Indonesia seeks visa free benefits from Europe, Russia and South Korea

[webfact]

Indonesia seeks visa free benefits from Europe, Russia and South Korea

JAKARTA: -- The Jakarta Globe reported that Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has reiterated a request to the governments of Russia, South Korea and European Union member countries to impose a visa-free policy for Indonesians.

Retno made the request during her bilateral meetings with senior officials from the respective countries on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

According to a statement released by the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se was urged to follow up on Indonesia’s request to grant Indonesian citizens visa-free benefits when travelling to South Korea.

The issue was also reaised during Retno’s meetings with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini. The Russian foreign minister also said he would follow up the request.

However, the statement did not mention whether the South Korean and European Commission officials had responded to the request.

After formally announcing in June its visa-free regulations for citizens of 45 countries, including South Korea, Russia and half of the European Union member states, Indonesia has continued to request for reciprocal gestures.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/indonesia-seeks-visa-free-benefits-from-europe-russia-and-south-korea

-- Thai PBS 2015-08-07

[Nice Boyd]

Yeah, that's gonna happen.

[Lissos]

Seeking Visa free 'tourist' entry for 30 days, I assume?

After all, that is the 'initial' maximum given to foreigners.

[woozlewuzzle]

I dont know about the rest of Indonesia - but I just came back from Sumatra and they are still making me ( uk citizen) pay for a visa on arrival of 300HKD.

I read earlier that UK citizens have been exempt so I merrily bypassed the pay for visa section and went straight to immigration - the immigration official was so angry at me for my obvious blatent attempt to try to get into his country withoiut paying that he woulnd't let me in and wanted me to go back to hong kong - luckly an Indonesian associate of mine sorted out the problem - so why should the EU grant free visa to Indonesians if they cannot even honor their own argreement?

[Lissos]

Was that Medan airport by any chance? I ask because the first time I visited Indonesia a few years ago, I landed on Sumatra at Medan and I was viewed as if I was Abu Qatada or something. Full range of biometric data collection, which I haven't had anytime landing at Denpasar, but perhaps they do it for first time visitors 'wherever' they arrive? Or maybe my own Government gave 'aid' to obtain this from Brits on the sly? Plenty of admittedly playfull (though rather amateurish, such as asking about girlfriends etc...ha) questions from immigration and police, too. It seemed like quite a backwater airport, which to me you wouldn't deem Medan to be.

Did you get an actual sticker visa for the money they charged? Or a receipt with it? I too had heard it was implemented recently and met some Europeans here in Bali recently who didn't have to pay, so I wonder what is going on?

[Tomtomtom69]

I dont know about the rest of Indonesia - but I just came back from Sumatra and they are still making me ( uk citizen) pay for a visa on arrival of 300HKD.

I read earlier that UK citizens have been exempt so I merrily bypassed the pay for visa section and went straight to immigration - the immigration official was so angry at me for my obvious blatent attempt to try to get into his country withoiut paying that he woulnd't let me in and wanted me to go back to hong kong - luckly an Indonesian associate of mine sorted out the problem - so why should the EU grant free visa to Indonesians if they cannot even honor their own argreement?

Like Indonesians wouldn't disappear and start working illegally if given the chance to go to Europe without a visa. Maybe when Indonesians earn as much as Germans or Singaporeans they might stand a chance, but that will take another 50+ years to happen.

Indonesia needs foreign tourists much more than Europe needs a few Indonesians, even if the economy there is not so good. Europe is doing quite OK with rich Chinese, American and it's own tourists.

[Boatfreak]

First they will have to stop hanging Europeans for working as welders in factories were drugs are (have been) produced

[disagreeofit]

Yes it is now free for lots more EU countries (Not all) but you cannot extend anymore..:

VISA EXEMPTION AND VISA ON ARRIVAL (US$ 35)

The government of Indonesia has changed its visa policy for foreign tourists effective 15th of June 2015. To the list of 15 countries that are granted visa exemption another 30 countries have been added.

VISITING INDONESIA WITHOUT ANY VISA

Indonesia without any visa is possible for nationals of the following 15 countries and territories:

Brunei Laos Peru Cambodia Macao SAR Philippines Chile Malaysia Singapore Ecuador Morocco Vietnam Hong Kong SAR Myanmar Thailand Since June 2015 the visa-free policy is granted to foreign nationals of these 30 additional countries: Austria Hungary Qatar Bahrain Italy Russia Belgium Japan South Africa Canada Kuwait South Korea Chech Republic Mexico Spain China Netherlands Sweden Denmark New Zealand Switzerland Finland Norway UAE France Oman UK (United Kingdom) Germany Poland USA

Citizens of the above countries will be issued on arrival a stay permit for 30 days free of charge upon presentation of a passport which is valid at least for another 6 months. Make sure your passport has at least one empty page for the stamp (or sticker). This stay permit cannot be extended or converted into another type of visa.

close

NOTE: If you arrive on Bali from abroad with a FREE STAMP entry, please note that this is not a Visa On arrival and therefore CANNOT be extended. You will have to leave after 30 days.

close

Australia: Citizens of Australia will have to obtain a Visa on Arrival

VISA ON ARRIVAL (VOA) – 35US$

This facility is available for nationals of the following countries:

Algeria Iceland Panama Argentina India Portugal Australia Ireland Romania Brazil Latvia Saudi Arabia Bulgaria Libya Slovakia Cyprus Liechtenstein Slovenia Denmark Lithuania Suriname Egypt Luxembourg Taiwan Estonia Maldives Timor Leste Fiji Malta Tunesia Greece Monaco Turkey

[disagreeofit]

Nor can it be converted into any other kind of visa

[lap82]

Visas are something to drive you crazy and take your money only.

