Govt Allows Soekarno-Hatta as Entry Point for Foreign Tourists

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Transportation Ministry has revised its latest policy that limits the arrivals of foreign tourists and Indonesians arriving from overseas to three airports excluding Soekarno-Hatta Airport. This was deemed necessary to suppress the spread of COVID-19, especially the Omicron variant, amid the country’s case surge. 

However, this looks to be overturned in another official circular that includes the aforementioned airport on the list of international airports permitted to welcome foreign arrivals joining Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Hang Nadim Airport in Batam, and Raja Haji Fisabilillah Airport in Tanjung Pinang. 

“We are revising the Transportation Ministry Circular Letter that will continue to refer to the COVID-19 task force Circular No.4/2022,” said the Ministry’s Air Transportation public relations officer Fitri Indah on February 7.

Moreover, international travelers who hold Indonesian citizenship are permitted to enter Indonesia under strict health protocols while international citizens entering Indonesia will be subjected to additional requirements. 

Among them, according to the Transportation Ministry’s Air Transportation Director-General Novie Riyanto, foreign nationals must arrive under a bilateral agreement scheme such as a travel corridor arrangement (TCA), must obtain a special written permit from a state ministry or institution, and foreigners who are already in Indonesia and intend to travel domestically or internationally are required to be vaccinated and must have a health insurance worth a minimum of USD25,000.

Read: 6 Soekarno-Hatta Airport Exposed to COVID-19

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA