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The Balinese government is aware of the ongoing frustration on the island and has promised to do more to change its reputation as a cheap party destination and rein in rule-breaking. As of June, Bloomberg reported, Bali has deported 136 misbehaving foreigners this year for issues including indecent exposure, rowdy behavior and disobeying local laws, among others.

Officials in Bali have confirmed that online ride-hailing services are legal in Indonesia. The confirmation comes after a video went viral online of a local taxi driver harassing domestic tourists for using an online taxi service.

The local taxi driver has since been arrested and questioned, but the incident bought the issue to the table once again.

Minster Uno’s comments about the potential increase in the visa-on-arrival fee come in an in-direct response to Governor Koster’s wish to increase the visa-on-arrival fee for Bali.

The decision aims to address concerns related to public order disruptions and the potential transmission of diseases from countries not certified as disease-free by the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to Achmad Nur Saleh, the Sub-coordinator of Public Relations of the Directorate General of Immigration, currently, only 10 countries are exempted from the visa requirement: the ASEAN member countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.

To visit Indonesia, foreigners can choose other types of immigration permits such as e-VOA (Electronic Visa on Arrival), Visit Visa, or Limited Stay Visa.

As outlined in the Covid-19 Handling Task Force Circular Letter Number 1 of 2023, the government has reviewed the ongoing management of Covid-19 in the country.

The introduction of the letter, originally published in Bahasa Indonesia, reads “that in order to follow up on developments in the situation of controlling the SARS-CoV-2 virus under conditions where the spread of cases in the world and Indonesia is increasingly under control.”

“It is recommended to continue carrying out the Covid-19 vaccination until the second booster or fourth dose, especially for people who have a high risk of contracting Covid-19.”