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Batam has yet to see rise in visits by Singaporean PR holders
The policy introduced last month allows for foreigners holding Singaporean permanent residency to visit Batam, Bintan and the Karimun islands visa free for four days.
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A ferry arrives on July 15, 2022 at Harbour Front in Singapore after departing Indonesia from Batam Island, Riau Islands province. (AFP/Roslan Rahman)
B
atam has not seen a significant rise in visitors from Singapore after the government last month introduced a visa-free visit (BVK) for foreigners holding Singaporean permanent residency.
The policy, introduced in an Immigration Directorate General Circular Letter on Oct. 8, allows foreigners holding Singaporean permanent residency to visit Batam, Bintan and the Karimun islands visa free for four days.
In comparison, foreigners holding Singaporean passports can visit any region of Indonesia visa free for 30 days, as well as citizens of all ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste, Colombia, Hong Kong and Suriname.
Batam Immigration Office spokesperson Kharisma Rukmana said the visa-free visit policy only made up 1 percent of the total number of visitors that the office admitted per day.
