Bali Immigration Authority Issues Emergency Permits to Foreign Nationals Affected by Middle East Conflict

The Ngurah Rai Immigration Office in Badung District, Bali, has issued emergency residence permits (ITKT) to foreign nationals (WNA) whose flights have been disrupted due to the Middle East conflict.

“As of now, based on preliminary data, we have issued 54 ITKTs,” said Bugie Kurniawan, Head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, in Jimbaran, Badung District, Bali, on Tuesday.

The ITKT permits are valid for 30 days and can be extended for a further 30 days if the emergency situation persists.

Foreign nationals eligible to apply for ITKT must provide a letter from their airline confirming that their flight has been affected or cancelled, along with their original passport and evidence of the cancelled flight ticket.

Based on preliminary data, the nationalities of those applying for ITKT include seven Dutch nationals, four Italians, one Lithuanian, five French, four Ukrainians, four British, one Turkish, one Swiss, two Brazilians, three Germans, one American, three Russians, one Slovak, one Austrian, and four Spanish nationals.

“We guarantee that ITKT issuance is completed on the same day. Our officers have been deployed to address this emergency situation so that foreign nationals need not worry about their immigration status whilst awaiting new flight schedules,” said Bugie.

In addition to the ITKT policy, the immigration office has implemented zero-rupiah penalties for foreign nationals who have overstayed their permit. According to the Immigration Law, WNA overstaying for less than 60 days face a fine of Rp1 million per day. However, given the emergency circumstances, this penalty is not being applied.

To date, five foreign nationals have exceeded their permit by one day, and all five have left Bali by purchasing new tickets, thus avoiding transit through affected Middle East airspace, including Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.

The immigration office has also established a service desk on the second floor of the International Departure Terminal at Ngurah Rai Airport to provide information, direct foreign nationals, and register affected passengers requiring immigration facilities.

Foreign nationals wishing to apply for ITKT can register at the airport service desk and subsequently process their ITKT application at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office in Jimbaran, Badung District.

Based on preliminary data from the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, from 28 February to 2 March, a total of 4,426 foreign nationals were affected by flight cancellations.