Indonesia Immigration offices will close from 19th - 26th April 2023 for Ramadan. In addition to this, they will be running at only 50% capacity on the 17th and 18th of April.
If you need a new visa or have one that needs to be extended before 30th April 2023, please bring your passport to our office by the 12th of April so we can process the extension before the offices close.
Lately there has been a huge increase in people getting into trouble with the authorities in Bali for not using their Bali visas correctly. In many cases, this is through not knowing the terms of their visa, or being misinformed about actions that can be undertaken with a particular visa in Bali. Today we are detailing the regulations with regard to the main visas for tourists and ex-pats in Bali.
Bali Visa on Arrival - VOA
The visa on arrival is available to citizens of selected countries on arrival in Indonesia. You can also apply for it online before you arrive in Bali. Learn more about applying for the e-VOA for Bali here.
This visa is initially valid for 3o days (including the date of arrival and departure) and can be extended once for an additional 30 days at a cost of IDR 850,000 to a maximum of 60 days. Find out about the VOA extension process in Bali here.
This visa is predominantly for tourists. When you have this visa, you cannot undertake any work activities in Bali. You can however have meetings with potential business partners in the future.
It is also not possible to change this visa to a different visa. So if you decided to stay longer than the maximum 60 days permitted with this visa, you would have to leave Indonesia and return with either a new VOA (for another stay of maximum 60 days) or a B211 offshore visa or KITAS for longer stays. These would require at least 3 working days to process the application with express service while you are outside of Indonesia.
For the updated list of countries who can attain a Visa on Arrival in Bali, click here.
B211 Offshore & Onshore Visa
This visa is also aimed at tourists and does not permit you to work while in Indonesia. You can however have meetings with potential business partners to scope out opportunities to start a business in Bali.
The maximum length of this visa is 6 months if you extend it every 60 days. More information on extending your Bali visa is available here.
It is possible to change this visa to another one, so you could get the onshore B211 after having the offshore B211. You can also change to a KITAS from the B211 Bali visa.
Investor KITAS
Many people got an investor visa during the last few years purely for the purpose of staying long term in Bali, rather than investing in Bali, and are now facing difficulties which we wrote about here.
Others are getting in trouble for working within their businesses, rather than taking on a pure investor role. To be safe from Bali authorities with an Investor KITAS you need to ensure you are doing the following:
What you must do if you have an Investor KITAS:
- Investing in and managing a PT PMA business in Bali
- Your PMA is undertaking activities in line with its business classification
- Your PMA is submitting investment reports and paying taxes in line with regulations in Indonesia
- You are NOT working in Bali
The Investor KITAS is for those investing in Bali, Indonesia. It does not permit you to do any hands-on work within your business.
What you can do with an Investor KITAS:
- Manage the business
- Attend meetings
- Undertake staff training
- Discuss large orders and sales with suppliers/buyers
What you cannot do with an Investor KITAS in Bali:
- Do any marketing or advertising activities (these need to be done by local staff or a foreigner with a Working KITAS under your PMA who has the job classification of Marketing)
- Cook at, clean, or tidy your business premises
- Serve customers one-on-one
- Be the person holding the camera doing photoshoots, videography etc
Currently, there is a big campaign in Bali to ensure visitors are using their visas correctly. There has been a specialist task force set up and locals are encouraged to report any suspected infringements. It is therefore more important than ever to ensure your visa and/or company paperwork is in order and you are not breaking the rules of your visa.
If you would like to discuss your situation further, please make an appointment to meet us by emailing info@visaagencybali.com
During the pandemic, we witnessed a dramatic increase in people getting an investor KITAS as a solution to staying long-term in Bali, with no intention to invest in Indonesia.
Agents typically offered the two-year investor KITAS for IDR 17,000,000 and did not inform their client that they had any obligations with this visa, for example, to invest or submit investment reports.
Often, many 'investors' have been grouped together in one PMA, sometimes more than 10 investors per company. In many cases, the 'investors' had no idea what kind of business their KITAS was sponsored by.
