Indonesia has expanded visa-free entry for short visits under Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 95 of 2024, ratified on 29 August 2024. The policy designates citizens of 13 countries and territories as “visa-free visit subjects,” allowing eligible travellers to enter without a visit visa subject to conditions on length of stay and security safeguards. For destinations such as Lombok—and the wider Nusa Tenggara Barat province—the measure lowers friction for repeat regional travellers and supports the government’s push to spread tourism beyond Bali. The official country list is maintained by the Directorate General of Immigration and should be checked before travel or marketing campaigns cite specific passports.

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The 13 Visa-Free Visit Subjects

According to official summaries cited by Tempo.co and Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration, the eligible jurisdictions are: Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Suriname, Colombia, and Hong Kong. Selection reflects reciprocal arrangements, expected economic benefit, and security screening—not an open-ended waiver for all nationalities. Immigration maintains published lists of visa-free, visa-on-arrival, and visa-required countries; investors marketing hospitality products should align guest communications with the latest imigrasi.go.id guidance.

Legal Framework: Perpres 95/2024

Perpres 95/2024 replaces earlier visa-free lists and embeds the policy in Indonesia’s broader immigration architecture. Article 3 caps the maximum stay for visa-free visits at 30 days, with authority for the minister to suspend privileges when state security or public health requires. Article 2 extends eligibility in defined cases to certain special administrative regions and specified passport or permit holders, as detailed in the regulation text. Coordinating Ministry statements emphasise that selective expansion balances tourism promotion with border integrity—a recurring theme in post-pandemic policy. Published immigration lists remain the definitive reference for operational compliance.

Tourism and Economic Rationale

Visa-free access reduces cost and paperwork for short holidays and business reconnaissance trips. ASEAN neighbours account for a large share of Indonesia’s foreign arrivals in BPS statistics; simplifying entry for Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam supports weekend and multi-destination itineraries that can include Lombok after a Bali or Jakarta segment. Colombia and Suriname reflect diplomatic reciprocity and long-haul niche flows. Hong Kong’s inclusion matters for regional finance and leisure travellers considering multi-island routes.

Tempo.co and other outlets reported that Perpres 95/2024 was ratified on 29 August 2024, replacing the previous Perpres 21/2016 framework for visa-free visits. The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment publicly framed the update as selective liberalisation—widening access where reciprocity and benefit tests are met while preserving suspension powers for security or health emergencies. Official immigration portals publish the live country list for visa-free visit subjects alongside visa-on-arrival and calling-visa categories; hospitality staff should treat those pages as the operational source of truth when advising guests at check-in.

Implications for Lombok Property and Hospitality

Lower visa friction increases addressable demand for boutique hotels, serviced villas, and experience operators that target ASEAN short-stay guests. It complements—but does not replace—pathways such as visa on arrival for other nationalities and the Remote Worker (E33G) visa for longer stays. Developers should not conflate visa-free tourism with property ownership rights; land acquisition rules for foreigners remain governed by separate investment and agrarian regulations. Marketing teams can, however, truthfully advertise easier entry for eligible passport holders when structuring package stays and open-house investment tours.

Event-linked demand around Mandalika, surf and dive assets in Sekotong, and cultural tourism in Sasak villages all benefit when regional travellers can enter Indonesia without embassy visits. Repeat visitation supports occupancy smoothing across seasons—a key metric for villa funds and small-scale REIT-style structures.

Security, Compliance, and Stay Limits

Visa-free status is not unrestricted residence. Overstays trigger fines and potential bans under Indonesian immigration law. Properties marketing “live in Indonesia” products must steer non-eligible clients toward appropriate visas. Hotels and villa managers should capture passport data accurately and monitor 30-day limits for visa-free guests. Presidential regulation also allows temporary suspension—operators need contingency messaging if policies tighten during health or security events.

Regional Spillovers: Beyond the Riau Islands

Much media commentary highlighted proximity markets such as Batam and the Riau Islands vis-à-vis Singapore. Lombok’s opportunity is different but real: capture ASEAN travellers seeking secondary islands with new infrastructure and lower density. Pairing visa-free entry with improved air links (where confirmed by airlines), ferry connectivity, and provincial master plans—such as Buwun Mas—creates a credible product for multi-hub holidays.

Looking Ahead

Indonesia may adjust visa lists as reciprocity and security evaluations evolve. Investors should monitor Perpres updates, immigration circulars, and bilateral announcements. Visa-free policy is one lever in a stack that includes tax treatment, event tourism, and environmental licensing. Used accurately in investor communications, it reinforces Lombok’s accessibility without overstating legal benefits for property purchase.

Guest-facing teams should publish a simple eligibility chart on property websites: passport nationality, maximum stay, extension options (if any), and links to the Directorate General of Immigration country lists. Training front-office staff on the difference between visa-free entry, visa on arrival, and long-stay permits reduces compliance incidents that can jeopardise hospitality licences. For strata-style villa estates hosting mixed nationalities, standard operating procedures matter as much as pool design.

Presidential Regulation 95/2024’s visa-free entry for 13 countries marks a pragmatic step to stimulate tourism and regional exchange. For Invest Islands clients, it is a demand-side positive—especially for ASEAN-facing hospitality—best paired with rigorous land due diligence and realistic expectations about ownership structures. Always cross-check eligibility on imigrasi.go.id before publishing travel offers.