Indonesia Adds 12 More Countries To Visa On Arrival Program Making It Easier To Visit Bali

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The Central Government of Indonesia has announced that it will be adding twelve more countries to the visa on arrival program as of the 30th of May 2022. 

On the 3rd May 2022, the Central Government of Indonesia expanded the visa on arrival program to include sixty countries. This was the biggest shift in Covid-19 reopening at the time. The visa on arrival program was halted during the height of the international lockdowns. Indonesia’s phased reopening plan is nearly complete. According to government ministers, the end of all Covid-19-related restrictions is insight.

The news that Indonesia’s immigration has added a further twelve countries to the visa on arrival list is another positive sign that the country is moving ever closer to the end of the pandemic. The official Instagram for the Director-General of Immigration in Indonesia posted an infographic today confirming which countries have been added to the list.

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A post shared by Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi (@ditjen_imigrasi)

Travelers from Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, Peru, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Jordan are now able to get a visa on arrival at the nine international airports across Indonesia, including Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport.

The visa on arrival costs IDR 500,000 and can be paid on a credit or debit card. Cash is accepted in EUR, GBP, AUD, USD, SGD, and IDR.

Bali is hosting some major international conferences this year, including the G20 summit. In the last week, the island has hosted the Global Platform For Disaster Risk Reduction with the United Nations. As Bali opens its conference centers and event spaces for these major events, the government will be keen to remove any potential sticking points for visitors, delegates, and support teams.

Opening the visa on arrival program to as many nations as possible reflects the openness and welcoming atmosphere that Bali is so well known for.

While some countries have made it harder for citizens from Russia to travel, Indonesia has just made it a step easier. Both Russia and Ukraine have been added to the visa on arrival program and online commentary about this choice is bubbling up. The President of Indonesia has kept President Putin’s invitation to the G20 in place.

Jokowi has also invited the Ukrainian President Volodymyr despite Ukraine not being in the G20. The invites have been causing raised eyebrows. The US has made it clear that they want Putin and Russia to not attend. Jokowi was quoted to say that he wants Indonesia to be able to unite the G20 and promote peace and stability.

From a tourism perspective, the extension of the visa on arrival program is great news for Bali. Travelers from twelve more nations can enter Bali with ease. Airline giant Emirates has recently returned to the tarmac of Bali airport which was celebrated with fanfare.

It is likely that in light of the visa on arrival programs’ extension that Middle East-based airlines will begin to roll out flight deals that make it easier for travelers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, and Jordan in particular to visit the island.

In recent weeks the Tourism Association of Bali announced that they were submitting a proposal to Indonesia’s Central Government to request that the visa on arrival program be extended to all 198 recognized countries of the world. It is very unlikely that this request will be honored, but the logic is sound at first glance. 

Such a move would make Indonesia the first country in the world to offer a visa on arrival to every country in the world. Some may argue that it cuts through all bureaucratic red tape, others may suggest that it would become something of a free-for-all. 

Since the scrapping of the pre-arrival PCR test for vaccinated international travelers, there has been a surge in interest in bookings for Bali. Everything is moving in the right direction. There are very few Covid-19-related restrictions left. Bali’s concerted efforts to recover from the pandemic with speed are paying off.