This country can visit Bali from 14 October
The government has decided to reopen Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport for international travel starting October 14, 2021. Foreign tourists allowed to enter Indonesia are from South Korea, China, Japan, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and New Zealand. "Bali Ngurah Rai Airport will be opened internationally on October 14, 2021. The countries we will open include South Korea, China, Japan, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and also New Zealand," said Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan who is also the Coordinator of Handling PPKM Java-Bali, in his virtual press statement, Monday (4/10/2021). It should be remembered, for foreign tourists to Bali, they must meet the travel requirements set by the government, in the form of quarantine for 8 days, showing signs proof of hotel bookings, as well as conducting a Covid-19 test with negative/non-reactive results. "As long as it fulfills the provisions and requirements regarding quarantine, tests, and the readiness of the task force. Every international arrival passenger must have proof of a hotel booking for a minimum of 8 days of quarantine at their own expense," said Luhut. Previously, for international travel by air, Indonesia restricted the entry of travelers only through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Soetta) Cengkareng and Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado, North Sulawesi. Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno explained, the trial of reopening Bali for foreign tourists will be carried out in a gradual, multilevel, and sustainable concept. Sandiaga said that this is also an implementation in the gas and brake framework or a sandbox with data-based policy adaptation. The trial will be carried out on tourists who have received complete vaccines from countries where the domestic Covid-19 situation is conducive. This trial will also be equipped with health insurance and the readiness of health facilities in handling foreign tourists so that they get a good experience and impression. Foreigners Hope for Transparency of Quarantine Rules, Regarding the Opening of Tourist Attractions in Bali
The plan to open international flights to Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport on October 14, 2021, was warmly welcomed by foreign nationals who have been using the Island of the Gods as a workcation destination (working while on vacation), long before the coronavirus pandemic hit the world.
Bali's reopening is accompanied by strict regulations, including an eight-day quarantine and coronavirus tests.
Foreigners who want to enter Bali must have proof of booking a hotel for a minimum of eight days of quarantine at their own expense. However, the latest conditions for entering Bali have not been further announced. John, one of the nomad workers based in Bali but having to return to his hometown to Los Angeles, United States, when the Covid-19 situation became serious at the beginning of last year, said he was happy at the same time. confused by the announcement of this Bali opening.
On the one hand, he was happy to have another opportunity to work in Bali, which incidentally was suitable in terms of time. This is because many of his design clients come from Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore, whose time zones are close to Indonesia.
Plus, he can be more relaxed through the pandemic amid the warm weather, beautiful scenery, and the friendliness of the Balinese people. The rental house in the Ubud area is also fairly spacious, not as narrow as his apartment area in LA.
But on the other hand, he has been confused by the search for official information regarding entry regulations to Indonesia. The current benchmark is the official website of the American Embassy in Indonesia.
"It's very complicated to find information from the official website of the Indonesian government regarding entry requirements for foreign nationals [foreigners], both those who have been vaccinated or not. So far, I've been looking for the latest information on the official US government website, and hopefully, the rules won't change much when I'm here. field," John said via text message to
Looking at the Indonesian Immigration website, there is an information page on how to enter foreigners. It's just that, when changed to the English page feature, a lot of information is still written in Indonesian. To read more, go to this link.
Meanwhile, the information provided by the Indonesian Embassy in Los Angeles is still more reliable, although it was last updated in March 2021. For further reading, please visit this link.
John's concern is not without reason. Two months ago, news broke about a foreigner from the US who felt he was being stabbed during quarantine at a big hotel in Jakarta.
When he arrived in Jakarta and began to undergo quarantine at the hotel for five days, he was found to be positive for Covid-19. Immediately he was transported by ambulance to the isolation hotel.
What surprised him was that there were many people who had the same experience as him but didn't have to spend up to IDR 2 million to take an ambulance.
Being asked to pay unexpected costs with minimal information, of course, makes anyone upset. In addition, he had to spend more for the cost of isolation in a new hotel for 14 days. Ashley, a foreigner from Australia who was also interviewed on another occasion, said that the different information on the official website and in the field when he came to Indonesia was very worrying for nomad workers. , which incidentally came at their own expense without being sponsored by companies such as expatriates who work.
"Do foreigners who have been vaccinated still have to quarantine for eight days? Then what vaccines are accepted into Indonesia? Those two things I have been looking for information from official sources, but haven't found them yet. Maybe I will visit the Embassy next week," he said.
In addition to suggestions for tidying up the information system on the official website, John also said that the Indonesian government should be more transparent in terms of the fees for foreign nationals' arrivals, both in terms of quarantine fees and coronavirus tests.
Don't let Indonesia get labeled as a "scam country" in the eyes of the world's citizens, just because of unclear information from official sources.
"People who go abroad definitely want certainty in terms of their comfort and safety. Especially if they are traveling in the middle of a pandemic. Don't let this beautiful Indonesia become deserted by foreign visitors, just because they are lazy to mess around with complicated bureaucracy," concluded John.