The Indonesian government has issued a presidential decree that will offer free visa facility as of Feb. 1 to visitors from 11 countries and regions making a short trip to Jakarta based on reciprocal principle, an official said Wednesday.

The immigration office also will introduce visa-on-arrival services to visitors from 21 countries and regions, according to Ade Endang Dahlan, a spokesman for the immigration directorate under the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.

"Visa-on-arrival services will be effective on Feb. 1," he was quoted as saying by the official Antara news agency.

Free visa facility will be given to visitors from Brunei, Chile, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, he said.

The decree replaces the old one dating 1983 that offered free-visa facility to visitors from 48 countries and regions.

Meanwhile, visa-on-arrival services are applied to visitors from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2004)