Indonesia Expands Visa-Free List to Include Two More Countries
Indonesia now allows travelers from Brazil and Turkey to visit the country without a visa for up to 30 days. The change is part of a wider strategy to attract more international tourists, especially from non-traditional markets, as the country works to rebuild its tourism sector and strengthen global partnerships.
According to the government, the main reason for offering visa-free entry to Brazilian and Turkish passport holders is straightforward: both countries already allow Indonesians to enter without a visa.
'The primary consideration for granting visa-free entry to Brazil and Turkey is reciprocity, as both countries already offer visa-free entry to Indonesian citizens,' said Yuldi Yusman, acting director general of immigration.
Under the new policy, Brazil and Turkey visitors can enter visa-free for tourism, business meetings, or medical treatment, but they can't extend their stay or convert it into another type of permit.
Yusman also noted that the country is implementing the move carefully to ensure it aligns with Indonesia's economic goals and security policies.
'The Directorate General of Immigration supports economic development by ensuring that only quality foreign nationals who contribute positively enter Indonesia,' he said.
Who Else Can Enter Without a Visa?
Brazil and Turkey now join a relatively small list of 15 countries that Indonesia allows visa-free entry. These include most of its neighbors in Southeast Asia — Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, Myanmar, and Laos — as well as Timor-Leste, Suriname, Colombia, and Hong Kong.
Also, citizens from about 97 other countries, including U.S., UK, India and Australia can get a visa on arrival. This allows entry for tourism or business for 30 days, with the option to extend once.
What's Behind the Policy Shift?
The visa-free policy is part of a broader set of changes Indonesia is rolling out to reshape its international image and reduce its dependence on Western tourists. The goal is to draw in more travelers from what is often called 'middle power' countries with growing economies and large populations that may not have been traditional tourism source markets.
It also fits with President Joko Widodo's larger vision to make Indonesia a more attractive destination not just for tourists, but also for investors and long-term foreign residents. Other recent efforts include the 'Second Home' visa, which lets wealthy individuals stay for up to 10 years, and the 'Golden Visa' for investors putting significant funds into the country.
The Golden Visa program offers a clear link between tourism and investment. Launched in 2023, it gives five- or ten-year residency permits to foreigners who invest at least $350,000 in government bonds, shares, or real estate. While aimed at high-net-worth individuals, it sends a message that Indonesia is serious about attracting long-term capital—especially in tourism infrastructure.
Tourism Is on the Rebound
Tourism in Indonesia has picked up strongly. In 2024, the country welcomed 13.9 million international visitors, a 19% increase from the year before and the highest since the pandemic. In 2019, Indonesia had received 16.1 million foreign tourists. The government now aims to draw up to 16 million foreign tourists in 2025, hoping to bring in as much as $22.1 billion in foreign exchange earnings.
Malaysia, Australia, and Singapore remain the biggest sources of foreign visitors. But tourism officials believe more can be done to reach growing markets in South America, the Middle East, and Asia.
One area of focus is expanding travel beyond Bali. Projects like the '10 New Balis' campaign are spotlighting lesser-known destinations across the archipelago, from North Sumatra's crater lakes to West Papua's coral reefs. The aim is to spread tourism income across more parts of the country and promote sustainable travel that benefits local communities.
Industry Wants More Countries Added
Travel agents and tour operators have also urged the government to offer visa-free entry to travelers from countries like South Korea, India, and Australia, strong source markets for the country.
Indonesian tourism minister, Sandiaga Uno, had announced last year that the country plans to introduce visa-free entry for tourists from 20 nations, including India. He had said the government would finalize this by October, but there's been no update so far on that.
Indonesia's travel agents association has pointed out that while visitors from these countries are eager to come, the visa requirement is a stumbling block.
The hope is that simplifying entry will lead to more arrivals, particularly in regions that depend heavily on tourism.
