Nigerians with new
passports seeking to travel to Indonesia will need to include a certificate of
recommendation from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) among the
documents needed to process their visas.
News
Agency of Nigeria report continues:
Harry
Purwanto, Indonesian ambassador to Nigeria, disclosed in Abuja on Monday,
saying the new visa policy was in line with global measures to promote safety.
He
said the visa conditionals were reviewed in October 2016.
Purwanto
said it was easier for those with frequently used passports to get visas.
He
explained that applicants seeking to travel to Indonesia also need to be
invited or have certain recommendations to visit that country.
The
envoy said the policy had made visa application process for Nigerians “quite
tough” but added that it was for the safety of all.
“We
(the embassy) could authorize the issuance of visas without having to get in
touch with Jakarta; but since October 2016, we have to send visa applications
from here to Jakarta for approval.
“We
here can make only recommendations on visa applications, especially if
applicants have programmes to undertake in Indonesia, but it is at the
discretion of authorities in Jakarta to approve the visas that will be issued.”
He
also said about 2,000 visas were issued to Nigerians in 2016, and the same
number in 2015.
Purwanto
said that both countries were working on programmes that could enhance
people-to-people relations, adding that such relations would promote
understanding between both cultures.
“We
have about 50 Nigerian students in Indonesia, some under scholarship, and they
serve as ambassadors for Nigeria there,” he said.
“The
Nigerian community in the country is not so large, that is why crimes committed
by a few could tarnish the image of others.”
Many Nigerians have been
involved in drug trafficking in the Asian country.
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