The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that occurred in India a few months ago resulted in the issuance of a circular letter from the Director-General of Immigration on April 22, 2021. The circular prohibits foreigners who live In India to enter Indonesia or have a history of stopping in India for the last 14 days before entering Indonesian territory.
On July 21, 2021, Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna H. Laoly signed the latest immigration regulations currently in effect, namely Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation No. 27 of 2021 (MLHR No. 27/2021). However, it turns out that not all parties fully understand the changes caused by the issuance of the immigration regulation.
It should be noted that along with the ratification of MLHR No. 27/2021, the previous immigration regulations and circulars are no longer valid. Achmad Nur Saleh, the Head of the Public Relations Sub-Division of the Directorate General of Immigration said that in the circular letter of the Director-General of Immigration issued in April, it is stated that Indian citizens and foreigners who have been in India for the last 14 days cannot enter Indonesia. Now, the new MLHR has been issued, the circular that was previously not valid. In addition, The Head added that now the focus is only on foreigners holding official visas, diplomatic visas, ITAS (Limited Stay Permit) and ITAP (permanent Stay Permit) who are allowed to enter Indonesia. Thus, in case an Indian citizen or a foreigner who departs from India has an ITAS/ITAP, then he is included as an exemption subject from the prohibition on the entry of foreigners.
The change is not only for the immigration regulations, the health protocols for international travellers have also been updated. On August 11, 2021, the government through the Covid-19 Task Force (Satgas) issued Circular Letter No. 18 of 2021. The circular states that the definition of international travel agents is Indonesian citizens and foreigners who travel from abroad within the last 14 (fourteen) days. In detail, it is also stated that international travellers consist of Indonesian citizens, foreigners who are exempted according to MLHR No. 27 of 2021, foreigners who comply with the Travel Corridor Arrangement (TCA) scheme and foreigners who enter with special considerations/permissions from ministries/agencies.
Furthermore, this circular explains that international travellers are required to bring a complete dose of the Covid-19 vaccination certificate and RT-PCR test results whose samples are taken no later than 3 × 24 hours before the flight. International travellers are also required to undergo self-quarantine for 8 (eight) days.
Some subjects of international travellers who have not received the Covid-19 vaccination from the country of their departure can be vaccinated at the quarantine place. The subjects included Indonesian citizens, foreigners aged 12-17 years, holders of diplomatic residence permits/official residence permits, and ITAS/ITAP holders. Vaccination can be given if the results of the second RT-PCR test show negative results.
Referring to MLHR No. 27 of 2021 and Circular Letter of the Task Force Covid-19 No. 18 of 2021, Indian Citizens or Foreigners residing in India who have an ITAS/ITAP can be allowed to enter the territory of the Republic of Indonesia without needing to transit for 14 days in a third country. The Required documents must be prepared include a passport, ITAS/ITAP, a complete dose of Covid-19 vaccination certificate, and the RT-PCR test results showing the negative result. After passing all stages of inspection at the airport, foreigners will be directed to undergo 8 (eight) days of quarantine before being allowed to continue their journey to their final destination.
Source: the Director-General of Immigration Republic Indonesia
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Jufrian Murzal, Partner
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