Starting from 29 November 2021, Gov’t Issues Circular on International Travel Health Protocols
The COVID-19 National Task Force has issued Circular Number 23 of 2021 on International Travel Health Protocols during COVID-19 pandemic. The circular will be effective from 29 November 2021 until the time specified later.
The issuance of this circular is based on the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 that was found in South Africa and spread to several countries in the world.
To that end, in a bid to anticipate the spread of this new variant in Indonesia, the Government has decided to close the borders temporarily for international travelers who came from the countries/regions that has confirmed the transmission of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 and for international travelers who came from countries/regions near from countries/regions that have confirmed the new variant.
Moreover, World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern (VOC) and called on the world to raise awareness and transmission risk mitigation measures on imported cases as well as to impose risk-based international travel policy.
This circular also aims to observe health protocols for international travelers during COVID-19 pandemic as well as to carry out monitoring, handling, and evaluation in order to avoid an increase in COVID-19 including the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529.
As states in the circular, international travelers refer to people who travel to Indonesia from abroad in the last 14 days.
The provisions in this circular are as follows:
- International travelers who are Indonesian citizens (WNI) are allowed to enter Indonesia while following strict health protocols as stipulated by the Government.
- Indonesia temporaryly closes its borders for foreign nationals (WNA) who directly travel/transit in the last 14 days from countries/regions with following criteria:
- Countries/Regions that have confirmed the transmission of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 including South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong; and
- Countries/Regions that are geographically close to countries/regions that have confirmed the transmission of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 including Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, and Lesotho.
- The temporary closure for WNA is excluded for international travelers who meet the following criteria:
- The travelers have no travel history within 14 days in countries/regions as referred to in number 2;
- the travelers comply with the Regulation of Minister of Law and Human Rights Number 34 of 2021 on Indonesian Visa and Immigration Residence Permit during the Period of COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery;
- the travelers comply with bilateral agreement scheme including Travel Corridor Arrangement (TCA); and/or
- the travelers receive special written consideration/permission from ministries/agencies.
- All international travelers (both WNA and WNI) must follow these following requirements:
- The travelers must comply with the provisions of health protocols regulated by the Government;
- The travelers must show vaccination card/certificate (print out/digital) with fully doses of COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before departure as requirement to enter Indonesia with these following provisions:
- WNI must show vaccination card/certificate (print out/digital) with fully doses of COVID-19 vaccine as requirement to enter Indonesia. If WNI has not received yet the vaccine dose from abroad, WNI will be vaccinated in quarantine place when arriving in Indonesia after testing negative for COVID-19 by the second RT-PCR test;
- WNA must show vaccination card/certificate (print out/digital) with fully doses of COVID-19 vaccine as requirement to enter Indonesia;
- If WNA has not received the vaccine dose yet from abroad, WNA will be vaccinated in quarantine place when arriving in Indonesia after testing negative for COVID-19 by the second RT-PCR test, with the following conditions:
- age between 12 – 17 years old;
- having diplomatic stay permit and working stay permit; and/or
- holding Limited Stay Permit (KITAS) and Permanent Stay Permit (KITAP).
- WNA who is already in Indonesia and will travel both domestic and international is required to be vaccinated through national scheme program or gotong royong program in accordance with the laws and regulations;
- The obligation to show COVID-19 vaccination card or certificate (print out/digital) as requirement to enter Indonesia is excluded to:
- WNA who holds diplomatic visa and service visa related to official state working visit of state officials at the ministerial level or above and WNA who enters Indonesia under the TCA scheme, based on reciprocity principle must observe strict health protocol;
- WNA who has not been vaccinated yet and intends to travel domestically and continues to take international flight out of Indonesian territory is allowed to not show vaccination card or certificate as long as the WNA does not leave the airport area during the transit to take international flight under the following conditions:
- WNA has been permitted by the local Port Health Authorities (KKP) to do domestic travel that aims to continue international travel out of Indonesia; and
- WNA must show the flight ticket to abroad for direct transit from the departure city to international airport in Indonesian territory with the destination country as final destination.
- International traveler who is under 18 years old; and
- International traveler with special health condition or comorbid that cause the WNA unable to receive vaccines. WNA is obligatory to show medical certificate from doctor working at Government’s hospitals in departure country.
- Vaccination card/certificate (print out/digital) with fully doses of COVID-19 vaccine written in English, in addition to the written language of the origin country.
- The travelers must show RT-PCR test with negative result through RT-PCR test in origin countries/regions valid in 3 x 24 hours before departure which must be attached during medical checkup or e-HAC International Indonesia;
- Upon the arrival, travelers must be tested with RT-PCR and undergo quarantine for 7 x 24 hours;
- WNI who travels from countries/regions as stated in Number 2 is allowed to enter Indonesia and must be tested by RT-PCR and undergo 14×24 quarantine;
- Quarantine obligation as stated in Letter d and e is carried out with these following conditions:
- WNI namely Indonesian migrant workers (PMI), students, or government employees returning from international working trip that are in accordance with the Memorandum of the COVID-19 National Task Force Number 14 of 2021 on Entry Point, Quarantine Place, and RT-PCR Obligation for Indonesian Citizens Traveling from Abroad, the cost is covered by the Government.
- WNI excluded from the criteria stated in Number 1) and WNA including foreign diplomats, not included the head of foreign representative and the family of the head of foreign representative, undergo quarantine in quarantine accommodation.
