Note: This post has recently been updated to provide latest information.
The Indonesian government has begun winding back covid restrictions for it’s citizens as well as for international arrivals, as the country begins learning to live with the virus.
President Joko Widodo recently announced that wearing face masks would now be optional except in high risk areas such as crowded public spaces and on public transport.
International travellers no longer need to quarantine or show proof of a negative PCR or rapid antigen test taken prior to arrival, providing they are fully vaccinated, meaning two vaccinations plus a booster.
Unvaccinated travellers will be required to accept a vaccination at their point of entry. They will also be required to undergo PCR testing on days one and four while quarantining for five days in a local hotel at their own expense.
A 30 day Visa-on-Arrival is now available to travellers from 69 countries including Australia, the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The cost of the visa is Rp.500,000. It can be extended for a further 30 days.
Free 30 day visas are available for citizens of all ASEAN member countries.
All travellers will need to provide proof of vaccination, either in print or digital form. More importantly, there is now a requirement to have vaccination certificates validated prior to arrival. To do this, travellers will need to register their details on the the Indonesian Health Ministry website, https://vaksinln.dto.kemkes.go.id/sign/in
Once this information has been verified by the government, travellers will receive an email with details that will enable them to create a profile on the PeduliLindungi contact tracing app.
The PeduliLindungi app can be used when entering public spaces such as bars, restaurants and shopping malls.
Finally, all new arrivals need to purchase covid-specific travel insurance to cover any Covid-19 related medical costs incurred whilst in the country. This can normally be purchased when booking flights and/or hotel accommodation.
The government advises that their servers are presently experiencing significant strain due to the high number of applications being processed and asks that people are patient as they attempt to register details.
Source – The Star, Malaysia.