When will the Indonesian borders be open for tourists?

“When will the Indonesian borders be open for tourists?” or “Is Indonesia open for tourists?” is the most asked question from people who like to visit us.

During the last 2 years lots of countries in the world have put themselves in lockdown. Reasons behind the lockdown where flatten the curve, protecting their health system, and protecting the vulnerable groups in the society.

Indonesia is currently implementing a more restrictive form of lockdown wherein non-essential and non-critical commercial activities are not allowed. Domestic travel is permissible only with a vaccination certificate and a valid negative COVID-19 test result.

For update information about the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, the government launched a risk-zone map and a map for local transmissions.

As of September 15, 2021, foreigners or Non-Indonesian citizens are allowed to enter Indonesia as long they have been completely vaccinated for COVID-19.

It should be mentioned that Visa-On-Arrivals (VOA) are still not granted until such time that the Indonesian government has deemed the COVID-19 pandemic to be over.

Visa to enter Indonesia

The following foreign travelers may enter Indonesia under the new regulations:

1. Diplomatic and Official visa holders 
2. Diplomatic and Official stay permit; 
3. Holders of Indonesia Temporary Residence Card (KITAS) and Indonesia Permanent Residence Card (KITAP). 
4. Visitor visas, including but not limited to:

a. ​​​211 A Visa;

​​​​This visa includes tourist, emergency, business, film, medical visit, official visit, yachters and G20 or the 144^th International Parliamentary Union (IPU) meetings.

b. ​211B Visa;

This visa includes foreign workers in probation.

• Limited stay visa, including but not limited to:
• C312 Visa (work visa);
• C313 Visa (1-year foreign investment projects in Indonesia);
• C314 Visa (2-year foreign investment projects in Indonesia);
• C316 Visa (educational visits);
• C317 Visa (family reunification)​
• All non-immigrant crew members or cabin crews arriving any vessel or aircraft from any port or place outside Indonesia.
• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card holder; and
• Traditional Border Crossing pass/card holder.

Entry point in Indonesia

Effective October 15, 2021, the Indonesian Government designated the following entry points for international travelers, namely Jakarta (Soekarno Hatta International Airport and Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport) and North Sulawesi (Samratulangi International Airport – Manado).

What are the pre-departure requirements to enter Indonesia?

There will be stricter health protocols for both Indonesian and foreign travelers entering the country. They will need to comply with the following requirements before traveling:

• Foreign nationals must be fully vaccinated before entering Indonesia and must show their vaccination certificate to immigration officials upon arrival;
• Indonesia citizens are still permitted to enter the country without being fully vaccinated but will be vaccinated upon completion of their quarantine — this is compulsory;
• In addition to a valid work or resident visa, the foreign traveler must present a PCR test result stating that they are free of COVID-19, taken within 72 hours from the time of departure;
• Foreigner travelers must have health insurance (coverage of at least US$100,000) and can cover the needs for COVID-19 treatment; and 
• They must also fill the electronic Health Alert Card (e-HAC) through the PeduliLindungi application, which can be downloaded for free in the Google Play Store or the App Store.

Can foreign travelers enter Indonesia without vaccines?

International travelers that do enter Indonesia without presenting evidence of vaccination will be vaccinated during their quarantine, provided that their COVID-19 test results are negative.This also applies to the following groups:

• Diplomatic visa holders or official visa holders who are with an official ministerial-to-presidential level delegation to Indonesia;
• Children aged 12-17; and
• Holders of an Indonesian residency permit (KITAS, KITAP).  

Foreigners already in Indonesia and wish to travel domestically are required to be vaccinated (first dose) through the Indonesian government-initiated vaccination program. 

Summarized:

Indonesia is at this moment not open for tourists. The government has not mentioned a date in the future when this will happen. People who like to visit Indonesia in 2022 has to visit the government website for more updated information. The answer on the question ““When will the Indonesian borders be open for tourists?” is: We don’t know. Oceans 5 Gili Air is open for domestic visitor in the meanwhile. Hoping that the “old” time will come back soon.