Bali: what to know before you go

Most of what makes a first trip to Bali go well is dull, and settled a week before you leave. This is that list, with the day we checked each rule, because several of them have changed in the last two years.

Getting in

Citizens of about 90 countries, including India, Australia and the United Kingdom, can enter on a visa on arrival: IDR 500,000 (roughly US$30 to 35), good for 30 days from the day you land and extendable once for another 30, so 60 days at the most. You can buy it online first, as an e-VOA, at evisa.imigrasi.go.id; apply at least 48 hours before you fly, and you can skip the queue at the desk.

• Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the day you arrive, with a blank page.
• Immigration can ask to see proof that you are leaving, such as an onward or return ticket. Have it on your phone.
• Overstaying costs IDR 1,000,000 a day and can end in deportation. Put the extension date in your calendar.
• Since 1 October 2025 every foreign visitor also completes the All Indonesia arrival declaration, on the web at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id or in the app. It replaces the paper arrival card, the customs declaration and the health declaration. Do it before you fly, and keep the QR code.

The Bali levy

On top of the visa, every foreign visitor to Bali pays a one-off levy of IDR 150,000 (about US$10), in force since 14 February 2024 under Bali Provincial Regulation No. 6 of 2023, and tightened by Regulation No. 2 of 2025 (the fee itself did not change). It is per person and paid once during your stay, and children pay too. Pay it at lovebali.baliprov.go.id, which is the only official site (the address ends in .go.id; anything ending in .com is not the government), and keep the QR code it emails you. Tourism police have been reported checking vouchers at the busiest attractions, and if you cannot show one you are asked to pay on the spot.

The rules that apply to you

In March 2025 the governor issued a circular (SE No. 7 of 2025) setting out what the island expects of foreign visitors. It reads as a list of obligations and a list of prohibitions, and most of it is common courtesy. The parts worth knowing:

• Dress and behave respectfully at temples, attractions and in public, and be polite to local people and officials.
• Pay the levy electronically, and use licensed guides, accommodation, car rental and transport.
• Drive legally: a valid international or national licence, a helmet on a motorbike, and never impaired.
• Change money only at licensed changers showing the Bank Indonesia QR code.
• No single-use plastic: plastic bags, Styrofoam, straws and drinks sold in plastic packaging are banned. Bring a refillable bottle and a cloth bag.
• Do not enter the inner areas of a temple unless you are there to worship in traditional dress, and women who are menstruating are asked not to. Do not climb sacred trees or monuments, or take inappropriate photographs at sacred places. Temple etiquette goes through it properly.
• Do not litter in lakes, rivers or the sea, and do not work or run a business without the right papers.
• Drugs, endangered animals and sacred objects may not be traded or taken. Penalties in Indonesia are severe.

Violations can mean being refused entry to an attraction, and legal consequences under Indonesian law. The government asks for reports on WhatsApp at +62 812 8759 0999.

Money

The currency is the rupiah. Cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops that cater to visitors, and cash is what you want in village warungs, at small entrance gates and for tips. Change money or draw cash at a bank or a changer showing the Bank Indonesia QR code, count it before you leave the counter, and keep small notes, because change for a large note is hard to find in a village.

Getting around

Roads in Bali are narrower and slower than a map suggests, and the island's traffic is heavy on the south coast. For most visitors the sensible choice is a driver, which is how we run every day. A scooter is cheap, and it is also a risk we would rather you did not take unless you have ridden in traffic like this before. If you do ride, you need the right licence, a helmet and insurance that covers motorbikes; check the policy, because many exclude them.

Health and common sense

• Drink bottled or filtered water, and use the refill stations that many hotels and cafés now run.
• Carry travel insurance that covers medical care, evacuation, and the activities you plan, including diving and trekking.
• The sun is strong all year at 8 degrees south. Cover up at midday, and drink more than you think you need.
• Volcanoes and storms disrupt flights and boats now and then. Read your airline's notices the day before you travel, and leave a buffer before an international flight home.
• The island closes for Nyepi, the Day of Silence. Check the calendar before you fix your dates.

What to pack

• A light sarong and sash of your own, which you will use at every temple, and a shirt that covers your shoulders.
• A layer for the highlands: Munduk and Batur are cool at dawn, and the sea breeze at Uluwatu can be sharp.
• A rain jacket from November to March, and sandals you can walk in.
• A refillable bottle, a cloth bag and a universal adapter.
• Cash in small notes, and a photocopy or photo of your passport, kept separately from the passport itself.

Where to double-check

The visa lives at evisa.imigrasi.go.id, the arrival declaration at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id, the levy at lovebali.baliprov.go.id, and your own government's travel advice covers health and safety. We update this page when any of them change.