7 int’l tourists arrived in Bali with visas on arrival yesterday: official

Slowly but surely, international tourists with wanderlust to the Island of the Gods are arriving in Bali since its reopening. At least seven of them yesterday obtained visas on arrival (VOA) upon landing at the Ngurah Rai International Airport – the first time since the government reactivated this option.

Prior to the announcement recently, any foreigner who wished to enter Bali was required to apply for a visa prior to departure. Starting yesterday, citizens of 23 countries are eligible for VOA to enter Indonesia’s tourism hotspot.

“As of [yesterday] there were seven foreigners who received visas on arrival. One person was a passenger of SQ938 [Singapore Airlines] flight and six others were passengers of TR288 flight [Scoot Tiger],” said the head of the Bali office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Jamaruli Manihuruk.

Both flights that Jamaruli mentioned flew to Denpasar yesterday from Singapore. While Jamaruli did not reveal the citizenships of the seven travelers, Singapore was among the 23 nationalities listed as eligible for VOA.

Other countries include Australia, the US, Netherlands, Brunei, the Philippines, the UK, Italy, Japan, Germany, Cambodia, Canada, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, France, Qatar, New Zealand, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.

The price for a VOA is IDR 500,000 (US$34.75). Among the requirements include a passport valid for at least the next six months, a return or departure flight ticket, and other documents required under COVID-19 protocols.

It should be noted that VOAs are only applicable when one enters Bali (and not other parts of Indonesia). It is valid for 30 days and cannot be transferred into another type of visa.

The Ngurah Rai Airport has reportedly prepared 16 immigration counters with two officers to ease the visa application process.

Separately, Bali Tourism Agency Head Cokorda Raka Darmawan said that as of March 7, at least 2,000 foreign tourists have been recorded entering the island this month. The number is already 400 more than in the whole of February. 

The resumption of several direct flights to Bali and the relaxation of traveling requirements were cited as the reasons behind the progress.