17 more countries added to visa on arrival in bali
Perhaps in the most significant update to international travel in Bali since the reopening of Ngurah Rai Airport in February, the visa-on-arrival program for Indonesia has resumed in full. Bali's Minister of Law and Human Rights, Jamaruli Manihuruk, has confirmed that the central government has taken over the VOA program for a total of 60 eligible countries. This latest announcement adds 17 new countries to the program starting April 28, 2022. This is all part of the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions and preparations for hosting the G20 conference in November 2022.
The visa on arrival program applies to tourists passing through Indonesia. There are currently nine international airports, eleven seaports and four cross-border entry points open to international travelers on Indonesia's 17,000 islands. To qualify for a visa on arrival, travelers must hold a passport from one of the sixty countries enrolled in the VOA program. They must present a return or return ticket to another country, proof of visa payment on arrival and there must be at least 6 months of validity remaining in their passport.
The list includes South Africa, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Philippines, Finland, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy and the United States. . Kingdom. , Ireland, Japan, Germany, Cambodia, Canada, South Korea, Croatia, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Myanmar, Norway, France, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, New Zealand, Seychelles , Singapore , Cyprus, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste, China, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Greece.
Speaking at a press conference, Jamaruli Manihuruk said he hoped the renewal of the visa-on-arrival program would "make it easier for delegates and participants to attend international events in Bali". He specifically referred to the G20 Summit to be held in Bali in November 2022. It is one of the largest international political conferences in the world. Bali will host delegates, speakers and visitors from G20 countries and an international media team who will report at any time.
The COVID-19 pandemic, climate crisis and war in Ukraine will be on the agenda for this two-day summit. The latest controversy erupted when the Indonesian government invited Russian President Putin to the G20. This aroused the displeasure of the United States government in particular. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said, "Indonesia wants to unite the G20, don't let it crack".
The G20 is the economic and political gathering of the 20 largest economies in the world, including the European Union. The G20 countries are the UK, US, China, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey. All these countries are included in the visa on arrival program.
Hosting the G20 Summit is considered to have significant benefits for Indonesia on the world stage. This will have a greater impact on the national economy in the decades to come. The organizers of the G20 in Bali clearly wanted to ensure that the meeting offered Indonesia the opportunity to showcase its tourism and hospitality sector to the world.
For tourists who want to visit Bali in November 2022, it is recommended to make a reservation. With delegates, politicians and well-known figures from the world's largest economy all traveling to Bali at the same time, there is guaranteed to be travel disruption across the island and very high demand for accommodation.
However, for now, travelers to Bali can check one pre-departure item on their to-do list. The visa on arrival program is running again. If travelers wish to extend their visa from 30 days on arrival to 60 days, they must make sure to pay for the visa on arrival, even if their passport grants them a free visa on arrival.