No Overstay Fines in Bali After Middle East Disruptions

At Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar, the closure of airspace in several Middle Eastern countries has led to the cancellation and rescheduling of some international departures via Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha. According to the airport, by 1 March five flights had been cancelled, affecting an estimated 1,631 passengers.

As of the evening of 28 February, the airport reported one delayed Etihad Airways flight EY477 (Denpasar–Abu Dhabi) and three cancelled departures—Emirates EK369 and EK399 (Denpasar–Dubai) and Qatar Airways QR963 (Denpasar–Doha). Later, another affected flight was added to the list: Qatar Airways QR961 to Doha.

A help desk has been opened in the international departures terminal, assisting passengers with refunds, rebooking and route changes. Airlines are also accommodating some passengers in hotels if they have already arrived at the airport and are waiting to depart.

Immigration has warned that, due to cancellations and rescheduling, some foreigners may reach the end of their permitted stay while waiting for a new flight. They are being urged not to delay and to contact either an immigration office or the immigration service desk at the airport as soon as possible. To process requests faster, staffing on international arrivals and departures shifts has been increased from 25 to 30.

The Directorate General of Immigration has issued separate guidance for such flight disruptions (letter No. IMI-GR.01.01-133 dated 1 March 2026): if an overstay occurred specifically due to a flight cancellation/rescheduling and the airspace closure, the fine may be reduced to 0 rupiah—provided the passenger has confirmation from the airline or the airport authority. The same guidance states that, in such cases, a temporary stay permit due to force majeure may be issued for up to 30 days (with the option to extend it if the departure problem continues). It also sets out a typical scenario for those whose flight was cancelled after passing border control.

Immigration also provided an overall nationwide estimate: cancellations and delays affected eight international flights at three airports (Jakarta, Denpasar and Medan), impacting 2,228 passengers in total.

Sources: travel.detik.com, banggai.imigrasi.go.id