Accommodation providers across Indonesia, including hotels, villas, homestays, and guesthouses are now mandated to report the presence of foreign nationals staying at their establishments to immigration authorities. This requirement is part of a nationwide effort to strengthen the monitoring of foreign nationals’ activities, not limited to Bali alone.
Head of the Singaraja Class II Immigration Office, Hendra Setiawan, stated that foreign guest reporting must be done via the Foreigner Surveillance Application (APOA) at both check-in and check-out.
“We require hotels, lodgings, and villas to report. This allows immigration to detect foreign guests and monitor their status—whether they are overstaying, entered illegally, or not,” Hendra said on Sunday (June 8).
This obligation is regulated under Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration, as amended by Law No. 63 of 2024, specifically Article 72 paragraphs (1) and (2), which stipulate that accommodation providers must provide information about foreign guests upon request by immigration officers.
The Singaraja Immigration Office has conducted outreach in its operational areas—Buleleng, Jembrana, and Karangasem Regencies—to inform local businesses about these reporting duties. Although awareness among operators in major areas is increasing, challenges remain in reaching more remote accommodations.
“The challenge now is collecting data from remote areas, which must be visited one by one. If an operator fails to report, there are penalties related to immigration criminal offenses,” Hendra emphasized.
He added that APOA was introduced in 2024 but underwent adjustments due to institutional restructuring from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) to the Ministry of Immigration and Passport Affairs (Kemenimipas). The system was reactivated in 2025.
“Right now, we’re rolling it out to hotels and villas. The response from accommodation providers has been positive. We’ve received their data. However, those in remote locations still need to be reached, since our area includes Jembrana and Karangasem,” he added.
Nationally, the Directorate General of Immigration has emphasized that APOA is designed to streamline and enhance the monitoring of foreigners across Indonesia. According to Director of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement, Yuldi Yusman:
“Immigration has the authority to request data on foreign nationals from hotels or any premises that function as accommodations. In this case, we use APOA as the platform.”
The reporting process involves logging into the APOA system, collecting the foreign guest’s passport, and uploading a photo of the passport’s main page. Once the information is verified, a Foreign Guest Reporting Receipt is generated, serving as proof that the report has been submitted. For check-out, the operator logs back into the system and verifies the guest’s departure to complete the report.
As of March 24, 2025, a total of 78,077 foreign nationals had been registered through APOA nationwide, with 23,835 check-ins and 54,242 check-outs. The top five countries of origin were Australia (13,104 guests), China (12,493), India (5,688), Singapore (4,491), and Japan (3,869). Provinces with the highest foreign guest occupancy were Bali (47,772), followed by Riau Islands, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, and Jakarta.
Yuldi underscored the importance of structured reporting in maintaining public order and national sovereignty:
“With more structured reporting, the chances of detecting illegal activities that threaten public order and national sovereignty are significantly increased.”
Acting Director General of Immigration, Saffar Muhammad Godam, echoed the sentiment, stating that the Immigration Directorate General continues to build cooperation with relevant stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness of monitoring:
“With the APOA system and the support of various parties, we hope immigration monitoring of foreign nationals in Indonesia can be more optimal. The use of technology in our immigration system is a significant step forward in safeguarding the nation’s security and sovereignty,” he said.
The Immigration Directorate General has also called on the public and hospitality industry to actively support foreigner monitoring efforts. Yuldi added:
“We urge hotel owners and managers to report the presence of foreign nationals to us so that we can monitor and supervise their activities.”
Regulation Applies Nationwide, Not Just in Bali
As part of its enforcement strategy, the Directorate conducted Operation Wira Waspada from May 14–16, 2025, in Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi, targeting 28 locations including apartments, cafes, and shopping centers.
The operation, which involved ten immigration offices, resulted in the apprehension of 170 foreign nationals from 27 countries for administrative immigration violations. Most were from Nigeria (61 individuals), Cameroon (27), Pakistan (14), and Sierra Leone (12).
“The violations included failure to present travel documents, fictitious sponsors, overstaying visas, and fraudulent investor claims,” Yusman said.
These violations fall under Articles 78 and 123 of the Immigration Law, which address overstays and the use of false information or documents to obtain visas or stay permits. Offenders may face up to five years in prison and/or fines up to IDR 500 million, along with deportation and blacklisting.
Sources: Nusabali, Jogjaimigrasi, Antaranews.