“We do not want visitors who do not contribute positively. When visas are waived, we effectively give up a source of state revenue. We must also protect the dignity of the nation,” Immigration Director General Hendarsam Marantoko told the Jakarta Globe newspaper.
On Wednesday, the tourism ministry said it was pushing to expand its Visa-Free Visit policy to more countries, according to Antara news agency.
Indonesia granted visa-free access to as many as 169 countries between 2015 and 2024. However, in 2025, it reduced that number to only 16 as the focus shifted towards a more selective immigration policy and stronger border controls.
The ministry wants to lengthen that list through the 8+1 scheme to include Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Macau and permanent residents of Singapore.
To back up the proposal, it cited a joint study by the World Travel and Tourism Council and Oxford Economics, which found that, when Indonesia opened its borders to 169 nationalities in 2016, foreign tourist demand increased by 24 per cent, creating about 400,000 jobs.