Indonesia is also simplifying the e-visa application process for foreign tourists.
A rural retreat on the outskirts of Ubud, Bali. (Photo: James Louie)
Overseas travelers jetting off for a vacation in Bali right now will need to budget five days of self-isolation in a hotel, but that is set to change in a few weeks’ time. During a Sunday press conference, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, announced that mandatory quarantines for those flying directly to the island would be scrapped from March 14. He said the decision was made based on advice from health experts and data modeling, which suggested an improvement in the local Covid-19 situation.
To be eligible for quarantine-free entry, visitors must be fully vaccinated and have a prepaid hotel booking of at least four days. Notably, Indonesia’s government will be rolling back the current requirement to have a sponsor or guarantor when applying for a tourist e-visa. While there was no mention of any pre-departure testing requirement, an on-arrival PCR test is mandatory, and travelers should self-isolate in their hotel room until they receive a negative result, after which they will be free to move around the island. Tourists are also required to undergo another PCR test at their hotel on the third day of their stay. Returning Indonesians who wish to bypass quarantine must be double-vaccinated and provide proof of a home address in Bali.
Luhut explained that Bali was chosen as the place for a pilot reopening due to a higher vaccination rate compared to other parts of Indonesia. Bali is the second-most vaccinated province after Jakarta: 81 percent of its population has received at least two doses according to the latest official statistics. The cabinet minister added that quarantines for all triple-vaccinated international travelers arriving anywhere in the country will be shortened to three days from Tuesday (March 1), with the expectation that rules will ease further the following month. “If the trial in Bali goes well, we will expand the no-quarantine policy throughout Indonesia from April 1,” he said.
