Indonesia: New Long-Term Tourist Visa for Investors and Others
October 31, 2022
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At a Glance
- Starting December 25, 2022, the Indonesian government will implement a new multiple-entry tourist visa valid for up to five or 10 years, called the ‘second home visa’.
- Foreign nationals who have at least IDR 2 billion or its equivalent in their bank accounts will be eligible to apply online for the new ‘second home visa’.
- ‘Second home visa’ holders will be granted with either a five- or 10-year validity, which includes multiple-entries, as opposed to the regular single-entry tourist visas granted to foreign nationals upon entry.
- Under the visa, foreign nationals must limit their activities to tourism and must not conduct hands-on or profit generating work in Indonesia.
The situation
The Indonesian government introduced a new long-term tourist visa called the ‘second home visa’ for high-net worth foreign nationals which will be available starting December 25, 2022.
A closer look
- Eligibility. Foreign nationals who can provide proof of having at least IDR 2 billion or its equivalent in their bank accounts will be eligible to apply online for the new visa. At the time of the publication of this alert, 1 IDR = 0.000064 USD.
- Validity. ‘Second home visa’ holders will be granted with either a five- or 10-year validity, which includes multiple-entries, as opposed to the regular single-entry tourist visas granted to foreign nationals upon entry.
- Tourism purposes only. ‘Second home visa’ holders must limit their activities to tourism and cannot conduct hands-on or profit generating work in Indonesia.
Impact
Eligible foreign nationals will benefit from the longer tourist visa durations of the new five- or 10-year visas, compared to the usual 60-day tourist visa granted to foreign nationals upon entry. Furthermore, foreign nationals will benefit from multiple entry rights and from the eligibility to reside in Bali, which is not allowed for regular tourist visa holders.
Background
- Continued reopening of Indonesia. The Indonesian government gradually started reopening the country to tourists starting from Bali last October and has since lifted most of its travel restrictions and reinstated visas-on-arrival in March 2022.
- Attracting foreign nationals to the region. The Indonesian government has been seeking to launch a digital nomad visa since 2021 with the goal of attracting visitors to the country to jumpstart the economy. Also in the region recently, Thailand introduced changes to the country’s immigration rules that allow high-potential ‘work from anywhere’ professionals to apply for a long-term 10-year visa; New Zealand introduced a new visa program for high-value investors; and Malaysia introduced a new Digital Nomad Pass that allows high-income foreign nationals to stay and work in Malaysia for up to 12 months. These innovative immigration routes are intended to boost the workforce at a time of critical skills shortages in these countries.
- Digital nomad visa update. Although various media reports mentioned that the new visa is a ‘digital nomad visa’, holders of the new ‘second home visa’ are not automatically granted work authorization in Indonesia without first obtaining a Work Permit. The Indonesian government has yet to announce if there will be a separate ‘digital nomad visa’ that will be launched.
Looking ahead
It is likely that the Indonesian government will introduce further immigration changes that will benefit foreign nationals, such as special work visas to attract foreign nationals to Indonesia for both work and tourism during its post-pandemic recovery period. Fragomen will report on related developments.
We worked closely with PNB Immigration Law Firm to prepare this alert. This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