Data from the World Travel & Tourism Council shows that Indonesia is on track to reach record-breaking levels of spending by international visitors in 2025. Travel is expected to make up 5.5% of the country's GDP, supporting nearly 14 million jobs. And by 2035, that figure could rise to 17 million jobs, with over IDR 1,897 trillion (around US$115 billion) in total economic contribution.
This growth depends on many moving parts: better infrastructure, clear visa policies, and support for local businesses. But it also relies on Indonesia positioning itself as a destination that's open, welcoming, and easy to visit. The new visa-free entry for Brazil and Turkey is a small but telling step in that direction.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UK agrees deal with Vietnam to remove pharmaceutical trade barriers
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said it would strike an agreement with Vietnam to make it easier for pharmaceutical firms to sell UK-made medicines in the Southeast Asian nation, under a new trade strategy that emphasises quick, industry-specific deals. Britain launched the new strategy last month, promising a nimbler approach compared to the emphasis it placed on full-fledged free trade agreements following its departure from the European Union. Vietnam will hasten the registration of new medicines and vaccines, while recognising approvals from more regulators, including Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the British government told Reuters in a statement. The deal is expected to be confirmed later on Monday. "The removal of pharmaceutical barriers with one of our closest trading partners in Asia is a boost for the UK pharmaceutical industry and proof our Industrial and Trade Strategies are already delivering," British trade minister Douglas Alexander said. The deal could be worth 250 million pounds ($337 million) to the British pharmaceutical sector over the next five years, the government added. The UK-Vietnamese Joint Economic and Trade Committee will meet in London on Monday and also discuss financial services and renewable energy. Britain has taken a tougher line on some other sectors, however, with steel imports from Vietnam set to be restricted under a new quota regime. Life sciences, including pharmaceuticals, are a priority sector under Britain's new industrial strategy, which was also launched last month. However, that plan has been delayed by a dispute over drug pricing with the British pharmaceutical sector, which says the government needs to value medicines more fairly and adjust the payments they make back to the health service. ($1 = 0.7415 pounds) Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Nassau County will allow cops to wear face masks for ICE raids, undercover work: ‘We have their back'
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has carved out a key exemption to the county's controversial mask ban — allowing local cops involved in ICE raids and working undercover to still wear face coverings. The existing law only exempts public mask-wearing for religious or health reasons, but Blakeman's new executive order now gives federal, state and local law-enforcement officers the option to wear masks during operations such as drug and gang raids and soon, immigration enforcement alongside ICE. 5 The existing law only exempts public mask-wearing for religious or health reasons. Brigitte Stelzer 'Here in Nassau County, we respect our law enforcement officers,' Blakeman said at the signing inside the legislative building in Mineola on Friday. 'And we have their back.' The executive order comes as Nassau is gearing up to fully launch its partnership with ICE. Ten detectives have been deputized for the work and are already trained and waiting for the green light. Blakeman said the purpose of the order is to allow cops to mask up during certain police operations 'when deemed necessary' to conceal their identity to 'protect the integrity of their mission' and to limit any possibility of retaliation against them or their families. 5 The executive order comes as Nassau is gearing up to fully launch its partnership with ICE. Brigitte Stelzer The county executive first signed the mask ban into law in August, after the GOP-majority local legislature passed the bill in response to anti-Israel protests across college campuses. The law makes it a misdemeanor crime to wear any face covering unless for religious or health reasons, punishable by a $1,000 fine or up to a year in jail. The law immediately sparked multiple lawsuits that have so far been unsuccessful at shutting it down, with courts citing the existing exemptions written within the legislation as valid. 5 Ten detectives have been deputized for the work and are already trained and waiting for the green light. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Blakeman's executive order is effectively the opposite of a bill proposed Wednesday in neighboring New York City that would prevent any federal agents from wearing masks and other face coverings while on the job. Blakeman said he signed his executive order with the city's bill in mind — wanting to make clear that he will continue to be a partner in ICE's operations in the area despite pushback from the state, the five boroughs and pending lawsuits from civil-rights groups. 