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Work from a Bali beach: Indonesia plans digital nomad visa to boost its coronavirus-hit tourism sector
- New five-year visa would enable foreigners to live and work in the country without a work permit.
- Jakarta hopes attracting such workers can revive its pandemic-hit, US$63 billion tourism sector
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Dan Clarke spent a good part of 2020 on the Indonesian islands of Bali and neighbouring Gili, where he spent his days working on his laptop and his down time enjoying the picturesque beaches.
The cryptocurrency investor used to split his time between Singapore and Jakarta, but when the coronavirus pandemic arrived the promise of an idyllic, affordable lifestyle lured him and many other digital nomads who can work from anywhere as long as they’re connected to the internet.
“Everything in Bali is amazing. Some places in Bali have better Wi-Fi than some places in Singapore. It is also affordable. You can rent a villa for US$900 a month, with a pool and cleaning staff that come every day. It’s a high quality of life for sure,” he said. His Airbnb rental house in Bali came with two different internet lines, free Netflix and free PlayStation, he added.
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“Given a choice, I’d be back in Bali tomorrow,” added Briton, 33, who returned to Singapore in January.
Digital nomads like Clarke have become a new target market in Indonesia’s plans to revive its pandemic-hit, US$63 billion tourism sector. To prop up Bali’s status as a digital nomad hub, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy plans to introduce a new type of long-term visa, which lasts for five years and will enable foreigners to live and work in the country without a work permit.
Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno last week said he had proposed the idea to the immigration agency to boost tourism, the property industry and the job market.
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