The Ministry of Economy, and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, and President Joko Widodo have approved the plan to open the doors between Batam, Bintan (Riau Islands) and Singapore through what they call a travel bubble arrangement. Batam is located 20 km (12 mi) off Singapore’s south coast.

“The President has agreed to start implementing the Batam, Bintan – Singapore travel bubble as a prototype to start the economic opening, especially tourism, in a limited and controlled scheme,” said Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs.

This step has been seen as a series of upcoming changes towards opening Indonesia again for international tourism. The industry expects that the government will soon adjust travel regulations regarding mandatory quarantine and Visa requirements.

These are the points that have been published in detail:

The Health Protocol for Singaporean Travelers with the Travel Bubble Mechanism in the Area of Batam-Bintan has been arranged in a Circular Letter Number 3 of 2022 by the Head of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force. These are some regulations that travellers should be aware of:

1. The only entry points for this exclusive travel plan are only Nongsapura International Ferry Terminal and Bandar Bintan Belani Ferry Terminal
2. Must have a full vaccination certificate in English, received at least 14 days before travelling. The certificate must also be registered on the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia’s official website or e-HAC International Indonesia’s website.
3. A negative RT-PCR test, taken no more than 3×24 hours before departure. Another test will be enforced upon arrival in Ferry Terminal.
4. Singapore passport holders are allowed to enter without a visa. However, other nationalities are still required to present a tourist visa or other entry permit.
5. Provide proof of travel bubble trip package booking confirmation in the Lagoi Bintan Resort or Nongsa Sensation area;
6. International travellers must have health insurance with a minimum coverage value of 30,000 SGD, including for Covid-19 medical treatment to a reference hospital.
7. According to their planned itineraries, international travellers are only allowed to engage in activities within a predetermined zone and are not entitled to go to other areas in Indonesia.

The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, emphasized that this travel bubble arrangement between Indonesia and Singapore will be monitored closely every one or two weeks.