[Arkady]

Indonesia has always been a bit tricky. I remember them going along the queues of people waiting at immigration in the 80s and pulling out anyone with a briefcase to make sure they had a business visa (which required letter of invitation etc) and not a tourist visa. If anyone argued, they would rummage through the briefcase to see if there was any information about doing business in Indonesia. They were particularly down on Singaporean Chinese and confiscated anything they had on them in Chinese which was illegal then, due to the communist threat. Those with the wrong visa were hauled off and either paid a bribe or got deported.

Whatever the merits of the Indonesian case, I would like to see Thailand pushing for visa travel for its citizens with more countries. The Foreign Ministry seems very coy about this issue, probably regarding most of its citizens as an embarrassment. Unlike Western countries, which restrict the use of diplomatic passports to accredited diplomats travelling on business, Thailand gives out a lot of diplomatic passports and lets the holders use them on holiday, which gives them visa free travel to more places. That gives the Foreign Ministry and politicians less incentive to push for the rights of ordinary passport holders.

[Lissos]

I just obtain a 2 month visa in advance, and did so again this year. Perhaps I didn't quite trust the news about free entry (and on a side note, didn't realise that would not have been extendable), and woozlewuzzle's post indeed suggests it is not being applied consistently across the board in Indonesia, for some reason. If unsure how long a stay will be, I just get the 60 day visa and then it is off your mind.

I overheard some stressed out foreigners recently in Bali who were complaining that an extension process they'd been told would take appx 2 days, had been a week (and still not done) because of all manner of holidays. For people who have a general feeling they may stay more than 30 days, I don't know why they choose the 'extension in situ' option, believing it is a better option.

Edited August 7, 2015 by Lissos

[cookee68]

With Indonesia saying that they should give that Korean idiot an award, and almost jumping into bed with the idiot dictator, why would we want to give them a free visa, the country in my eyes is all to pot, and i would never go there, next they will be asking for government hand outs for their citizens

[mango66]

Indonesia has always been a bit tricky. I remember them going along the queues of people waiting at immigration in the 80s and pulling out anyone with a briefcase to make sure they had a business visa (which required letter of invitation etc) and not a tourist visa. If anyone argued, they would rummage through the briefcase to see if there was any information about doing business in Indonesia. They were particularly down on Singaporean Chinese and confiscated anything they had on them in Chinese which was illegal then, due to the communist threat. Those with the wrong visa were hauled off and either paid a bribe or got deported.

Whatever the merits of the Indonesian case, I would like to see Thailand pushing for visa travel for its citizens with more countries. The Foreign Ministry seems very coy about this issue, probably regarding most of its citizens as an embarrassment. Unlike Western countries, which restrict the use of diplomatic passports to accredited diplomats travelling on business, Thailand gives out a lot of diplomatic passports and lets the holders use them on holiday, which gives them visa free travel to more places. That gives the Foreign Ministry and politicians less incentive to push for the rights of ordinary passport holders.

Thailand have so many citicen with diplomatic passports -

with no visa needed,

That they have not enough capacity on flights for this "" Elite peoples ""

Ask TS - he dont need any Visa in his Thai Passport !!

[superal]

I wish that Thailand could enforce reciprocal visa arrangements with the UK , if to start with a 30 day visa on arrival would be very welcome . Is it not demeaning for the Thais to be subjected to much personal scrutiny just to try obtain a UK tourist visa , with no guarantee , when the same process for a UK tourist to Thai is an automatic procedure . If illegal immigration is the issue , thats long gone , as the stable door has been left open for an age .

[boomerangutang]

From the country which formally honors N.Korea's Kim, and which executes young folks who stupidly carry some drugs (other than alcohol). I have no involvement with Indonesia and don't care to.

[woozlewuzzle]

yup - medan airport - I departed HK with extra baggage, paid the fee, instant receipt no problem.

Return flight with same airline ( malaysian airlines) the lady at the desk requested exactly twice as much for the same extra baggage ( 3 million local currency) which incidentaly is twice as much as what i paid for , for 11 rooms at a B&B including room service for my students!

No reciept wanted to be given until after 1 hr of demands she gave in!!!!!!!!

[woozlewuzzle]

oh yeah whats really funny is that I was stopped at customs for a very long time ( again would not have gotten out had it not been for my associate on the otherside) not becasue of the 3 18inch machetes in my checked luggage, they had no concern about them, but for the 20 cycling helmets and 20 buoyancy aids,<deleted>!!!!!!!!