In a move welcomed by Bali’s tourism industry, Indonesia has introduced the more flexible B211a socio-cultural visa that will allow digital nomads (hello, mobile travel agents!) to visit the country, combining travel and recreation with working remotely for up to six months.
Have you been thinking about basing yourself in Bali on a ‘workcation?’ It Looks like you’re in luck.
Indonesian Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said in an Instagram post that digital nomads could now visit Indonesia and work for up to six months using a socio-cultural visa.
“I am increasingly convinced the number of foreign tourists who are interested in staying in Indonesia will increase and will automatically have an impact on economic revival,” he said.
Employment under this category of visa has not previously been permitted, and Indonesia is yet to outline how it could tax digital nomads, but the plan has been positively received by the Bali tourism board.
“We have to embrace this opportunity,” said the board’s chairman Ida Bagus Agung Partha Adnyana.
“But I suggest the government make a clear regulation regarding this. For example, travellers must pay a certain amount of tax to the Indonesian government if they work from Bali,” he said.
President Joko Widodo recently berated immigration officials over the difficulties that foreigners, including investors and tourists, have faced obtaining visas.
International arrivals in Bali are expected to reach pre-pandemic levels of six million by 2025, the tourism association said, as the island recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Data from the tourism ministry showed more than 3,000 digital nomads entered Indonesia from January to August 2022, mostly from Russia, Britain and Germany, with the majority staying in Bali.
Other countries in the region are also seeking to tap opportunities for remote work. The Philippines is offering ‘workcation’ packages in Boracay, while Malaysia announced regulations to allow digital nomads who qualify to stay for 12 months.
Via AAP
