According to the Singaporean Tourism Board, the country welcomed approximately 2.3 million Indonesian tourists in 2023, representing nearly 16.91 percent of all arrivals for that year alone. In turn, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded over 1.4 million tourists coming into Indonesia from Singapore in 2023, second only to Malaysians.

International travel within ASEAN has been facilitated by the Visit Visa Exemption, where citizens of one of the bloc’s ten countries are allowed to freely come into Indonesia as tourists without any visa.

Recently, the Directorate General of Immigration has been making the travel process even easier for Singaporeans. The country has launched a free visit visa (BVK) policy for foreign nationals holding permanent residence (PR) in Singapore to visit Batam Island, Bintan Island and Karimun regency on the Riau Islands.

This policy is contained in a 2024 circular letter from the Director General of Immigration concerning immigration checks for visa-free visit subjects holding permanent residence in Singapore, which is based on a Law and Human Rights Ministry decree. The decree, in turn, is a derivative regulation of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 95/2024 concerning visa-free visits.

Director general of immigration Silmy Karim said the policy aimed to attract tourists from Singapore to enjoy tourist destinations in Batam, Bintan and Karimun. Under the new directive, foreign tourists who enter through the BVK facility are given a maximum stay of four days.

"The granting of the BVK for Singapore PRs to visit Batam, Bintan and Karimun will further facilitate [Singapore PR holders] who want to spend the weekend [there] or just have a short escape, such as enjoying nature, culinary tours or shopping. BVK users can enter through crossings on Batam Island, Bintan Island and Karimun regency," said Silmy.

Entrance through the BVK for Singaporeans will be implemented in several ports, including Nongsa Terminal Bahari, Marina Teluk Senimba, Batam Center, Citra Tri Tunas, Sekupang, Sri Bintan Pura, Bandar Bentan Telani Lagoi and Tanjung Balai Karimun.

Silmy added that the Riau Islands was home to many potential tourist destinations with untapped potential. Its strategic location means it can grow into a prime Indonesian tourist destination, which contributes to the welfare of its people, as long as it is supported by the government.

Moreover, the Riau Islands also have several exclusive economic zones (SEZs), including the Nongsa SEZ in the Batam and Bintan Resorts, which are integrated areas for digital business, the creative economy and tourism.

"In addition to encouraging tourism growth, the BVK facility to Batam, Bintan and Karimun also makes it easier for Singapore PR holders who are interested in business or investment in the SEZ in Batam,” added Silmy.

He later emphasized that the Indonesian government would maintain strict supervision nevertheless.

“However, this policy also properly screens foreigners who enter so that the potential for security and order disturbances can be suppressed,” he noted.

This is not the first time the Indonesian government introduced easier ways to move about in the aforementioned areas. The new directive also follows the launch of the travel bubble zone containing Batam, Bintan and Singapore that was previously launched in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, the process was only implemented at the Bandar Bentan Telani Port.

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