Before flying to Bali, check the visa conditions for your passport and prepare the All Indonesia arrival declaration. Keep your passport, visa where required, and onward-travel documents ready for check-in and arrival.
Primary requirements
✅ Visa
If your passport is eligible, you can obtain a visa on arrival (VoA) at the airport or apply for an e-VoA in advance. The government fee is 500,000 Indonesian rupiah. The initial stay is 30 days, with one extension of up to 30 days.
▪️ For a longer tourist visit, apply for a C1 tourist visa before travelling. It allows an initial stay of up to 60 days, with extensions subject to approval.
✅ Airplane ticket to Jakarta or Bali
If you are flying on a tourist or business visa, it is recommended to wait for the visa to be ready before buying a ticket.
✅ Insurance
This is not a mandatory condition, but it is highly desirable.
✅ Have a return or onward ticket ready to show your airline and immigration. Check the permitted stay for your visa and do not assume that a future extension has already been granted.
✅ For arrival by air, complete the All Indonesia arrival declaration. It covers immigration, customs, health and quarantine information and can be filled in from three days before arrival. Save the QR code after submitting the form.
✅ Foreign tourists who are not exempt also pay Bali’s tourist levy of 150,000 IDR, separately from the visa fee. Our Bali tourist tax guide explains the exemptions and official payment options.
More about arrival in Indonesia
Visa-on-arrival eligibility depends on your passport. Check the current list and the visa conditions on the official Indonesian e-Visa portal before travelling.
Health and quarantine questions are included in the All Indonesia declaration. Check the current health entry requirements for your itinerary before departure.
You can check the current requirements followed by airlines when registering passengers for flights on the IATA (International Air Transport Association) website.
Issuance of a visa
You can apply and pay for an e-VoA online before departure if your passport is eligible. It permits a 30-day stay, with one extension of up to 30 days. For a stay-permit extension, submit the application online and attend the immigration office for a photo and interview.
For a longer tourist visit, the C1 visa offers an initial stay of up to 60 days and can be extended to a maximum of 180 days in total. Extensions require approval and are paid separately. C1 is a visitor visa and does not permit paid work in Indonesia.
An agency can help prepare and submit the application and arrange sponsorship where required. Legal Indonesia offers assistance with C1 applications and extensions.
As checked in October 2026, Legal Indonesia lists its minimal C1 application package at 2,800,000 IDR, with a stated processing time of 10 working days. Confirm the current price and timing before booking. The Bali tourist levy and later visa extensions are charged separately. The package includes:
- Government taxes and fees
- The electronic visa
- Preparation and submission of the required documents
Return ticket
Airlines or immigration officers may ask to see a confirmed return or onward ticket. Plan your travel around the stay initially granted to you; an intended extension does not guarantee permission to remain longer.
Different airlines may have varying requirements, with some accepting either paid or unpaid reservations, while others require paid tickets. It's important to check with your airline regarding their specific requirements. In recent times, there have been cases where immigration officers upon arrival in Bali have requested proof of paid tickets rather than just reservations.
If you're unsure about your return date, you can consider purchasing refundable tickets from your airline or using platforms like expedia.com, which offer the option to purchase tickets with free cancellation within 24 hours without penalties (please note that some low-cost airlines may not offer this option). If you decide to use such a platform, make sure to buy your ticket shortly before your flight registration to ensure you have enough time for cancellation if needed.
Other necessary documents
Foreign passport
For a standard national passport, check that it is valid for at least six months from arrival. Other travel documents can have different requirements, so confirm the rules with the airline and immigration before booking.
Insurance
Choose travel insurance that covers your itinerary, planned activities and emergency medical expenses. Read the policy exclusions and limits before travelling, and keep the insurer’s emergency contact details accessible.
All Indonesia arrival declaration
Have your passport, arrival flight, travel details and luggage information ready. Complete the health, quarantine and customs questions in All Indonesia accurately. The form is available from three days before arrival, so you can submit it before departure.
After submission, save the QR code on your phone and keep it available for checks on arrival.
Phone registration
For an imported phone, foreign tourists can arrange temporary registration with a mobile operator for up to 90 days of access using an Indonesian SIM. For longer use, arrange customs IMEI registration on arrival. Customs registration after arrival has a 60-day deadline, so do not wait for the 90-day operator access to expire. A foreign SIM used only in roaming does not require customs IMEI registration.
Money
Order a UnionPay card in advance and bring some cash in dollars or euros with you.
Do not exchange a large sum of money at the airport right away.
The exchange rates there are not favorable. Exchange 20-50 dollars for the initial period. The airport exchange office operates even at night. Exchange rates in hotels are also very unfavorable.
Exchange the main amount of money at network exchange points.
It's better to exchange money at a bank or choose an exchange office that belongs to a large network. Many exchange offices are marked on the Bali Tourist Card. There is a large network of exchange points called Central Kuta.
My review on the vacation :)
Format: family beach vacation 2.5 weeks.
Concerning preparations and organizational aspects.
1. Comparing flights, Turkish Airlines were better than Emirates (1 stopover for 2 hours, new planes, and perfect service 10 out of 10, no time lags).
2. The health questionnaire for 'monkeypox' is checked right at the start before passing through controls at Bali airport, for convenience we filled it out during the stopover in Istanbul, it took 2 minutes, for filling you need to have boarding passes to the final destination.
3. The tourist tax was not charged or checked 'both ways'.
4. Visa on arrival with payment 'on the spot' in cash in dollars, change is given in rupiahs since the electronic version was inconvenient for me due to website lag, despite the excellent instruction from the Bali Live.
5. Payment methods in cash in dollars, for safety you lock it in a suitcase under a camera (just a regular home Xiaomi), use only official exchange offices with reviews and marks on Google Maps. Additionally, it's better to have UnionPay for cash withdrawal (for a period longer than 2 weeks to avoid carrying cash).
6. Tinkoff medical insurance, luckily not needed ☺️
Impressions and conclusions:
As someone who managed to live in Bali a few years ago and seems to have explored all the beaches and nearby islands (Gili, Nusa Penida, Jakarta), I was pleasantly surprised by Lovina, there are stunningly beautiful sights:
1. Glowing plankton in the Balinese sea at 5 am
2. Dolphins that come for breakfast at 7 am, only saddened by the enormous number of boats chasing them to see them closer😅
3. Excellent snorkeling and 'live' coral reef, where you can feed the fish and swim with them (usually, you go to Gili-Trawangan for snorkeling).
4. Very beautiful sunrise.
All these activities can be done at once by renting a driver and boat, spending 1 day of vacation, leaving at night, and returning to the south of the island by noon.
It is worth noting separately that the best beaches for swimming are Melasti and Nusa Dua, if you love white sand and azure water like I do 😌
The White Rock Beach Club at Melasti always delights with its service.
Same wonderful impression is left by Single Fin, I highly recommend having lunch and walking down the steps to the beach between the rocks.
Happy Sunset (Uluwatu) is a place worth visiting with a picnic (very beautiful sunset and views).
Discovered a delicious restaurant in Jimbaran, Hatiku.
Over many years I have had different impressions of the island, but I believe that your attitude and proper planning will make your stay positive 😎