Image: Bali Airport set to be busy again soon. Pre-Covid image of the baggage area. Credit: ST
Monday, March 7, 2022, will be known as an auspicious day for Bali tourism.
Foreign travelers can now visit Bali without quarantine and for 23 countries’ citizens the Visa on Arrival is now in effect. This is for Bali only.
A Ngurah Rai Immigration office post on Instagram this morning clinched the deal. It is official the VOA is back in effect.
“It’s official! According to the direction of President Jokowi, it has been decided that starting March 7, 2022, Bali will be tested free of quarantine for foreign travelers who have complete vaccines and also boosters,” said the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga on Instagram @sandiuno.
Also, according to Bali Airport officials they are ready to accept foreign tourists.
“We are ready. There are two important decisions related to this. First being that foreign travelers can arrive without any quarantine, and second is the reinstatement of Visa on Arrival (for some),” Public Relations Manager of PT Angkasa Pura Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali, Taufan Yudhistira, told Bali INews Monday morning (7/3).
According to Taufan, Ngurah Rai Airport has prepared four lanes with eight counter officers at the arrival terminal to speed up the VoA process.
The VoA facility is limited to tourists from 23 countries which have been determined by the central government. Other countries’ citizens can still use other visa processes available to them through the Indonesian embassies.
“After checking tourists have the appropriate visa they can continue the immigration process as usual and go to the hotel to wait for the PCR test results,” said Taufan.
Other preparations made were to increase the PCR test facility to 20 booths. Sampling capacity is 900 people per hour.
According to Taufan, there is also a minilab available so that the results of the PCR tests are known more quickly.
“If the results are negative, they can continue their journey to wherever they want to go. If they are positive, the obligation of the Covid-19 Task Force is to stay in a quarantine hotel,” he said.
Meanwhile, Governor Koster has been receiving accolades and tributes from all over the island, especially from Bali’s massive tourism industry, for a job well done over the past weeks, under difficult conditions, to get Bali tourism back on track and Bali generally back in business in the fastest possible time.
Today’s reopening was previously planned by the central government to go ahead on April 1, then March 14 and finally today, March 7 got the green light and we are again open for business after almost two years.
Congratulations Pak Koster
And welcome back to Bali all you fine, lovely tourists. You have been missed.
