Indonesia will reopen Bali to all international visitors on February 4. However, travelers will have to undergo a short quarantine period as the nation seeks to revive tourism on the island. The news comes after Indonesia removed its ban on foreign arrivals on January 18.
Despite Bali technically reopening in 2021, only a handful of travelers visited the nation due to a small list of countries eligible to visit, the lack of Visa on arrival, and strict quarantine. Also, not one direct international flight has landed in Bali since early 2020, but starting in February, direct flights will be permitted.
Tourism accounts for a significant portion of Bali’s economy; the entry restrictions are difficult for millions of Balinese people relying on tourism. Bali’s economy shrank by 9.3% in 2020—the worst among Indonesia provinces, with GDP falling by 3.4% at the start of the pandemic.
One local said, “Yesterday, I opened the shop from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. and only sold a piece worth 75,000 rupiah. Most of our days here go by like that”
“I really hope the foreign tourists will come back soon,” the local added.
The New Entry Requirements
Indonesia will allow travelers from all nations to enter Bali later this week. Before this week, only travelers from 18 nations—including China, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, India, and the U.A.E—could arrive directly in Bali and be quarantined in a certified government hotel.
Starting Feb 4th, citizens from countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada will be able to fly directly into Bali and bypass the previous route of needing to first quarantine in Jakarta.
Luhut Panjaitan, a cabinet minister who’s overseen Indonesia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Indonesia will reduce the quarantine period from seven days/six nights to five days/four nights for fully vaccinated tourists. Still, travelers with only one vaccine dose must quarantine for seven days.
Bali’s 2022 Entry Requirement Summary
- Proof of Vaccination
- 5 day / 4 night quarantine in approved accomodation
- Obtaining a visa before entry
Visa On Arrival
The government will decide the status of Bali’s other requirements—including a visa with a local sponsor and health insurance—in the coming weeks. It’s been very challenging for travelers to enter Bali in recent months because of the suspension of visa on arrival program.
As a result, travelers had to get a visa with a local sponsor called VISIT VISA (B211A). Sadly, this has put thousands of tourists off visiting the island and the local sponsor visa is hard to obtain.
In normal ‘pre-pandemic’ times, visitors from over 160 countries could visit Bali without a visa. Until Indonesia allows travelers to enter Bali with a visa on arrival, most travelers will still choose to avoid the island. A decision is expected to come about the visa on arrival situation in February.
From February 4, travelers can use direct or connecting flights to visit Bali. Singapore Airlines will restart daily flights to Bali from February 16, the carrier said in an email on Monday. This makes it easier for travelers to enter Bali via other Asian destinations, such as Thailand and Singapore. Singapore and Indonesia recently restarted quarantine free travel between Singapore and the nearby Indonesian islands of Bintan and Batam last week.
Mr. Alvin Seah, General Manager Indonesia, Singapore Airlines, said: “The resumption of daily flights to Bali is part of SIA’s long-term commitment to grow Indonesia’s tourism industry. SIA passenger network currently covers 64 destinations in 34 countries, and we will do our best to promote Indonesia. Our services to Denpasar and Jakarta, will continue to provide flexibility to our customers who wish to travel to and from Indonesia,”
The COVID-19 Situation In Bali
Indonesia has decreased quarantine requirements as COVID-19 cases rise. The current 7-day case average in Indonesia is 8,115 with 12,422 new cases recorded as of January 30. Indonesia has administered 312,563,478 vaccine doses; this equates to 57.7% of the nation’s population.
However, Bali has the highest vaccination rate in the country. The island had fully vaccinated nearly 90% of the population.
Although it’s still challenging to visit Asia—the signs are finally looking promising.
