September 3, 2025
JAKARTA – The Batam administration in Riau Islands province has called on the Immigration and Corrections Ministry to grant visa-free entry to tourists from China, South Korea, Japan and India, as part of ongoing efforts to revive the island’s tourist sector to pre-pandemic levels.
Ardiwinata, head of the Batam Tourism Agency, said the current visa-on-arrival (VoA) policy had become a major barrier to attracting international visitors. The VoA costs Rp 500,000 (US$30.45) and is valid for 30 days, with a one-time extension, also priced at Rp 500,000.
“The most crucial step for Batam’s tourism recovery right now is to implement a free visa-on-arrival scheme,” Ardiwinata told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
“Even if it’s not applied nationwide, it could be granted specifically for Batam, at the very least for tourists from South Korea and China, who previously made up a large portion of our visitors,” he added.
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Foreign tourist arrivals in Batam have steadily increased in recent years, but numbers have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, the island welcomed around 1.9 million international visitors. By contrast, only 1.3 million foreign tourists visited in 2024, a modest rise from 1.1 million in 2023.
The majority of visitors in recent years have come from Singapore, followed by Malaysia, China and India.
To boost tourism in Batam, the central government has implemented several initiatives, including a Free Visit Visa policy for residents of Singapore, which is located just around 20 kilometers from the island.
The policy was introduced in late 2024 and allows foreign nationals holding permanent resident status in Singapore to enter designated areas in Riau Islands, including Batam, Bintan and Karimun, for leisure or tourism. The visa permits a stay of up to four days.
In addition, Singaporean passport holders can enter Indonesia under a separate 30-day visa exemption scheme.
To attract even more short-stay travelers, the government has also introduced a seven-day tourist visa at a reduced fee of Rp 250,000, offering a more affordable option for international visitors planning brief trips.
Despite recent efforts, Ardiwinata acknowledged that current visa policies had a limited impact on driving significant growth in international arrivals to Batam. He argued that a free visa-on-arrival policy for key countries would be a far more effective strategy to boost the island’s tourist sector.
“This year, we’re targeting 1.7 million international visitors to Batam. We’re optimistic about reaching that number, but it will require a breakthrough policy, such as a free visa-on-arrival for countries that have historically contributed the most to tourism in Batam,” he told the Post.
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In addition to visa-related hurdles, Ardiwinata pointed to the high cost of ferry transportation between Batam, Singapore and other parts of Riau Islands as another major barrier for tourists. He said the issue had been reported to the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU), but so far, the commission has not taken effective action to address the issue.