Indonesia Announces New Measures Related to Coronavirus Outbreak
Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi announced a series of measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19). These measures will take effect per Friday (20.03.2020) at 00.00 Western Indonesia Time (GMT+7).
Advise for Indonesian Citizens at Home and Abroad
Considering the increasing number of countries that are affected by the novel coronavirus as well as the growing number of travel restrictions across the globe, the Indonesian government advises all Indonesian citizens to stay within the borders of Indonesia and restrict non-essential outbound travels.
Meanwhile, those Indonesian citizens who are currently abroad are advised to return to Indonesia at the earliest possible time to avoid further travel disruptions. It is a clear sign that the government may need to close its borders completely in the near future in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Temporary Immigration Restrictions
The Indonesian government has suspended its visa-free policy for short-stay visits, visa-on-arrivals and diplomatic/service visa-free facilities for all countries, for a period of one month.
All foreigners who intend to visit Indonesia now need to obtain a visa from Indonesian missions in accordance with the purpose of their visit. Upon submission, applicants must provide a health certificate issued by relevant health authorities from their respective countries. Moreover, all visitors/travelers must now complete and submit a Health Alert Card to the Port Health Authority upon arrival at Indonesian airports.
Indonesia had already imposed a ban on the arrival (or transit) of people from China as well as arrivals from specific cities or provinces/regions in Iran (namely Teheran, Qom, and the province of Gilan), Italy (Lombardy, the Veneto region, Emilia region, Romagna region, Marche region, and Piedmont region) and South Korea (Daegu and the province of Gyeongsangbuk-do). These bans remain in place.
The government now also denies entry (or transit) for visitors who have traveled in one (or more) of the following countries over the past 14 days:
• Iran
• Italy
• Vatican
• Spain
• France
• German
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
In case an Indonesian citizen wants to enter Indonesia but has been in one of the countries above, then an additional screening shall be carried out by the Port Health Authority upon arrival. If no initial symptoms are found, a 14-day self-quarantine is recommended. If no initial symptom is found, a 14-day self-quarantine will be strongly recommended. However, if the screening shows initial symptoms of COVID-19, then a 14-day observation in a government facility will be enforced.
Poll Indonesia Investments:
What Do You Think Is the Biggest Obstacle in Indonesia's Investment Environment?
Voting possible: -
Results
- Corruption (33%)
- Excessive bureaucracy (22%)
- Lack of legal certainty (18.2%)
- Low quality human resources (10.2%)
- Weak infrastructure (8.3%)
- Rising minimum wages (8.3%)
Total amount of votes: 264