The European Commission has declared that Indonesians travelling to European Union (EU) member countries for the second time will be eligible for multiple-entry Schengen visas.
In a joint announcement with Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto following a meeting in Brussels on July 13, Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, said via the Indonesia Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel: “I am pleased to announce that the European Commission has adopted a decision on visa cascade. From now on, Indonesian citizens visiting the European Union for the second time will be eligible for a multi-entry Schengen visa.”
She added: “This policy isn’t just about facilitating visits; it’s also about strengthening long-term relationships between the people of both regions, including in education, investment, and social exchange. This will make it easier for them not only to visit but also to invest, study, and build deeper connections.”
The visa policy forms part of the “people-to-people connections” pillar, a key focus in the strategic partnership between the EU and Indonesia. von der Leyen stated: “In short, we are building bridges between our peoples.”
President Prabowo welcomed the enhanced cooperation between Indonesia and the EU, including in citizen mobility. He emphasised the importance of long-term relationships built on mutual trust and shared values.
Indonesian outbound tour operators acknowledged the announcement but pointed out that the policy was not entirely new.
Jeffry Darjanto, director of Avia Tours, said the announcement was good news but added that they still need to check details with local embassies in Indonesia. He explained that even though the visa is for all EU member countries, each country’s embassy decides on visa types and how long they last. He also said that a traveller’s past visits to Europe affect their application.
Vidya Hermanto, chief experience officer at Panorama JTB Tours Indonesia, shared that multiple-entry Schengen visas have been issued to Indonesian travellers before, but their short validity limits their usefulness for most tourists. She explained that unlike business travellers who often visit Europe regularly, holidaymakers rarely return to the same entry country, making the brief visa duration impractical.
According to tour operators, easing travel for Indonesians would require a multi-faceted approach, including extending visa validity and permitted stay duration, simplifying application requirements, and significantly expanding biometric appointment slots to reduce the current multi-month waiting times and expedite the overall process.
