Like many countries in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is aware of its popularity among foreigners and aims to make it easy for them to enter the country and enjoy what Indonesia has to offer. The Indonesian government has announced the Digital Nomad visa. The goal of the new visa is to attract more foreign freelancers to the country.
The introduction of the Digital Nomad visa in Indonesia comes as the country hopes to attract 3.6 million overseas visitors annually by 2023 and move away from sightseeing tourism to a more sustainable model.
The launch of the new Digital Nomad visa for Indonesia hopes to attract a greater number of eco-tourism travelers and long-term, higher-spending visitors.
“In the past, the three S was: sun, sea and sand. We’re moving it to serenity, spirituality and sustainability. This way we’re getting better quality and better impact to the local economy”, said Indonesia’s Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno about the new visa.
How can I become a Digital Nomad in Indonesia?
Digital nomads have been swarming into Indonesia to work remotely for some time now, but the amount of time they could stay in the country is limited:
30 days with a Visa on Arrival (VOA).
60 days with a Visa on Arrival (VOA) + extension
180 days with a visit visa (B211A) and extension.
There were already plans to introduce a Digital Nomad Visa for Bali starting in 2021, but these plans were postponed due to Covid-19. Now that the pandemic restrictions have been relaxed, the plan to introduce the visa is moving forward.
„Now that the epidemic is over and all ministries are participating and collaborating, from the health side to the immigration office, we feel that now is an appropriate time to reintroduce this planned visa“, said Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno.
The plan is to introduce a digital nomad visa for five years, which will allow long-term stays and allow visa holders to live in the country without paying taxes in Indonesia.
Requirements for the Digital Nomad Visa
The only requirement for applying for a digital nomad visa in Indonesia is that applicants must have an income that comes from a business based outside of Indonesia.
How can I get the Digital Nomad Visa for Bali?
After the launch of the Digital Nomad Visa for Indonesia, the 5-year visa will be available through an optimized application process to simplify the entry of foreign freelancers or self-employed persons. Applicants will need a valid passport. No other requirements have been announced yet.
It is also not clear whether there will be a minimum income requirement for the digital nomad visa or if the visa can be extended beyond its 5-year validity.
On October 25, 2022, the government in Indonesia published a circular that a new visa will be released. The Second Home Visa will be available from December 24. Whether this visa will replace the Digital Nomad visa entirely is unclear. In any case, the Second Home Visa is a very good option for Digital Nomads.
