Indonesia drops visas for 45 nations

[webfact]

Indonesia drops visas for 45 nations
By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- More travelers to Indonesia can now skip the visa headache and just show up unannounced.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered earlier this month tripled the number of nationalities exempted from visa requirements to boost tourism and travel.

Widodo signed an order earlier this month authorizing visitors from 30 nations to enter without a visa, according to a government news release.

The new additions are Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Britain, Canada... [read more here]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/06/18/indonesia-drops-visas-45-nations

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-06-18

[theoldgit]

Off topic post and response removed, this thread is about visas.

[cms22]

Great news, I travel to and fro Jakarta al the time - that VOA is a pain in the neck!

[Briggsy]

Readers need to be aware that whilst this is good news saving $25 (US) on arrival (I think that was the price) there are still hefty exit fees (Passenger service charge) often higher than the cost of the entry visa (charges vary according to point of departure).

[Docno]

Looks like the Aussies--one of the larger sources of tourists--were left out in the cold on this one, no doubt due to recent political tensions. Time to renew my Canadian passport.

[Stocky]

Readers need to be aware that whilst this is good news saving $25 (US) on arrival (I think that was the price) there are still hefty exit fees (Passenger service charge) often higher than the cost of the entry visa (charges vary according to point of departure).

Visa on arrival cost is now USD35, the departure tax for international flights is IDR150,000 or about USD12. Note that this is often included in the ticket price these days, certainly Garuda have incorporated departure taxes for both international and domestic flights into the ticket price.

The Indonesian departure tax is totally insignificant compared to the mugging I recently had on a trip to the UK, that was £170 each way on a business class fare.

[Zyxel]

Saving one full page in the passport has more value for me than 35 US$.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Zyxel

[Fullstop]

Looks like the Aussies--one of the larger sources of tourists--were left out in the cold on this one,

Embarrassingly immature of them, I think.

[Briggsy]

Readers need to be aware that whilst this is good news saving $25 (US) on arrival (I think that was the price) there are still hefty exit fees (Passenger service charge) often higher than the cost of the entry visa (charges vary according to point of departure).

Visa on arrival cost is now USD35, the departure tax for international flights is IDR150,000 or about USD12. Note that this is often included in the ticket price these days, certainly Garuda have incorporated departure taxes for both international and domestic flights into the ticket price.

The Indonesian departure tax is totally insignificant compared to the mugging I recently had on a trip to the UK, that was £170 each way on a business class fare.

Indonesian departure tax varies according to the airport. Medan is 200,000 Rupiah.

[theoldgit]

Indonesian departure tax varies according to the airport. Medan is 200,000 Rupiah.

So to put that into some sort of perspective, Bangkok is 700 Baht, about 275,000 Rupiah.

[F4UCorsair]

Saving one full page in the passport has more value for me than 35 US$.

Indonesia introduced a mini visa sticker a while back thereby saving over half a page each time.

[F4UCorsair]

Looks like the Aussies--one of the larger sources of tourists--were left out in the cold on this one,

Embarrassingly immature of them, I think.

I agree, but I think it's more likely that as Australians form the greatest number of tourists from a single country, the Indonesian government thinks it better to offend one group, not 45. It's unlikely Australian numbers will drop, so it's and easy $35 X 1,000,000+ for Indonesia.

[LawrenceN]

Readers need to be aware that whilst this is good news saving $25 (US) on arrival (I think that was the price) there are still hefty exit fees (Passenger service charge) often higher than the cost of the entry visa (charges vary according to point of departure).

$25 was the price when I was there in October 2013. I guess the saving of $25 is implied. I read carefully, just to confirm that bit of info, and found nothing. Isn't it still possible to charge $25 to be stamped in "visa-free", or is "no charge" clearly part of the deal when it's "visa-free"?

At Den Pasar, as I recall, the airport fee was around $40, which I paid in rupiah.

[bridge2bridge]

Looks like the Aussies--one of the larger sources of tourists--were left out in the cold on this one, no doubt due to recent political tensions. Time to renew my Canadian passport.

Yep and we give them 300+ Million a year in foreign aid.

Maybe it is time our Government woke up to these <deleted>.

I refuse to even go to the country while i have to pay visa fees.

[weegee]

Looks like the Aussies--one of the larger sources of tourists--were left out in the cold on this one,

Embarrassingly immature of them, I think.

Aussies are shifting to Vietnam for the holiday break lately...Going on conversations heard from down there.

So does this mean that Australia doesnt have to give $300 million in aid each year, to Indonesia anymore?

[weegee]

Looks like the Aussies--one of the larger sources of tourists--were left out in the cold on this one, no doubt due to recent political tensions. Time to renew my Canadian passport.

Yep and we give them 300+ Million a year in foreign aid.

Maybe it is time our Government woke up to these <deleted>.

I refuse to even go to the country while i have to pay visa fees.

You posted as i was typing....but we are in agreement.

[F4UCorsair]

$366 Million to be specific, but down from $600 million last year.

The president told Australia that they didn't need our aid, and we should have taken notice.

Bali is still a great holiday though, and the visa fee may be because Bali attracts so many Australian bogans and they soak up a lot of resources keeping them in line.

My advice to any 'decent' tourist wanting a Bali holiday is to get away from the southern beach strip as fast as possible. There are so many better places to see on the island.

[Stocky]

Readers need to be aware that whilst this is good news saving $25 (US) on arrival (I think that was the price) there are still hefty exit fees (Passenger service charge) often higher than the cost of the entry visa (charges vary according to point of departure).

Visa on arrival cost is now USD35, the departure tax for international flights is IDR150,000 or about USD12. Note that this is often included in the ticket price these days, certainly Garuda have incorporated departure taxes for both international and domestic flights into the ticket price.

The Indonesian departure tax is totally insignificant compared to the mugging I recently had on a trip to the UK, that was £170 each way on a business class fare.

Indonesian departure tax varies according to the airport. Medan is 200,000 Rupiah.

OK so to be precise taxes vary as follows:

Airport Embarkation Tax

Airport Tax is levied on passengers as follows:

a. International flights departing from:

- DPS, BPN, SUB: IDR 200,000.-;

- CGK, LOP, UPG: IDR 150,000.-;

- BTJ: IDR 115,000.-;

- HLP: IDR 80.000.-;

- AMQ, BIK, BTH, JOG, KNO, MDC, SOC, TIM: IDR 75,000.-;

- BDO, PDG, PKU, PLM, PNK: IDR 60,000.-;

- KOE, TNJ: IDR 50,000.-;

b. Domestic flights departing from:

- DPS, BPN, SUB: IDR 75,000.-;

- UPG: IDR 50,000.-;

- LOP: IDR 45,000.-;

- CGK: IDR 40,000.-;

- all other airports vary from IDR 13,000.- to IDR to 30,000.-.

But they're not going to break the bank are they!