Risks of Investor KITAS
With so many people in one company, all it takes is one of the 'investors' to be caught using their visa incorrectly, and the whole company will get investigated. When it is clear the company has been set up fraudulently, the other 'investors' will get called into immigration and face fines and potentially deportation.
We have also heard of agents offering clients investor KITAS, but then not providing them with one, instead keeping them on the B211 onshore visa.
Immigration Crack Down
We are hearing reports that immigration officials are now actively looking into PMAs to check if they are doing business in Indonesia. They can do this easily by checking if those in charge of the company are submitting investment reports.
How To Stay Long-Term In Bali
You need to have the correct visa for your time in Bali, Indonesia. If you are here to stay long term and have work opportunities here, it is best to set up your own PMA which you can manage to ensure you are not at risk from unknown parties. If you are not working here (or from here) and stay for up to 6 months at a time, the B211 onshore visa is a better solution.
If you are in doubt about the best visa for you or the status and validity of your KITAS, you can come to our office for a friendly discussion about your options.
Please get in touch on +62 812-3617-8788 or to organise a meeting.
For the majority of those living in Bali during the KTT G20 Leaders Summit, there will be some upheaval and obstacles. The main event is being held on the 15th-16th, but there will be large-scale operations facilitating the event from the 12th of November to the 18th.
Immigration Services During G20 Bali
Immigration services will be limited from Monday to Thursday, 14th - 17th November 2022. This means those with stay permits that expire between November 12th - 20th need to submit documents for their extension at the latest Friday, November 11th.

Driving in Bali During G20
Road Closures, Diversions, Odd-Even Traffic Management
Road closures and temporary traffic management systems are coming into place this week (from 11th - 17th November) to facilitate the delegations, media, and representatives for the G20 Summit arriving in Bali. Traffic management systems include road closures, diversions, and odd-even management systems on some of the island’s key transport routes for locals, expats, tourists and holidaymakers.
Ngurah Rai Airport Diversion
As well as the VVIP guests flying into Bali Airport, there will be dozens of additional military, security and cargo flights carrying all the resources needed for each head of state’s security and comfort. This means those not involved with G20 will have to follow a diversion around Kuta when entering and leaving the airport, rather than using the main road to Sunset and the Tol road.
This will be formally in place from the 14th to the 17th of November, though there may still be delays and diversions from the 12th to the 18th.
There is a great visual of the diversion that will be in place for the majority of residents in Bali here:
View this post on Instagram
Travelling to Nusa Dua during G20
For those travelling to the airport from Nusa Dua during G20, the following diversion will be in place:

For those travelling from the airport to Nusa Dua during G20, the following diversion will be in place:

Odd-Even Traffic Management System Bali G20
The odd-even system is in place on ten routes in southern Bali, with further restrictions on goods transportation throughout the area. The system manages traffic flow based on vehicle license plates. In the case of Bali’s G20 traffic management, the odd-even management system works to reduce traffic rather than stop it completely by allowing only certain license plates to pass on certain days.
The odd-even system will run from 6 am-11 pm on 11th-17th November. The roads impacted by the odd-even system are;
- Simpang Pesanggara – Sanur Interchange
- Simpang Kuta – Simpang Pesanggaran
- Intersection Kuta – Tugu Ngurah Rai
- Tugu Ngurah Rai – Nusa Dua
- Simpang Pesanggaran – Benoa Gate
- Airport Interchange (DPS) – Ngurah Rai Monument
- 042 Jimbaran – Uluwatu
- Bali Mandara Toll Road
- Uluwatu II Road
- Udayana Campus Highway.
11th, 13th, 15th, 17th - Only odd number plates can pass
12th, 14th, 16th, 18th - Only even number plates can pass
For example, on the 15th of November, vehicles with an odd number on their license plate can pass through but those with even numbers must follow the diversions. Similarly, on 16th November, vehicles with an even number on their license plate (e.g., DK 6774 LL) can pass through, and odd numbers will have to follow the diversion.
