The Ministry of Law and Human Rights has officially removed Cameroon from Indonesia’s list of countries requiring a calling visa.
Countries subject to the calling visa requirement are those considered to have vulnerability in terms of ideology, politics, social, economic, cultural, national defence and security, as well as immigration.
The Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim, explained, “One reason for removing Cameroon from the list is its potential as a market and entry point for Indonesian products into West Africa and Central Africa.”
The removal of Cameroon from the calling visa list was stipulated in the Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights Number M.HH-05.GR.01.06 of 2023, ratified on 23rd November 2023.
Karim revealed that data from the Central Statistics Agency and the Ministry of Trade showed a trade surplus of US$32 million or around Rp494.74 billion between Indonesia and Cameroon in 2022.
Furthermore, Karim stated that Immigration Administrative Actions against Cameroonian Citizens in recent years have significantly decreased.
Immigration noted that no Cameroonian citizens in Indonesia had faced legal issues in almost the last four years.
With the removal of Cameroon from the list of countries requiring a calling visa, Cameroonians can no longer apply for visas through the clearing house (CH). However, they can apply for a visa online through the online visa service.
“Immigration supervision applies as usual. Cameroonian citizens will be prosecuted if they commit violations. If there are many violations, Immigration can propose to re-evaluate the cancellation of the calling visa,” explained Karim.
Meanwhile, Indonesian citizens visiting Cameroon are required to apply for a visa. Tourist visa applicants will be granted a visa with a validity period of up to 30 days, and business visitors will receive a visa with a validity period of up to six months.
“The Directorate General of Immigration continues to evaluate the countries on the list of countries requiring a calling visa. Currently, the evaluation process for calling visa revocation is being carried out for the West African country of Guinea,” said Karim.
Meanwhile, the countries currently still on the list of countries requiring a calling visa are Afghanistan, Guinea, Israel, North Korea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Somalia.