Labuan Bajo Immigration Services Shift to Emergency Tents After Quake

Labuan Bajo — Immigration services in Labuan Bajo were moved outdoors into emergency tents after the August 15 earthquake triggered concerns about aftershocks, according to local reports and a statement from the immigration office. The temporary arrangement was in place on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, and officials said it would run for up to two weeks.

Kepala Kantor Imigrasi Kelas II TPI Labuan Bajo Charles Christian Mathaus said the office set up a temporary service point outside the building, using a mobile unit and service tents, because of building-safety concerns and the risk of more tremors, according to a report published by detikBali. The report said the office planned to keep serving the public outside the main building while prioritising safety, security and comfort for staff and visitors.

The report said eight applicants were served on Friday at the emergency setup, including two passport applicants and six people seeking residence permits. It identified the permit cases as two temporary stay permits and four visas on arrival.

A separate report from the Indonesian police news site said the quake response in Labuan Bajo also included hospital patients being moved to outdoor emergency tents after the magnitude-7.7 earthquake on Aug. 15, underscoring the wider disruption across the town. That coverage did not describe immigration operations, but it confirmed that tents were being used for essential services and evacuation in the same disaster response.

What travellers should know

For foreign visitors, residents and tourism operators, the key confirmed point is that immigration services were not fully suspended on Aug. 21; they were shifted to a temporary outdoor setup in Labuan Bajo. The reports do not give a public-facing phone number, exact tent location or opening schedule.

The immigration office said the temporary arrangement was expected to last for two weeks. No later update confirming a return to the permanent office was found in the opened reports.

Confirmed details

• Date: Aug. 21, 2026
• Location: Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara
• Service arrangement: Temporary outdoor immigration services in tents and a mobile unit
• Reason: Safety concerns after the earthquake and possible aftershocks
• Reported volume: Eight applicants served on the day

The earthquake that prompted the wider emergency response had already caused hospitals and other facilities in Labuan Bajo to use tents, according to the police report. In the immigration office’s account, the temporary move was framed as a precaution while conditions remained unstable.

Sources

• detikBali
• Indonesian National Police news site