In early June, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism, Sandiaga Uno, announced that the Indonesian government would soon create a digital nomad visa. Now, it looks like officials might be fast-tracking the visa.
Uno looks forward to turning the country, and especially the province of Bali, into a “workcation” destination. A workcation is a vacation during which a traveler engages in professional work.
That may not sound exciting for people looking for a traditional vacation, but the freedom to work from anywhere is immensely appealing to some remote employees and online business owners.
During Uno’s most recent press briefing, he said the digital nomad visa rules are in their final drafting stage.
He also noted that the tourism ministry hopes digital nomads will choose to engage in lengthy visits, contributing more to the nation’s economy. However, to make the prospect appealing to nomads, such visitors would not need to pay Indonesian income taxes.
He stated that “easing work visas” could make it simpler for nomads to work in the country.
The tourism ministry set a goal to attract 1.5 million or more international visitors by 2022’s close. That would be about 25% of the yearly average Bali saw until COVID-19 impeded global travel.
The visa would allow nomads to stay for up to five years.
