Bali Visa On Arrival Program Adds 17 More Countries

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In perhaps the most significant update for international travel to Bali since the reopening of Ngurah Rai airport in February, the Visa on Arrival program for Indonesia has been resumed in full. The Head of Bali Law and Human Rights Minister, Jamaruli Manihuruk, confirmed that the central government has resumed the VOA program for a total of 60 eligible countries. This latest announcement adds 17 new countries to the program starting from 28th April 2022. This all comes as part of the reduction in Covid-19 travel restrictions and preparations for hosting the G20 Conference in November 2022.

The visa on arrival program is applicable for travelers arriving across Indonesia. There are currently nine international airports, eleven seaports, and four cross-border points of entry that are open for international travelers across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands. To qualify for a visa on arrival, the traveler must hold a passport from one of the sixty nations listed in the VOA program. They must show a return or onward bound ticket to another country, proof of payment for a visa on arrival and there must be a minimum of 6-months validity remaining on their passport.

The list includes South Africa, United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Philippines, Finland, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Cambodia, Canada, South Korea, Croatia, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Myanmar, Norway, France, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, New Zealand, Seychelles, Singapore, Cyrus, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste, China, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Vietnam, and Greece.

When speaking at a press conference Jamaruli Manihuruk said that he hopes that these updates to the visa on arrival programs will ‘make it easier for delegates and participates to attend international events held in Bali’. He was making specific reference to the G20 Summit that will be hosted in Bali in November 2022. This is one of the biggest international political conferences in the world. Bali will welcome delegates, speakers, and visitors from the G20 nations and international media teams reporting on every moment.

The COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and the war in Ukraine will be high on the agenda of the two-day summit. The latest controversy comes as the Indonesian government has invited Russia’s President Putin to the G20. This has been met with discontent from the United States government in particular. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has said that ‘Indonesia wants to unite the G20, don’t let there be fractures’.

The G20 is an economic and political made up of 20 of the world’s biggest economies, including the European Union. The G20 nations are the United Kingdom, United States, China, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey. All of these nations are included in the visa on arrival program.

The hosting of the G20 summit is hailed to have significant benefits for Indonesia on the global stage. This will, it is hoped, have an even greater impact on the nation’s economy in the coming decades. There is a clear intention from the G20 organizers in Bali to ensure that the meeting presents an opportunity for Indonesia to showcase its tourism and hospitality sector to the world.

For travelers seeking to visit Bali during November 2022, it is advised that booking is essential. With delegates, politicians, and high profile individuals from the world’s biggest economies all heading to Bali at the same time, there are guaranteed disruptions to travel across the island and ultra-high demand for accommodation.

For now, however, travelers heading to Bali can tick one pre-departure item off their to-do list. The visa on arrival program is up and running once again. If travelers wish to extend their visa from 30-day on arrival to 60-day, they must make sure they pay for their visa on arrival, even if their passport entitles them to a free visa on arrival.