INDONESIA Cuts Visa-Free Entry Permits by 88% Under Selective Immigration Policy

Posted by Asia Views | Jul 14, 2026 | 0 |

JakartaPost-July 12

The Directorate General of Immigration reduced the issuance of visa-free entry permits by 87.9% during the first half of 2026 as part of a stricter immigration policy aimed at screening foreign nationals while maximizing economic benefits and safeguarding national security. “We are prioritizing digital transformation and a selective immigration policy to ensure that every foreign national entering Indonesia contributes added value to the national economy without compromising national security,” Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko said in a statement on Sunday. The tighter policy reduced the number of visa-free entry permits issued from 438,423 in the first half of 2025 to just 52,999 during the same period this year. Despite the sharp decline, government revenue from visa services rose 6.4% year-on-year to approximately Rp 2.81 trillion (about $15

Hendarsam said Indonesia’s immigration policy is no longer focused on attracting the highest possible number of visitors but instead emphasizes service quality and more effective immigration oversight amid evolving global challenges.

Between January and June 2026, the Directorate General of Immigration issued 3.9 million visas, down 6.8% from 4.2 million during the same period a year earlier. The most common visa category was the Visa on Arrival, with 3,481,490 issued, followed by the single-entry visitor visa (C1) with 113,323 approvals. The C20 visa, designated for foreign technicians performing machinery installation, repair, and maintenance, accounted for 83,852 issuances. Indonesia also granted 143 Golden Visas during the first half of the year under its investment-based residency program. Alongside stricter visa issuance, immigration authorities intensified enforcement against foreigners already in Indonesia. During the first six months of 2026, the agency imposed 10,911 administrative immigration sanctions. Of those, 3,260 involved residence permit revocations and deportations of foreign nationals found violating immigration regulations or posing security risks.

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

INDONESIA Cuts Visa-Free Entry Permits by 88% Under Selective Immigration Policy

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