Australians may once again enjoy visa-free trips to Bali

Indonesia, and more specifically Bali, continues its magnetic pull on Australians, having now overtaken New Zealand as our most popular overseas destination.

And those visits could soon become even easier, with visa-free travel back on the agenda.

Most Australians currently complete a Visa on Arrival at the airport, or plan in advance with the online eVisa on Arrival – both costing around AUD40 and are valid for 30 days.

But the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism has now put forward a proposal to allow visa-free travel to Bali for eight countries – among them Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and India, along with an extension for permanent residents of Singapore.

“We have held a number of detailed discussions with relevant ministries and institutions, and the discussions have actually narrowed down to the possibility of granting visa-free visits,” Tourism Minister Widiyanti Wardhana told The Bali Sun.

Wardhana added that the proposal is now awaiting a high-level decision.

The aim of this proposal would be to counter the drop in tourism from countries further afield, who would usually arrive via the Gulf airlines.

“Minister Wardhana did not say when the proposed policy changes would be reviewed by the Minister, but we get the sense that this is a change that the Ministry of Tourism wants to see brought into effect quickly to help stabilise the economy,” the Bali Sun suggests.