Indonesia Proposes Student Visa Reforms, Drops Letter of Acceptance Fee to Zero

(INDONESIA) — Indonesia’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology and Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Services are pursuing major student visa reforms aimed at boosting international enrollment and improving the country’s competitiveness in attracting foreign students.

Officials are discussing changes that would reshape how international students apply, what they pay, what work they can do during study, and how they move between study levels without leaving the country.

Hermawan K. Dipojono, expert staff to the Minister of Higher Education, said March 3, 2026 that “visas form the first impression international students have of Indonesia,” tying the proposed overhaul to the country’s higher education internationalization strategy.

Indonesia’s push comes as it confronts practical barriers that have made it harder to attract international students than some ASEAN neighbors, including heavy administrative burdens on campuses that act as visa sponsors.

Lengthy processing times and relatively high visa costs also stand out among the current challenges, alongside limited transparency and weak inter-agency system integration.

Universities, under the current setup described by officials, carry a significant share of the workload because sponsorship processes require campus involvement beyond academic admissions and student support.

That administrative role, officials say, diverts attention from core priorities such as academic quality and student development, and adds friction for applicants who must navigate multiple steps.

At the center of the proposed reforms is a plan to simplify the application process by shifting responsibility to students for submitting applications and paying visa fees independently.

Applicants would use a university-issued Letter of Acceptance, often referred to as a LoA, as the basis for their visa application rather than relying on universities to handle sponsorship.

By moving away from a model in which universities manage sponsorship, the reforms aim to reduce the administrative burdens on campuses and allow institutions to focus more on academic outcomes and student development.

Supporters of the changes present them as a structural adjustment rather than a minor procedural tweak, because the LoA would become the primary document enabling students to deal directly with the visa process.

Another major plank under discussion targets the cost of studying in Indonesia by lowering student visa fees, a step officials link to the goal of making Indonesia more competitive in attracting foreign students.

Alongside the fee reductions, the proposals include “zero rupiah” immigration components for scholarship recipients at state universities, a measure designed to remove specific immigration-related charges for that group.

The “zero rupiah” element, as described in the proposals, focuses on scholarship recipients studying at state universities and aims to reduce financial barriers tied to immigration processes.

Officials also want to expand work permissions for international students by allowing them to work part-time in academic roles during their studies.

Those part-time roles include teaching, research, and internship positions, and are presented as academically aligned work rather than employment unrelated to study.

Backers of the expanded permissions frame the goal as facilitating “brain circulation” of global talent into Indonesia, linking the student experience to the country’s broader ambitions in higher education.

The work-permission proposal seeks to make it easier for international students to contribute to academic and research environments while building professional and scholarly experience.

A separate change under discussion would remove the mandatory requirement for students to exit the country when changing study levels.

Eliminating that exit requirement would allow students to transition between levels of study without leaving Indonesia, reducing disruption for students and administrative complexity for institutions.

Taken together, the proposals aim to reduce friction at each stage of an international student’s journey, from visa application and payment through to study progression and limited academic work.

The ministries involved have cast the package as part of a broader attempt to improve Indonesia’s standing as a destination for international study, with visa policy positioned as a competitive factor.

Reform advocates also point to system-level issues that extend beyond any single office, including limited transparency and weak inter-agency system integration that can complicate processing and coordination.

By redesigning the process around a student-driven application supported by a university Letter of Acceptance, officials aim to clarify responsibilities and reduce the operational load borne by campuses.

Supporters say the overall direction reflects a view that international students judge a destination early, and that the visa experience shapes perceptions before students ever enter a classroom.

Dipojono’s remark that “visas form the first impression international students have of Indonesia” has been cited by reform proponents as a concise statement of why visa rules matter to internationalization strategies.

Officials describe the reforms as addressing both competitiveness and practicality, with cost reductions, streamlined applications, and clearer pathways intended to make Indonesia more accessible to prospective students.

The proposals remain under discussion, but the components being considered collectively target the administrative burden on universities, processing delays, high costs, and coordination gaps that officials identify as obstacles.

For Indonesian universities seeking international enrollment growth, the ministries’ approach would shift campuses away from sponsorship administration and toward their core functions, while leaving students to manage applications and payments using their LoA.

For prospective students, the ministries’ package would combine lower costs with a more direct application route and expanded part-time options in teaching, research, and internships, while removing the exit requirement when changing study levels.