Free V.O.A. (Visa On Arrival) update
After several mis-starts and premature announcement by the Minister of Tourism in April, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo signed on Tuesday, June 9, 2015 a presidential regulation expanding VISA Free status to an expanded list of Nations.

A formal announcement on the State Secretariat Website on Saturday, June 13, 2015 advised that Presidential Decree Number 69 of 2015 on Free Visitor Visa was being extended to the citizens of selected countries and was available at a limited number of international gateways in Indonesia.

In selecting the eligible countries one of the major determining factors, according to the government, was reciprocity of treatment in the immigration policies of other nations.
The citizens of the eligible countries can obtain a free-of-charge VISA-On-Arrival valid for a 30 day stay in Indonesia and, according to the State Secretariat, cannot be extended or converted into another type of immigration permit.

Those eligible for the free visa facility are allowed during the 30 days of their stay to perform government service for their home country, participate in educational activities, social cultural affairs, tourism, business, family visits, journalistic duties or participate in a transit stay on route to a third country.

The new presidential decision takes immediate effect and supersedes Presidential Decision Number 18 of 2003and Presidential Decision Number 43 of 2011.

45 Countries
An attachment to the Presidential Decree lists 30 countries eligible to enter Indonesia without a visa for 30 days are:

1) People’s Republic of China
2) Russia
3) South Korean
4) Japan
5) USA
6) Canada
7) New Zealand
8) Mexico
9) Great Britain
10) Germany
11) France
12) The Netherlands
13) Italy
14) Spain
15) Switzerland
16) Belgium
17) Sweden
18) Austria
19) Denmark
20) Norway
21) Finland
22) Poland
23) Hungary
24) Czechoslovakia
25) Qatar
26) U.A.E.
27) Kuwait
28) Bahrain
29) Oman
30) South Africa
Selected Indonesian Gateways
Visa free facilities to the above named countries can only be granted by immigration offices in the following locations:

1) Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta
2) Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar, Bali
3) Kualu Namu Airport in Medan, North Sumatra
4) Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java
5) Hang Nadim Airport in Batam
6) Port of Sri Bintan in Bintan
7) Port of Sekupang in Batam
8) Port of Batam Center in Batam
9) Port of Tanjung Uban in Riau

Based on the announcement from the State Secretariat Website – international cruise passenger arriving at the Balinese ports of Benoa, Celukan Bawang, Padang Bai or Tanah Ampo will not be extended the new free visa facility.

The 30 countries listed above are added to the existing free visitor visa pass granted to the following 13 countries:
1) Thailand
2) Malaysia
3) Singapore
4) Brunei Darussalam
5) Philippines
6) Chile
7) Morocco
8) Peru
9) Vietnam
10) Ecuador
11) Cambodia
12) Laos
13) Myanmar
Two additional special administrative territories are also eligible for free visitor visas of 30 days:
1) Hong Kong
2) Macau
Australian tourists will still be able to purchase a 30-day visa on arrival in Indonesia for US$35.