Since August 27, 2024, all travelers to Indonesia must apply for a health pass called “SATUSEHAT Health Pass” before visiting the archipelago.
Here’s a travel formality that takes us back to the difficult days of Covid-19 for travelers and travel professionals…
Indonesia recently introduced a health pass as part of its strategy to prevent the spread of the Mpox virus (formerly known as monkeypox).
This measure, introduced following the classification of Mpox as a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO on August 14, 2024, requires all international travelers, including air crew, to complete an electronic self-declaration health form called “SATUSEHAT Health Pass” before entering the country.
The form, available at sshp.kemkes.go.id, must be completed within 48 hours of departure and allows Indonesian airport authorities to monitor and manage the risks associated with the transmission of the virus.
Once completed, a QR code is generated, facilitating the identification of travelers for enhanced health checks upon arrival. This initiative mainly aims to increase vigilance at airports, particularly in Bali and Java, where a few cases of Mpox have been reported.
Indonesia is “ready to tackle the Mpox outbreak”
Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin recently declared that the government is “ready to tackle the Mpox outbreak”.
“If one comes from abroad, they must fill in a form by using a QR code. There’ll be three kinds of results; yellow, green, or red. Green result means there is no need to do anything. If the result is either yellow or red, we must check the temperature and if it turns out to be high and there are rashes, the suspect will undergo a PCR test,” explains Budi Gunadi Sadikin.
The minister announced that the government had also prepared PCR machines in Jakarta and Bali that could produce test results in 30 to 40 minutes to anticipate the spread of the virus during the upcoming Asia-Africa leaders’ meeting in Bali.
“If there is a positive test result, we will immediately place the suspect in an isolation room at the hospital for we have prepared the medicines,” the minister said.
The government, he added, has also prepared facilities and medicines in all hospitals in Jakarta and Bali, and pointed out that the virus that has infected several patients in Indonesia is the clade 2b variant, which has a low mortality rate and can be cured with treatment.
The country has also increased its stock of Mpox vaccines, with a recent order of 1,600 additional doses to support its prevention efforts.
The move is part of a series of preventive measures to control the health situation as Indonesia continues to strengthen its public health protocols.
A visa is required to travel to Indonesia
Before the pandemic, tourists from 169 countries were granted visa-free entry to Indonesia. However, after the health crisis of Covid, the archipelago decided to reintroduce a visa requirement for 159 of these nations, with the exception of tourists from ASEAN countries.
Citizens of almost 100 countries can currently apply for an electronic visa valid for 30 days (e-VOA) or 60 days (e-Visa) before traveling to Indonesia.
Applications for e-VOA and e-Visa, as well as extensions to these electronic visas, can be submitted from the website evisa.imigrasi.go.id.
Last June, Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism, recalled that the country was still studying a project to extend the visa-free policy to around twenty countries.
The 20 countries initially affected by this measure were Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and two other Middle Eastern countries.
A few days ago, Sandiaga Uno confirmed again that this proposal was still “on President Joko Widodo’s table”. “We want to extend the visa exemption policy to 20 countries whose tourism contributions are the most qualitative and sustainable,” explains the Indonesian Minister of Tourism.
As a reminder, since February 14, 2024, tourists traveling to Bali must pay a tourist tax on the “Love Bali” portal.
