Indonesia’s Director General of Immigration, Hendarsam Marantoko, has called for the Ministry of Tourism’s proposal to expand the list of countries whose citizens can enter Indonesia without a tourist visa to be reviewed.
No decision has been made on the matter yet. Entry rules have not changed following the statement: visa-free entry currently applies to a limited list of countries, while for most tourists the standard options remain the same — a visa on arrival or a tourist visa arranged in advance.
According to Hendarsam, Indonesia has already fried a broad visa-free scheme: from 2015 to 2024, it applied to 165 countries. The immigration authorities believe it did not lead to a noticeable increase in revenue. At the same time, after the list of visa-free countries was reduced to 16 in 2025, the number of foreign arrivals, according to immigration data, still rose and exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
The head of immigration said the authorities should consider not only the number of tourists, but also security. Among the risks, he cited violations by foreigners and illegal work. According to him, tourism growth can be supported not only by scrapping visas, but also by developing infrastructure, international flights and flights between regions of Indonesia.
The Ministry of Tourism proposed expanding visa-free entry in early June. The destinations under discussion include South Korea, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand. Belarus, Kazakhstan, Macao and Singapore were also mentioned. The proposal is linked to problems with air travel via the Middle East.
If you need to arrange a visa for a trip to Indonesia, contact Legal Indonesia. The agency’s specialists will help you choose the right visa and prepare all the necessary documents.
Source: antaranews.com
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