A new visa means tourists can stay in Indonesia for five or 10 years – but only if they have amassed enough money in their bank account.
According to a new regulation, foreign visitors with at least 2bn Indonesian rupiah (just under £111,000) are eligible to apply for a “second home” visa, allowing them to stay in the country – including on the popular island of Bali – for up to a decade.
The visa will be available from 25 December 2022 or 60 days after the issuance of the new rule, reports Bloomberg.
“This is a non-fiscal incentive for certain foreigners to make a positive contribution to the Indonesian economy,” said acting director-general for immigration Widodo Ekatjahjana during a launch ceremony on Bali.
It is part of a move to lure travellers back to the country following the pandemic by attracting digital nomads who can work remotely.
When a five-year digital nomad visa was first proposed back in June, Indonesia’s tourism minister, Sandiaga Uno, said that the plan was to bring 3.6 million overseas visitors back to the archipelago in the following year.
“In the past, the ‘three Ss’ were sun, sea and sand. We’re moving it to serenity, spirituality and sustainability. This way we’re getting better quality and better impact on the local economy,” Uno told the South China Morning Post at the time.
The minister said that the five-year remote working visa would allow freelancers to live on islands such as Bali tax-free, providing their earnings come from companies outside of Indonesia.
Current temporary visas for remote workers visiting Indonesia include its Free Visa, Visa on Arrival (VoA), or the Social, Tourist or Cultural Visa – but these last between 30 and 180 days.
It’s not the only destination to set its sights on remote workers. Croatia, Estonia, Malta, Portugal and Spain have all launched or announced plans for digital nomad visas.
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