Indonesia intends to implement a visa that would allow remote workers to live in the country tax-free. Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia’s tourism minister, revealed the proposed five-year ‘digital nomad visa’ earlier this month.
According to Bloomberg, the minister told reporters that with this step, he intends to attract up to 3.6 million foreign visitors. He went on to say that the new visa will allow freelancers or people working remotely from anywhere in the globe to reside on islands like Bali, as long as their profits come from corporations outside of Indonesia.
The minister also stated that the decision to implement the nomad visa was based on research that found Indonesia, particularly Bali, to be the most “top of mind” destination for remote workers who took part in the study.
The minister also announced his plan to increase the focus on spiritual retreats and eco-tourism. “In the past, the three S was: sun, sea, and sand. We’re moving it to serenity, spirituality, and sustainability. This way, we’re getting better quality and a better impact on the local economy,” Uno told a media portal.
The idea to introduce the digital nomad visa was earlier planned in 2021. However, it was shelved due to the Covid-19 cases.
“Now with the pandemic handled and all the ministries getting involved and cooperating from the health side to the immigration office, we believe that this is an opportune time to relaunch this idea,” Uno told the media.
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