TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A decision by Indonesia not to restore a visa waiver for visitors from 159 countries will also affect Taiwan, reports said Saturday (June 24).

President Joko Widodo said the country had considered reinstating the system implemented before the COVID-19 pandemic, when citizens of 169 countries did not have to apply for a visa to visit Indonesia. However, the government concluded the policy no longer benefited the country, Tempo reported.

The Indonesian publication quoted Achmad Nur Saleh, a spokesperson for the Law and Human Rights Ministry, mentioning “concerns about public order disruptions” and diseases from countries not certified as disease-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) as factors affecting the government's decision.

The decision not to restore the visa waiver will not only affect visitors from Taiwan, but also travelers from the United States, Japan, China, India, Australia, and the European Union, per CNA.

Visas on arrival and their electronic version (eVOA) will be available for the equivalent of NT$1,000 (US$32), with the possibility of one 30-day extension. Under the visa waiver, no extension of the 30-day stay was possible.

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said the visa waiver policy had been ineffective and the end of the program would not have an impact on tourism, according to a report in the Jakarta Post. It might even improve the quality of tourism in Indonesia, he said.

Going forward, visa-free access will only be offered to citizens of 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.