Indonesia Creates Essential Business, Diplomatic Travel Corridor with Singapore

Indonesia creates essential business, diplomatic travel corridor with Singapore. Indonesia has completed negotiations to establish a travel corridor with Singapore to facilitate urgent diplomatic missions and essential business trips between the two countries amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. 

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said at a press conference on Monday that the arrangement, dubbed the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL), would come into effect on Oct. 26. 

“Trips [via the corridor] may be available within several days in accordance with Indonesia’s e-visa application process and Singapore’s safe travel pass [application process],” Retno said. 

She added that the travel corridor was limited to pressing diplomatic and business trips and did not cover tourism. 

According to the ministry, Indonesian citizens seeking to enter Singapore via the corridor will be required to have official sponsors from Singaporean state agencies and enterprises, in addition to a safe travel pass. 

Likewise, Singaporean nationals traveling to Indonesia will be obliged to have official sponsors from Indonesian state departments and business entities, in addition to a visa. 

The agreement has established two routes for the travel corridor, one between Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Changi International Airport and the other between the Batam Ferry Terminal and the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. 

The two nations have agreed to certain procedures to ensure adherence to health protocols, Retno said. 

For instance, travelers are required to take two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests–one within 72 hours before departure and one upon arrival at the airport or ferry terminal. 

“The pre-departure test results are to be released by mutually recognized healthcare institutions,” Retno added. 

The Indonesian government previously established travel corridors with the United Arab Emirates and South Korea to grant leeway to state departments and businesses from both countries, allowing them to reconnect and resume projects that were halted as a result the pandemic while still complying with health procedures. Indonesia creates essential business, diplomatic travel corridor with Singapore (Rizki Fachriansyah,  The Jakarta Post)