The Acting Director General of Immigration, Saffar M. Godam, has announced that foreign nationals holding temporary residence permits (ITAS) and permanent stay permits (ITAP) are now able to use the autogates when processing through Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.
As reported by The Jakarta Globe, the access of ITAS and ITAP permit holders to autogates will do much to streamline and expedite immigration processing. Previously, only travelers with an e-Visa or on a visa-free visit were allowed to use the autogates that facilitate processing in seconds.
“Before this (new) policy was implemented, foreign nationals holding ITAP or ITAS had to pass immigration checks at counters. Now, their experience is more streamlined, enjoyable, and efficient,” said Godam.
Godam reports that between January and September 2024, some 3,518,963 foreign nationals arrived or departed Indonesia using immigration autogates, averaging about 390,000 foreign nationals per month. The interim Director General estimates that only 15 to 25 seconds per person is needed to process through an autogate.
Eighty-eight autogates are in place and operating at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and 120 at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. Godam reported that immigration authorities in Indonesia have issued 134,037 temporary residence permits (ITAS) and 3,648 permanent residence permits (ITAP) as of September 2024.
Godam is optimistic that the immigration experience of ITAP and ITAS holders will be enhanced through the digitalization of documentation, including the use of autogates.
“The digitization of foreign immigration services begins with online visa applications through the evisa.imigrasi.go.id website. Additionally, biometric data collection can now be done independently through that website, eliminating applicants needing to visit immigration offices. The same applies to residence permit extensions, which are also conducted digitally,” he explained.
Godam emphasized that the convenience provided to foreign nationals holding ITAP or ITAS will be done without compromising security. The face recognition technology used at the autogates also ensures that everyone passing through is not on any official watchlist or INTERPOL red notice.
“We continue to encourage efforts to attract quality foreign nationals to come to Indonesia, yielding positive impacts, especially from an economic standpoint. Our visa and residence permit policies serve as a filter while simultaneously easing the process,” he concluded.
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