5 The law immediately sparked multiple lawsuits that have so far been unsuccessful at shutting it down. Brigitte Stelzer 'I think they're out of their mind,' Blakeman said about the city's proposal. 'I think that they will destroy the city, and I think they will make law enforcement in the metropolitan area, including Nassau County, much more difficult.' The suburb signed an agreement with ICE in February to deputize 10 detectives so they can work federally alongside ICE in helping detain and deport undocumented immigrants. Nassau Democrats slammed Blakeman's partnership with ICE and his executive order as politically motivated and called the carve-out for police an admission of guilt. 5 Blakeman said he signed his executive order with the city's bill in mind — wanting to make clear that he will continue to be a partner in ICE's operations. Brigitte Stelzer 'This executive order is a quiet admission that his original law is most likely illegal,' Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton told The Post. 'Democrats warned from Day One that Blakeman's mask ban was vague, over-broad and more focused on politics than public good. 'We proposed a clear, constitutional alternative focused on actual criminal conduct. Instead, the county executive chose a political headline over sound policy, and now he's scrambling to patch the consequences.' Blakeman fired back, 'What I find troubling is the very same people that criticized our mask law are the same people that are saying law enforcement officers in the performance of their duty can't wear a mask to protect their identity if they're involved in a sensitive investigation.' The county executive said the mask ban was never meant to target law enforcement but to deter agitators, who he previously called 'cowards' and claimed were using face coverings to avoid accountability during protests.
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Fox News
Tom Homan pushes back on CNN host when pressed on 'reasonable suspicion' claim regarding ICE
Border Czar Tom Homan pushed back on CNN host Dana Bash on Sunday when he was asked about previous comments he made about reasonable suspicions regarding ICE agents detaining illegal immigrants. "You said in an interview this week that reasonable suspicion can be based on, 'the location, their occupation, their physical appearance, their actions.' What about an individual's physical appearance would give immigration agents 'reasonable suspicion' that they might be in the U.S. illegally?" CNN host Dana Bash asked. Bash and Homan also discussed a judge's ruling that barred ICE from conducting detentive stops in the Central District of California unless agents have "reasonable suspicion" that a person is in the country unlawfully. "I want to be clear about that again, because my words were taken out of context. Physical description cannot be the sole reason to detain and question somebody. That can't be the sole reason to raise reasonable suspicion. It's a myriad of factors, and I could sit here for the next half hour and give you all the factors," Homan responded. "But I can tell you this, every ICE officer goes through Fourth Amendment training every six months and reminded what their authorities are for arrest, detention and questioning. So the officers are very well-trained," Homan continued. Bash pointed to the ruling and what the judge said did not qualify as reasonable suspicion, including accents or the language they speak, location and their race or ethnicity. "I'm not going to disagree with everything the judge has said because a location alone shouldn't have reasonable suspicion. It's a combination of articulable facts that an officer determines before he detains somebody for a short period of time and questions them. So again, every case is different. Different articulable facts for different people and different places. So, again, I look forward to litigation. I think we will win this on appeal," Homan said. Bash then asked Homan if the Trump administration would follow the order until it goes through the appeal process. Homan said they would, as Bash went on to ask him a question about people who live in this country legally being afraid of being detained by ICE. "If they're in the country legally, they got no reason to be afraid. ICE is looking for those in the country illegally, and we're still prioritizing public safety threats to national security threats. That's the priority. But like I said, we do have collateral arrests in many areas because we're out looking for those public safety threats, but we're going to enforce immigration law, too," Homan said. "It's not okay to be in this country illegally. It's not okay to enter this country illegally. It's a crime. But legal aliens and U.S. citizens should not be afraid that they're going to be swept up in a raid. We know who we're looking for. And that's where the agents are out there seeking," he added. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., also spoke about Homan's remarks during a conversation with Bash on Sunday. "Homan has said it very clearly in other interviews. They're not even asking for significant findings to detain people. They're going based on appearance. His words, not mine. Based on occupation. His words, not mine. Based on accents, physical appearance," Padilla said.
