Indonesia reviews visa rules amid gambling, security concerns
Indonesia is reviewing parts of its visa-free entry policy after several large operations involving foreign nationals suspected of links to online gambling and cyber fraud networks.
Authorities insist no decision has been taken to suspend or abolish visa-free access. However, recent arrests involving hundreds of foreign nationals have pushed immigration enforcement and border controls back into focus as the country reassesses how its entry systems are being used.
The latest concerns emerged on 13 May 2026, when Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration confirmed it was reviewing the status of 320 foreign nationals suspected of involvement in an international online gambling syndicate operating in West Jakarta.
The operation, carried out alongside Indonesian police in the Hayam Wuruk area, led to the detainees being transferred to immigration detention facilities and immigration offices for further checks. Officials said the group included 224 men and 96 women.
Leveraging short-stay visas
According to immigration authorities, many of those detained had entered Indonesia using short-stay permits, Visa on Arrival facilities or the country’s visa-free entry programme, known locally as Bebas Visa Kunjungan.
Just days earlier, authorities in Batam had already detained another 210 foreign nationals over suspected links to an online investment fraud operation. Most of those arrested were reportedly citizens of Vietnam, China and Myanmar.
Officials said some had entered using visa-free access, while others were travelling on Visas on Arrival, standard visit visas, or investor stay permits. Indonesia’s immigration chief, Hendarsam Marantoko, said such cases are now being considered as part of a policy evaluation.
Authorities are increasingly concerned that tourism-related entry schemes may be exploited by foreign criminal groups seeking to establish operations in the country while avoiding stricter visa scrutiny.
No big policy changes for now
Even so, officials stressed that no immediate changes have been introduced for travellers. The official list of countries eligible for visa-free entry and visa-on-arrival facilities remains unchanged.
Countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand continue to qualify for visa-free access to Indonesia. Immigration officials have nevertheless warned that foreign visitors must strictly adhere to the purpose of their stay. Activities considered equivalent to work, operational business activity or organised commercial operations are not permitted under standard tourist or visit entry arrangements.
The review comes as Indonesia increases immigration enforcement more broadly. Authorities said that between January and early May this year, they carried out nearly 6,800 administrative immigration actions. These included deportations, visa cancellations, immigration blacklist measures and placements in detention centres. Investigators are also examining the role of local sponsors and guarantors who may have helped facilitate the activities of foreign suspects.
Other countries reviewing policies
Indonesia’s policy review reflects a major shift across Southeast Asia, where governments are trying to balance tourism recovery with tighter monitoring of immigration abuses.
Thailand has also begun reassessing parts of its expanded visa-free regime after concerns that some foreign nationals were using long tourist stays to engage in unauthorised business activities or criminal operations.
Indonesia appears to be taking a similar approach, focusing less on restricting tourism and more on enforcing what officials describe as “selective immigration” principles.
For now, ordinary travellers are unlikely to notice major changes. But authorities have signalled that closer checks, stricter monitoring and tighter enforcement are likely to become a bigger part of regional travel across Southeast Asia.
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