This could potentially be a game changer for digital nomads in Southeast Asia. If you’ve ever wanted to move to Bali this could be your opportunity. Bali is frequently rated as one of the top travel destinations and a top pick among digital nomads.
Often in the past, digital nomads would have to rely on visa runs (where you fly/travel to another country for a short while before returning on a new visa to the original country) to live in exotic locations. Unfortunately, this has become much more difficult and even impossible for much of the past couple of years depending on where you wanted to go. Another issue is staying in a country for more than six months will often entangle you in their tax system which can cause additional headaches. This new proposed visa may solve all these issues for those looking to spend time in this Indonesian tropical paradise.
It is important to note, that this has not yet been finalized but based on recent press releases it is looking likely. An earlier attempt at a similar visa last year failed to materialize after a rise in the number of cases on the island. This visa will allow you to stay and work from the island for up to 5 years before you will have to renew. Additionally, you won’t have to pay any tax on any foreign earned outside Indonesia. If you are not a citizen of the US, this could be an excellent way to spend part or all of your year and enjoy a tax-free lifestyle. Without this visa, if you spend more than 183 days in Indonesia you will be required to pay tax to Indonesia on your global income.
Requirements and Costs
The only requirements so far seem to be a valid passport and to have the ability to work remotely and pay for the visa. Perhaps there will be an income requirement but it has not been mentioned as of yet. The price of this visa is not available yet, but we do know that the existing “Investment Visa”, a 24 month visa, in Indonesia costs about $1700 USD. The price of this new digital nomad visa will likely be in the similar range, maybe a bit more since it is for more than twice as long. In the meantime, the existing Visa on Arrival program is still in place, but these only allow stays between 30 and 180 days depending on the visa.
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