Exceptions to Odd-Even Traffic Management System
The system will not apply to vehicles belonging to government officals, official vehicles with red plates or TNI/POLRI service numbers, fire engines, ambulances, transportation public with yellow plates, G20 Summit vehicles, electric motorized vehicles, vehicles with disability badges and tow trucks.
The transportation of bottled drinking water, postal deliveries, transportation of cash, logistics needed for the Summit G20, and staple food supplies are not impacted by the changes in traffic regulations.
The system would also potentially be scrapped in the case of an emergency such as a disaster or riot.
Road Closures During G20
In addition to the odd-even system, some full road closures will happen on these routes for short periods while heads of state travel from the airport to Nusa Dua.
There are a lot of rumours circulating that as of 18th July 2022 it is necessary to have received a booster of the COVID-19 vaccination. These rumours are not correct.
You can read the current regulations here in Indonesian or here in unofficial English translation. These state that it is still only necessary to have received your second vaccination at least 14 days prior to travel. The Indonesian government has not updated their policy on what counts as fully vaccinated so it is still two shots of Moderna or Astrazenica or one shot of the single dose vaccines such as Johnson & Johnson.
How to travel to Bali in 2022
There are a number of ways you can now enjoy a holiday, extended travel or work in Bali.
- For citizens of these 9 ASEAN countries it is possible to get a free 30 day Visa on Arrival at Bali airport. Read more about this here.
- Citizens of these 72 countries can pay for a 30-day Visa on Arrival (VOA) for IDR 500,000 at the airport. It is then possible to extend this visa for another 30 days, read about the visa extension process here.
- You will need to get a B211 visa if you:
- Are not a citizen of these countries
- Wish to stay in Bali for longer than the 30 or 60 days permitted by your visa
- Want to convert your visa to a working or investor KITAS without having to leave the country
- Find out how to apply for a B211 visa here.
For any other questions, please get in touch.
In response to the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron Indonesia has released this new regulation. The regulation details temporary restrictions on foreigners who have lived and/or visited the territory of certain countries to enter Indonesian territory to help prevent the spread of the new variant of COVID-19 (B.1.1.529.)
The regulation states:
1) Temporarily refuse entry to foreigners who have lived and/or visited: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, and Nigeria within 14 (fourteen) days prior to admission to Indonesian territory.
2) Temporary suspension of the granting of visit visas and limited stay visas for citizens of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, and Nigeria.
3) The provisions as referred to in number 1) and number 2) are excluded from foreigners who will attend meetings related to the Indonesian Presidency in the G20.
Do get in touch if you have any questions.
** New regulation extends the restrictions -
2. Temporarily close the entry of Foreign Citizens (WNA), either direct or transit in a foreign country, who have lived and/or visit within 14 (fourteen) days from the country/region with the following criteria:
a. Has confirmed the community transmission of the new SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529: South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong;
b. Countries/regions that are geographically close to the country of transmission community of significant new variant B.1.1.529 cases: Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and Lesotho
e. In the case of Indonesian citizens originating from the country/region as referred to in number 2 can still enter the territory of Indonesia by doing RT-PCR retest on arrival and are required to undergo quarantine for 14 x 24 hours;
Great news from Australia - From November 1st 2021, Australia will start lifting its outbound travel ban for fully vaccinated residents thanks to the strong uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.
Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's biggest cities, are also preparing to welcome overseas travellers without quarantine. Unvaccinated travellers will still be allowed entry if they agree to undergo the two-week mandatory quarantine upon arrival.
However, Australia's states and territories have differing vaccination rates and health policies. Here are some indicated dates in Australia's path to reopening borders based on current vaccination rates:
Nov. 1
** New South Wales and Victoria - home to more than half of Australia's near 26 million population - will allow quarantine-free entry to all international travellers, although citizens and permanent residents will benefit first.
