmad.