Covid puts brakes (again) on Bali reopening, Indonesia issues visa for digital nomads
Before reopening Bali to foreign tourists, the Indonesian government will wait for Covid-19 cases to decrease significantly. [...]
DPS
Before reopening Bali to foreign tourists, the Indonesian government will wait for Covid-19 cases to decrease significantly. This was confirmed by the country's tourism minister, who said, "We had thought at the end of July/beginning of August, but we just have to be aware of where we are right now, a spike in cases has been recorded in the last few days." To boost the island's economy, however, the minister also heralded The idea of a 5-year visa for digital nomads.
In this article:
A 5-year visa for digital nomads, how it works
The goal is to attract digital nomads, online entrepreneurs and people working remotely in addition to traditional tourists. Foreigners will be granted 5-year visas with no foreign source income tax. "If they earn in Indonesia, they will be taxed, but if they come exclusively from abroad, there will be no tax", said the tourism minister.
As early as March Indonesia, particularly Bali, has put in place formal proposals to launch an upcoming digital nomad visa, joining countries such as Greece, Portugal and Dubai. In December, Thailand also proposed cutting red tape to attract long-stay visitors to key tourist areas. The visa would allow people to live and work in Bali for up to 5 years, without a work permit. The proposals also include payment of a modest flat income tax of 5-10%, or a flat visa fee.
The current situation in Bali
Currently there are more than 200,000 active cases of Covid-19 in Indonesia. In Bali, there was a spike with more than 200 positives. According to some inside sources, the daily count of infections in Bali would have to drop to at least 30-40 cases to allow reopening. In addition, the current data may be higher than reported, as the testing rate is about 15% of the minimum recommended by the World Health Organization.
To prepare for the reopening, Bali has been prioritized by the Indonesian government in its nationwide vaccination campaign. So far, 71% of the Balinese population has received the first dose of the vaccine. The government's hope is to have full vaccination for 70% of the island's population by the end of July. Currently, Indonesians heading to Bali must undergo a PCR test before entering, a measure established to isolate the island from the pandemic.
