Indonesia Proposes Higher Visa on Arrival Fees, With a Discount for Online Filing

Indonesia is considering a higher Visa on Arrival (VoA) fee, with a two-tier structure that would reward travelers who apply online before departure. As of August 14, 2026, the change is still described by officials as a proposal, and the current fee remains Rp500,000.

What changed

Under the reported plan, the e-VOA fee applied online would rise from Rp500,000 to Rp750,000, while travelers who buy their visa after landing would pay Rp1,000,000. The lower price sits on the digital channel; the higher price applies at airport counters.

Hendarsam Marantoko, the director general of Indonesian Immigration, defended the idea in Jakarta on August 12, 2026, linking it to currency fluctuations and airport crowding. He said the current Rp500,000 fee is "too low and therefore needs to be adjusted." The higher counter price, he indicated, is meant to push travelers toward applying online in advance and to reduce buildup at arrival halls.

The messaging has not been fully consistent. On July 19, 2026, Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana suggested there were no plans to raise fees, saying easing travel requirements was a more effective way to attract visitors. The proposal surfaced roughly three weeks later.

The wider policy mix

The fee move sits alongside an expansion of visa-free entry. Under Immigration and Corrections Ministry Regulation No. 10/2026, effective July 9, 2026, Indonesia added Turkey, Brazil, Peru, Kazakhstan, Macau and Belarus, bringing its visa-free list to 19 countries and territories. So the country is loosening entry for some nationalities while raising the price on paid channels.

This fits a broader "Quality Tourism" strategy aimed at higher-value visitors, backed by the Indonesia Quality Tourism Fund. Officials point to arrival numbers that still trail neighbors: Indonesia logged 7.45 million arrivals in the first half of 2026, compared with 21.12 million in Malaysia and 18.5 million in Thailand.

What it means for nomads

If you enter Indonesia on a Visa on Arrival, the practical takeaway is simple: applying online before you fly could become the cheaper option. The e-VOA is typically the entry route many short-stay visitors use before extending or switching to a longer permit, so the fee difference matters if you make repeated trips.

Nothing has changed yet. The Rp500,000 rate still applies, and the higher tiers remain a proposal without a confirmed start date. Because the direction of policy has shifted quickly here, it is worth checking official immigration channels close to your travel date rather than relying on older fee figures. If the tiered pricing is adopted, filing your e-VOA in advance would let you avoid the airport premium and the queues it is designed to reduce.

Originally reported by VisaVerge.