** All fully-vaccinated citizens and permanent residents can leave Australia without seeking a travel exemption.
Nov. 23
** South Australia to halve quarantine period for international travellers to seven days; quarantine to end when double-dose vaccination rate in the state's population above 12 reaches 90% but no firm date given.
** Northern Territory to allow two-week home quarantine for fully vaccinated domestic travellers from virus hotspots, rather than at supervised facilities.
Dec 1
** Unvaccinated residents in New South Wales, home to Sydney, to enjoy the same level of freedom as the vaccinated - no limits on outdoor and home gatherings, while more customers will be allowed in retail stores.
Dec. 15
** Tasmania to open borders for fully vaccinated overseas travellers and residents from other states who must provide a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to travel.
Dec. 17
Queensland to allow quarantine-free entry to vaccinated residents from all states, but international arrivals may have to undergo "a period of home quarantine".
Dec. 20
Northern Territory to halve home quarantine to a week with officials planning to end quarantine by Jan. 18, 2022.
*** Western Australia, the only state without a reopening plan yet, has warned it could close its borders to other states if they allow quarantine-free entry for residents from virus-hit New South Wales and Victoria.
Airlines have said they're not ready for the ramping up of services this reopening will require. However Australian carrier Qantas responded by announcing it would restart international flights to major overseas destinations a month earlier than their planned date of 18th December.
Although travel is not immediately open to foreigners, the government said it was working "towards welcoming tourists back to our shores".
Mr Morrison said Australia's mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine - which costs each traveller A$3,000 (£1,600; $2,100) - would be replaced by seven days of home quarantine for vaccinated Australians or permanent residents. Unvaccinated travellers must still quarantine for 14 days in hotels.
If you would like to apply for your Bali visa today, take a look at this post where we explain the process.
As of 14th October 2021, Bali International Airport (Ngurah Rai) is open to international travellers from the following 19 countries:
- Bahrain
- China
- Hungary
- India
- Italy
- Japan
- Republic Korea
- Kuwait
- Liechtenstein
- Norway
- France
- United Arab Emirates
- Poland, Portugal
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- New Zealand
- Spain
- Sweden.
Read the official regulation here.
As yet, there are not many flights scheduled to arrive in Bali from international destinations, but we anticipate that changing soon.
Travellers need to obtain a visa before arrival. This can be a B211 offshore visa, which we explain here. Or a valid KITAS or residence permit.
It is also necessary to have a full dose of COVID-19 vaccine and to do 5 days quarantine upon arrival in Bali. The list of quarantine hotels is below.

If you are planning on travelling to Bali and would like to discuss your options for visas, do email us at info@visaagencybali.com.
We're delighted to announce that the minimum quarantine for travellers to Indonesia has now been reduced from 8 days to 5 days! You can read the updated regulation here.
This means travellers who have obtained the necessary visa, be it the B211 Offshore Visa or a KITAS, can fly into Indonesia and as long as their PCR test results are negative on arrival and on day 5 of quarantine, they can then proceed to enjoy their holiday!
You can find details of the government approved quarantine hotels in Jakarta here.
The hotels where you can quarantine in Bali are on the list below.
If you would like help obtaining a visa to enter Bali, Indonesia, please email our team at info@visaagencybali.com today.
THIS POST IS NO LONGER ACCURATE - SEE LATEST INFO HERE.
At the time of writing (30th August 2021), there is a PPKM emergency lockdown in effect across Bali and Java. This puts restrictions on entry for foreigners to Indonesia. It is currently not possible to apply for or enter Indonesia with any of the following:
- B211 Offshore Visa (Business Visa - Unavailable since July 2021)
- Social Visit Visa (Unavailable since March 2020)
- Free Entry Visa (Unavailable since March 2020)
To enter Indonesia as a foreigner you need to have
- KITAS/KITAP (Working, Investor or Residents Visa)
- Diplomatic Visa
- Humanitarian Visa
It is not currently possible to apply for a working, Investor or Residents KITAS offshore (outside of Indonesia.)
