Visa-free facility to be limited

JAKARTA: The Immigration Directorate General of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights revealed on Wednesday that the visa- free facility on arrival would be issued at limited gateways in the country.

"Only immigration offices at certain airports and seaports are allowed to issue the visa on arrival to visitors," said Ade E. Dachlan, the spokesman of the directorate general, on Wednesday.

He said that visitors holding the visa were permitted to enter other parts of the country and to leave the country from a gateway other than their entry point. However, several conflict areas are to be off limits.

"Visitors who enter the country through Batam may visit Bali afterwards, for example. Our immigration officials there will check their visa when they depart from either Bali or Batam," he said.

Earlier, justice and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said that the government was considering implementing the visa-free facility in certain parts of the country.

He referred to similar policy imposed by the Hong Kong administration. --JP