Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, explained how Israeli citizens can enter the country
The clarification sets out how Indonesian authorities assess nationality amid scrutiny of Israeli visitors in Bali and social media claims about access to Indonesia.
kolmapäev, 12. august 2026 22:27
Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration said in Jakarta on Aug. 12 that Israeli citizens can enter through a tightly vetted visa process or with other passports they also hold, ANTARA News reported.
The statement followed social media posts about Israelis in Bali, some of which claimed Indonesia was open to Israeli citizens. Imam Shamsi Ali, an Indonesian-born imam at a mosque in New York, reposted content from “Gaza Update” on Aug. 3 and wrote: “It is making headlines. But things seem rather quiet in Indonesia. What is going on?”
Eko Budianto, the director of visas and travel documents, said visa applications from countries including Israel require checks by other state bodies. “We have a mechanism for what we classify as countries requiring specific visa validation. For them, visa issuance must be based on verification by other ministries and agencies,” he said.
Budianto said applications from Israeli citizens require involvement, deliberation and approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Intelligence Agency, the National Police, the Attorney General’s Office, the Strategic Intelligence Agency and the Ministry of Home Affairs. “The verification does not come solely from immigration, nor does the approval,” he said.
He said Israeli citizens may also enter Indonesia with passports from other countries of which they are citizens, noting that many European countries recognize dual or multiple citizenship. Indonesia’s immigration system checks nationality rather than place of birth, he said, adding that very few Israeli nationals entered through the standard visa process.
Budianto said field findings and checks in the Immigration Management Information System, known as SIMKIM, showed some Israeli citizens had entered using third-country passports. “When we cross-checked our SIMKIM data, specifically by verifying names and alphabetical listings, we found individuals using Portuguese passports, followed by German and Greek passports,” he said.
* Välisuudiste tõlkimisel võib olla kasutatud tehisintellekti abi.
Toeta nwsTraili
nwsTrail on sõltumatu välisuudiste veebileht. Sinu toetus aitab hoida sisu tasuta.
