Indonesia’s New Immigration Measures During COVID-19

• Enacted through Regulation No. 11 of 2020 (Reg. 11), the Indonesian government has imposed a temporary ban on most non-Indonesians from entering the country since April 2, 2020.
• There are some exemptions, though, such as for non-Indonesians who hold a residency permit, service visa or is a diplomatic visa holder. We provide the details in this article.

On April 2, 2020, the Indonesian government imposed a temporary ban on most non-Indonesian nationals from entering the country due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To enact this, the Minister of Law and Human Rights issued Regulation No. 11 of 2020 (Reg. 11).

The government has issued this regulation in an attempt to control the spread of the virus. The number of infections in the country has increased dramatically since the first reported case on March 2, 2020.

In addition to the travel ban, 10 regions in the country have imposed large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), which include the capital Jakarta. The city has become the epicenter of the outbreak, recording more than half of Indonesia’s 7,418 cases. The PSBB protocol in Jakarta has been extended until May 24, 2020.

Who is exempted from the ban?

The government has made certain exemptions on the non-Indonesian entry-ban, but they must fulfil the following categories:

• Hold permanent residency permit or limited residency permit;
• Is a diplomatic visa holder;
• Holds a service visa – service visas are given to individuals on assignment to Indonesia for non-diplomatic purposes;
• Hold diplomatic visa residency permits or service residency permits;
• Employees working on strategic national projects;
• Are transport crew (air, land, and sea); and
• Are engaged in medical, food, and humanitarian work.

The aforementioned foreign visitors must comply with the following requirements upon entering Indonesia:         

• Present a health card that states they are negative for COVID-19 and was issued by the health authority of their respective country;
• The visitor came from a non-COVID-19 affected country, 14 days before their arrival to Indonesia; and
• The individual must be willing to undergo a 14-day quarantine as instructed by the government.

The regulation also stated that foreign visitors on visit permits, limited stay permits, or permanent stay permits that have expired will be granted automatic extension without the need to apply to the immigration office.

Considering most countries have been impacted by COVID-19, it would be difficult for an individual who passes these criteria to enter Indonesia. This policy is in-line to the travel bans issued by other major ASEAN economies such as Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia.

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