Long term residents, visa holders exempted as Indonesia extends border closure

Indonesia has extended its suspension of foreign arrivals but has expanded the list of those exempted from the rule.

The COVID-19 Task Force released a circular today outlining the new border closure rules, the previous version of which expired yesterday. Starting today until further notice, all foreigners are barred from entering Indonesia except for those who fall under the exempted category under Justice and Human Rights Ministerial Decree 26/2020. The include the holders of the following valid documents:

• Work visa
• Diplomatic visa
• Visit visa
• Limited stay visa
• Work stay permit
• Diplomatic stay permit
• Limited stay permit
• Permanent stay permit

In addition, travelers from established travel corridor arrangements and those who have obtained special entry permission from a ministry are also exempted.

Related — Bali deputy governor proposes ‘free COVID corridor’ plan to attract Chinese tourists 

All foreigners and Indonesian nationals are required to obtain a negative PCR test result at most three days before arrival. 

Once in Indonesia, they will be required to undergo a five-day quarantine at a designated hotel before undergoing another PCR test. Should they test negative, they will be advised to self-quarantine for 14 days before any social activity. Should they test positive, they will be referred to a hospital for treatment.

Foreigners are required to pay for all accommodation, testing, and treatment costs, while the costs for most returning Indonesians will be covered by the government.

Just like in the previous edition of the policy, high-level officials visiting Indonesia are exempted from the quarantine rule, but they are required to observe health protocols while in the country.

You can read the full circular (in Indonesian) here.

Indonesia first closed its borders last April, but introduced a more stringent policy suspending foreign arrivals starting on Jan. 1, 2021 in its bid to prevent an outbreak of a new, more infectious strain of the coronavirus first discovered in the UK. The latest update to the policy is the first time this year that a wide variety of foreign visa and stay permit holders are exempted from the border closure.