If you have one of the valid visas to enter Indonesia you will also need proof of vaccination from COVID-19. You will also need to do 8 days quarantine in Jakarta at a hotel that is on the government's list. This is updated regularly so get in touch for the latest edition and to ask us more questions.
The Indonesian government has announced restrictions on the movement of Indonesian citizens in Indonesia during Ramadhan to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
You can find the regulations here.
In essence, the regulations dictate that from 06~17th of May, Indonesian citizens can't move:
1. From city to city
2. Regency to Regency
3. Island to Island
Indonesian people in other countries will not be able to travel to Indonesia.
There's will be no public transportation during this time by car, train, ship or airlines.
The regulations do not mention restrictions to foreign citizens, but we presume movement will be inhibited by the restrictions on public transportation.
Bali expats were avidly watching the furore around Kristen Gray's Tweets this weekend. Many were unsure of their stance. Yes, encouraging people to move to Bali to live their best, most #Blessed life during a global pandemic, was (at best) horrendously tone-deaf and naive. But on the other side, there are a lot of people living in Bali in exactly Kristen's position. Even down to having their own 'How to Bali' eBook to tote on the topic. Plus, there was nothing in Kristen's messages that expats haven't been bombarded with a million times before by Bali's darling horde of Instagrammers-in-the-wild.
Now the Tweetstorm is settling, and Kristen is awaiting deportation, we are taking a look at the reasons Kristen's Tweets got her in trouble.
1. The Current COVID-19 Pandemic Situation in Bali

The COVID-19 situation is particularly sensitive in Indonesia right now. From 11th - 25th January, Bali has been in lockdown to tackle the spread of Coronavirus. Restaurants have a 9pm curfew and 25% capacity limit. Health and travel restrictions are in place. Foreigners are not permitted to enter Indonesia and the offshore visa application system is closed.
Tweeting about the benefits of moving to Bali at a time when it is not legally possible to do so was... not intelligent.
The government has stated Kristen's attempt to encourage people to travel to the country during the pandemic was 'unsettling to the public.'
2. Gave Misinformation About Working & Paying Tax in Bali

Although there are many digital nomads in Bali on tourist visas, it is in fact a grey zone and not fully legal. If you are living in Bali long term and working here, you should have an Indonesian company set up and be paying the appropriate taxes.
It was also pretty insensitive for Kristen to demonstrate it was easy for her to earn a comfortable living in Bali while so many are suffering extreme economic challenges brought about by the pandemic.
3. Culturally Tone-Deaf
We presume now Kristen Gray has had some time to reflect, she will understand how her naivety to the actual experience of Indonesians has caused a deep upset in the community.

Commenting on how richly she can live in Bali as an expat, without considering how much of the population is struggling financially with swathes of the country living in poverty, was highly insensitive. This really hit a nerve as the gentrification of Bali and pricing out of the local population is a hot topic of recent years.
Kristen also labelled Bali as 'Queer Friendly.' Although this may be her experience in Bali, the LGBTQ+ community faces horrendous persecution across much of Indonesia. Just one example of this is the bill proposed by Indonesian lawmakers in March 2020 that would force lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to undergo conversion therapy.
For those averse to reading, here is a succinct video regarding this for your heart’s desires. pic.twitter.com/fEgspkHyJY
— Kai Mata🏳️🌈 (@kaimatamusic) January 18, 2021
What Kristen could have done differently
There's little that can be done to combat the poor timing and insensitive elements of Kristen's posts. But when it comes to the legality of living and working in Bali, there are a number of ways Kristen could have got herself in a secure position.
In this post, we explain how you can set up a foreign-owned company in Indonesia (PT PMA) and how this can support your visa, whether it is a Working Kitas or Investor Kitas.
Next week we'll be running through the steps to creating a locally owned company (PT) so check back then if this is of interest.
If you have any questions about living and working in Bali, please do not hesitate to contact us on info@visaagencybali.com.