The Timorese Government temporarily suspended a set of new rules for tourist and business visas into the country. “The decision has been temporarily suspended,” said an official source at the Interior Ministry to Lusa, questioning the controversial changes announced on the official website.
Background: The New Rules
This week, the Immigration Service had announced the application of new rules for tourist and business visas, which, although envisaged by law, are being strongly challenged by the obstacles they raise, complicating the procedures.
The current law provides that tourist visas (Class I) must be requested from consular or diplomatic representations. Due to resource limitations, the procedure had previously been handled through visas upon arrival in Dili or at the country’s land borders.
However, as of 1 May 2019, and on the basis of Order Nr. 470 — signed on 16 April by interim Minister of the Interior Filomeno Paixão — visas had to be applied for, compulsorily, in representations abroad.
Criticism and Controversy
This decision provoked criticism from tour operators, East Timorese nationals, and foreigners organising visits to the country.
Several issues were identified:
- The official information published on the Migration Service’s website references law 9/2003 on immigration and asylum, which had already been repealed by a new law approved in 2017.
- The Migration Service website contained different information depending on the language selected. An official source confirmed that “the updated information is the one in English” and that “technicians have not yet updated the information in Portuguese and Tetum” — the two official languages of the country.
- For countries where there is no diplomatic representation of Timor-Leste, the procedures offered no provision for electronic visa applications.
Who Is Exempt
The new procedures do not apply to passport holders from countries with which Timor-Leste has existing visa agreements. Countries of the European Union are notably included in this exemption.
Government Response
A government source confirmed to Lusa that the matter was discussed in the Council of Ministers, and that the decision was suspended following that meeting.
An official source from the Migration Service clarified that “Prior Authorisation is only an authorisation for downstream control purposes” and that “visas upon arrival continue to be issued at border posts.”
The rationale given for introducing the new procedures was as follows:
“Given that it is not yet possible to implement the new Immigration law — which provides for the issuance of visas in Timor-Leste’s diplomatic representations abroad as a preparatory phase — and in view of the high number of cases of misuse of tourist visas (Class I) for the unauthorised exercise of activities, it was necessary to establish a prior check of admission applications by Immigration Attachés to Embassies and Consulates.”
Impact on Tourism
The announcement came at a difficult time for Timor-Leste’s tourism sector, which is already under pressure from:
- The termination of air connections to Singapore
- A significant increase in flight prices to Bali, Indonesia
Operators reported an abrupt drop in visitor numbers, with a significant impact on an already fragile tourism industry.
Regional Context
Several countries in the region have in recent years relaxed visa procedures for tourists. Indonesia, for example, has implemented visas on arrival for citizens of most countries. In other countries, the procedure is more complex, but visas are typically requested electronically from a distance.
Lusa requested clarifications from the Ministry of the Interior but had not yet received a response at the time of publication.