Ministry of Immigration and Corrections
Directorate General of Immigration
BOGOR – The Directorate General of Immigration has expanded the reach of its Electronic Visa on Arrival (eVOA) market through collaboration with VFS Global, resulting in the issuance of 4,345 eVoAs applied for via the VFS Global platform between January and May 21, 2025. Although this number is relatively small compared to the total eVoAs issued directly through the evisa.imigrasi.go.id website, the Directorate General of Immigration confirms that promotion and publicity for eVOA and other Indonesian immigration services have reached Australia, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States through VFS Global's offices, channels, and promotional/publication media. These four countries, along with the People's Republic of China (PRC), are key target markets for eVOA services.
Arief Munandar, Director of Cooperation and Representative Development, emphasized that the partnership with VFS Global plays a strategic role in broadening the scope of electronic visa applications for Indonesia.
"This cooperation also serves as a means of public service diplomacy for Indonesia to the world," Arief stated during the Monitoring and Evaluation Meeting for the Cooperation Agreement with PT VFS Services Indonesia in Sentul City on Friday, May 23, 2025. He mentioned that this evaluation is a concrete step to support the Minister of Immigration and Correctional Affairs' directive to enhance the quality of inclusive and globally standardized digital immigration services.
Data compiled by the Directorate General of Immigration shows an increase in eVOA issuances submitted through the VFS Global platform from February to March 2025, reaching an average of 1,000 eVoAs per month, following the application trial period in December 2024 and January 2025. Meanwhile, the total entries and exits through Immigration Checkpoints from January to the third week of May 2025 exceeded 12 million. Concurrently, autogate usage has more than doubled compared to the same period last year. Specifically for foreign nationals, autogates can only be used by electronic passport holders.
On the same occasion, Kaushik Gosh, Head of Australasia VFS Global, expressed appreciation for the effective implementation of the partnership over the past four months. "We observe the potential for growth in eVOA applicants through VFS, especially from India, Australia, the UK, and the United States, and even South Africa," he added.
The meeting between the Directorate General of Immigration and VFS Global resulted in several important agreements, including the acceleration of a reconciliation dashboard development targeted to begin in June 2025 and the drafting of a timeline for immigration service promotion by VFS Global. Additionally, VFS Global is expected to continue introducing this system to the global community through various promotional methods, such as outdoor campaigns in London, UK, and New York, USA. Plans for collaboration with foreign airlines and advertising partnerships with businesses in India are also underway.
"This evaluation is a form of shared commitment to increase the global visibility and accessibility of Indonesia's electronic visa services. We believe that the synergy between the government and official service partners like VFS will strengthen the quality of reliable, secure, and user-friendly immigration services," Arief concluded.
Last updated 26 May 2025
