Indonesia is taking a closer look at how its visa-free entry regime is being used.
Thailand has also begun reviewing its own visa exemption policy after identifying abuses involving tourist stays being used for purposes other than travel. Indonesia, in turn, appears to be considering whether some entry privileges granted to foreign travelers should be reassessed.
In Jakarta, the Directorate General of Immigration says recent cases involving foreign nationals, including citizens of countries that benefit from visa-free entry, are now being taken into account as part of the country’s immigration policy review.
No decision has been announced at this stage to abolish the visa exemption. Indonesian authorities are currently referring to an evaluation, amid several operations targeting suspected transnational cybercrime networks.
More than 500 foreign nationals detained in two recent cases
On May 13, 2026, Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration said it was reviewing the status of 320 foreign nationals suspected of links to an international online gambling syndicate.
The case relates to an operation carried out in the Hayam Wuruk area of West Jakarta, in coordination with the Indonesian police. The individuals involved were transferred on May 10 to the Jakarta Immigration Detention Center and to the offices of the Directorate General of Immigration so that authorities could verify their immigration status and any possible violations.
According to Indonesian immigration authorities, the 320 foreign nationals include 224 men and 96 women. Early findings show that most of them were in Indonesia on a visit stay permit, a Visa on Arrival (VoA), or under the visa exemption regime, known locally as Bebas Visa Kunjungan.
A few days earlier, on May 8, 2026, authorities had already announced the arrest of 210 foreign nationals in Batam, in the Riau Islands, on suspicion of involvement in an online investment fraud operation.
In that case, those detained were mainly from Vietnam, China and Myanmar. Immigration authorities said 57 of them were using visa-free entry, 103 were using a Visa on Arrival, 49 held a visit visa and one held an investor stay permit.
Visa exemption among the policies under review
The director general of immigration, Hendarsam Marantoko, said these cases have become a matter of concern for Indonesian authorities.
According to him, cases involving foreign nationals engaged in illegal activities, including those from countries eligible for visa-free entry, are now part of the administration’s evaluation process.
Indonesian immigration authorities also said that, from the beginning of 2026 through May 5, they had carried out 6,779 administrative immigration actions. These included 2,026 stay permit cancellations or deportation measures, 1,404 placements in administrative detention and 1,323 entries on the immigration ban list.
Authorities stressed, however, that the process is not limited to sanctioning the foreign nationals concerned. Local sponsors or guarantors are also subject to checks when they may have facilitated the presence or activities of those under investigation.
No change yet for travelers
For travelers, no immediate change has been announced at this stage.
The official lists published by Indonesian immigration authorities for nationalities eligible for a Visa on Arrival or visa-free entry have not changed. Among the countries mentioned in the recent cases, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand remain among the nationalities eligible for Indonesia’s visa exemption.
Indonesia currently has several short-stay entry regimes, including the Visa on Arrival, the e-VoA, the e-Visa and visa-free entry for certain nationalities. Travelers must nevertheless strictly comply with the purpose of their stay. Professional activities, operational business activities or activities considered equivalent to work are not covered by a simple tourist or visit stay.
A regional trend in Southeast Asia
Indonesia’s review comes in a regional context in which several countries are seeking to balance tourism recovery, simplified travel formalities and tighter controls on abuse.
Thailand, which expanded its visa-free regime in 2024 to 60 days for many nationalities, has recently begun reviewing the policy. Thai authorities are seeking in particular to prevent some foreign nationals from using long tourist stays to carry out unauthorized activities or take part in criminal networks.
Indonesia appears to be following a similar approach, without announcing any immediate restrictions. The main message from the authorities is stricter enforcement of the country’s selective immigration principle: only foreign nationals considered beneficial to the country and not posing a risk to security or public order should be allowed to stay in Indonesia.
What travelers should know
- Indonesia has not abolished its visa exemption policy, but the Directorate General of Immigration has confirmed that this entry facility is among the policies being evaluated after several cases involving foreign nationals.
- Eligible travelers can therefore continue, for now, to follow the rules currently published by Indonesian immigration authorities. However, controls may become stricter, especially for repeated stays, profiles considered higher risk or situations in which the real purpose of travel does not match the entry status used.
- For travelers and tourism professionals, the key point to watch will be whether Indonesia publishes an official measure changing the list of eligible nationalities or the conditions for using visa-free entry.