- Quarantine accommodation places as referred to in Letter f.2) must be recommended by the COVID-19 National Task Force and must met the terms and conditions of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association for their cleanliness, health, safety, and environmental sustainability (CHSE) and ministry that in charges of health affairs for the Jakarta greater area or provincial offices that are also in charge of health affairs related to the certification of COVID-19 health protocols;
- Heads of foreign representatives and their families who serve in Indonesia can undergo self-quarantine in their respective residences for 7 x 24 hours as referred to in Letter d;
- In the event that WNI/WNA has the a positive result of the RT-PCR test upon arrival as referred to in Letter d and e, WNI will be sent to the hospital for treatment covered by the Government and the cost of the treatment of WNA in the hospital will be covered independently;
- In the event that a WNA can not afford the cost of self-quarantine and/or the treatment in the hospital, the sponsor, ministries/agencies/State-owned enterprises who give the entry permit for the WNA must be responsible for that;
- WNI and WNA must undergo the second test of RT-PCR with these following conditions:
- On the 6th day of quarantine for international travelers who undergo quarantine for 7 x 24 hours; or
- On the 13th day of quarantine for international travelers who undergo quarantine with for 14 x 24 hours.
- If the re-test of the RT-PCR as referred to in Letter k shows a negative result, WNI and WNA are allowed to continue their trips and are recommended to undergo self-quarantine for 14 days while observing health protocols;
- If the re-test of the RT-PCR as referred to in Letter k shows a positive result, WNI will be sent to hospital for treatment covered by the Government and the treatment cost of WNA will not covered by the Government;
- The implementation of RT-PCR comparison test as referred to in Letter n is carried out by the laboratory of Cipto Mangunkusumo Central General Hospital (RSCM) or Gatot Soebroto Army Central Hospital (RSPAD) or Bhayangkara Raden Said Sukanto Hospital (Polri Hospital) and is carried out simultaneously by the KKP or laboratory in cooperation with quarantine accommodation;
- The KKP in international airport and port facilitate WNI or WNA (international travelers) who need emergency medical services upon arrival in Indonesia;
- Ministries/Agencies/regional governments that perform functions related to WNI and/or WNA must follows up this circular by issuing legal instruments that are aligned and not contrary to this circular and laws and regulations; and
- The legal instrument as referred to in Letter q is an integral part of this circular.
- Exceptions to the temporary closure for WNA entering Indonesian territory and quarantine obligation for WNA, while still implementing bubble systems and health protocols strictly are applied to international travelers with these following criteria:
- WNA who holds diplomatic visas and service visas;
- WNA who is foreign official at the ministerial level or above and the entourages who carry out official state visit;
- WNA who enters Indonesia through the TCA scheme; or
- Delegation of G20 member countries.
- Strict health protocols as referred to in Number 5 must meet these following terms and conditions:
- The use of masks must be done properly covering the nose and mouth;
- The type of mask used by the travelers is a three-layer cloth mask or medical mask;
- It is not permissible to speak in one direction or two directions by telephone or directly during the trip using public transportations including land transports, railways, sea, rivers, lakes, crossings, and air; and
- It is not permissible to eat and drink by the flight for journeys that take less than two hours, except for individuals who are obliged to take medicine in terms of treatment that if it has not been done, it may endanger the safety and health of them.
- Every international traveler must use the PeduliLindungi application as a requirement to enter Indonesian territory.
- Every operator of the mode of transportations at the entry point of international travel is required to use the PeduliLindungi application.
- Supervision of the health quarantine of cargo ships and crews is carried out in accordance with more specific and technical regulations regulated by Ministry of Health through the monitoring by the KKP in each entry point of international travel.
- WNA travelling to Indonesia for tourism purpose and not having travel history within 14 days from countries/regions as referred to in Number 2 are allowed to enter Indonesian territory with these following conditions:
- The entry points are airports in Bali and Riau Islands; and
- In addition to COVID-19 vaccination card or certificate and the negative result of the RT-PCR test as referred to in Numbers 4.b. and 4.c., international travel with travel purpose must attach:
- Short-visit visa or other entry permit in accordance with laws and regulations;
- Proof of the ownership of health insurance with a coverage value of at least USD100 thousand covering financing for COVID-19 handling; and
- Proof of booking confirmation of accommodation place from the accommodation provider during the stay in Indonesia.
In this circular, the provisions of monitoring, handling, and evaluation are also regulated. The provisions are as follows:
- The Regional COVID-19 Task Force assisted by public transportation organizing authorities carry out control to travel and safe public transportation from COVID-19 by establishing an Integrated Security Post;
- The authority, management, and providers of public transportation assign supervision during the operational of public transportation;
- Ministries/Agencies, Indonesian National Defense Force (TNI)/Indonesian National Police (Polri) and regional governments have the right to stop and/or ban the travel of persons based on this Circular and not contrary to the laws and regulations;
- Ministries/Agencies, TNI/Polri assisted by Airport and Port COVID-19 Task Force c.q. the KKP in international airport and port carry out regular monitoring to ensure people’s compliance with the implementation of health protocols and self-quarantine through telephone facilities, video calls, and inspections in the ground amid COVID-19 pandemic; and
- The authorities (Ministries/Agencies, TNI/Polri, and regional governments) enforce the discipline of the COVID-19 health protocol and law in accordance with the provisions of prevailing laws and regulations. (COVID-19 NATIONAL TASK FORCE/UN) (AP/LW)