Indonesia Offers Free Stay Permits for Krakatau-Stranded Foreigners

RRI.CO.ID, Tangerang - The Directorate General of Immigration of Indonesia has issued Force Majeure Stay Permits (ITKT) at zero cost for foreign nationals whose flights were canceled or rerouted due to the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.

The eruption sequence between September 5 and 7 disrupted 528 flights at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, comprising 254 canceled arrivals and 266 canceled departures, affecting 86,760 passengers. To prevent administrative penalties for foreign travelers stranded by force majeure conditions, immigration authorities instituted a zero-rupiah (IDR 0.00) tariff policy for overstay fees alongside 30-day extendable ITKT grants.

As of Monday, September 7, the Soekarno-Hatta Special Class I Immigration Office processed 26 ITKT applications after opening an additional service counter. Other regional offices also issued permits, including Central Jakarta (5), North Jakarta (4), Depok (2), South Jakarta (2), and one permit each in Ngurah Rai, Juanda, Bekasi, and Tangerang. Applicants or airline representatives must submit passport documents, existing visas, and official flight disruption declarations from airport or civil aviation authorities.

Immigration leadership emphasized that legal certainty and humanitarian service priorities take precedence during severe natural disaster disruptions affecting international travel networks. Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko detailed the core objectives of the emergency visa policy.

"Immigration provides guaranteed ITKT permits for foreign nationals affected by disaster-related flight cancellations as part of our public service commitment, we apply a zero-rupiah tariff for foreign nationals who incur overstays strictly due to this force majeure event," Hendarsam said in a written release in Tangerang on Monday, September 7, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He outlined the state's role in reassuring stranded international travelers. "We understand the difficult situation and inconvenience experienced by passengers due to flight disruptions, therefore, the state is present to provide legal certainty, ensuring the ITKT process runs rapidly, efficiently, and without overstay fee burdens so foreign nationals remain secure until flight schedules normalize," Hendarsam noted.

He affirmed that regulatory oversight remains active alongside emergency relief measures.

"Emergency immigration services at airport immigration checkpoints issue ITKT permits valid for up to 30 days, extendable according to regulations, in emergency conditions, service functions become our priority while maintaining standard operating procedures and prudent oversight to preserve public order and immigration security," Marantoko explained. ***