Indonesia to reconsider entry granted to nationals of 19 countries

Indonesia will remove permission for the entry of nationals from 19 countries that do not open their doors to Indonesian tourists, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, has said.

People wear face masks to avoid COVID-19 infection in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
People wear face masks to avoid COVID-19 infection in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

The Indonesian government earlier permitted entry of foreign tourists from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), New Zealand, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, and Norway, starting October 14.

The 19 countries from where visitors are allowed to fly directly to Bali and Riau Islands have been selected under careful consideration, Luhut added.

The country will consider the number of COVID-19 cases and low positivity rate in each country, based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, the minister said.

Permission has been granted based on the principle of reciprocity or equality.