Settling in Bali: Visa, Health, Money, and Getting Around, What to Check

Settling in Bali takes making decisions in the right order: visa, work status, health, money, then getting around. This article helps you choose the right visa for how long you plan to stay, spot the mistakes that cost the most, and know where to check each rule before you leave. Entry requirements change, so confirm them on the date you apply.

Visas and length of stay: choosing based on your plan

Everything starts with how long you plan to stay. To explore the area, a visa on arrival covers 30 days, plus one 30-day extension, at IDR 500,000 each time^[1]. That is enough to explore the island, but not to live there: a long-stay permit requires a separate application, with its own file^[1].

For a longer first stay, there is the C1 Visa (formerly the B211A, renamed at the end of 2024): 60 days, extendable twice by 60 days each, for a maximum of 180 days in country^[2]. Since 2025, in-person biometrics are mandatory at each extension: you must visit the immigration office, where your fingerprints and photo are taken^[2].

This visa goes through a sponsor, meaning an agency^[2]. These conditions are relayed by unofficial sources: confirm them with immigration before you book.

One year or more: the KITAS

For one year or more, you need a KITAS (residence permit), and its type depends on where your income comes from^[1]. Remote workers whose clients are abroad take the E33G; those who invest through their own Indonesian company take the E28A; the spouse and children of a holder fall under a family KITAS, and retirees have their own pathway^[1].

Visa categories, conditions, and official procedures are published by the Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration (imigrasi.go.id), the only authoritative source^[2]. Check it before taking any step.

Working remotely: status and grey areas

Working remotely from Bali is not a minor matter where status is concerned. Working remotely on a simple tourist or visa-on-arrival stay, even for a foreign employer, remains a grey area that Indonesian immigration has been watching closely since 2023^[3]. The status targeted by remote workers whose clients are abroad is the E33G^[1].

On the workspace side, coworking spaces have multiplied in Canggu and Ubud^[3]. For a digital nomad, this is a practical way to separate home from work; your residence status, however, still needs to be sorted out beforehand.

Health: local risks and vaccines to discuss with a doctor

This information is general and does not replace a doctor or a vaccination center: your itinerary, age, and medical history change the recommendations.

• Malaria: the risk is low in Bali, Lombok, Java, and Sumatra, with awareness and mosquito protection only; there is no risk in Jakarta, and the risk is high in Papua, where chemoprophylaxis is recommended^[4].
• Japanese encephalitis: it is present throughout Indonesia, all year round; the vaccine should be considered for stays of one month or more in rural areas, or shorter stays with exposure to rice paddies or pig farms^[5].
• Measles: it is endemic in Indonesia, and your MMR vaccination should be up to date^[6].
• Tuberculosis: the annual incidence is at least 40 cases per 100,000 people; BCG is recommended for unvaccinated children under 16 staying more than 3 months and for health workers at risk^[7].

Day to day, tap water is not drinkable: use bottled water. Also watch out for "Bali belly" (digestive upset) in the first few weeks, and keep a basic first-aid kit^[2]. Before you leave, check the up-to-date health recommendations in the "Travel advice" section of France Diplomatie for Indonesia (recommended vaccines, health risks)^[2]. If you are not French, follow the same approach using the travel advice from your own country.

Health insurance and BPJS Kesehatan

The real financial risk is medical evacuation to Singapore in case of a serious problem: we are talking tens of thousands of dollars, and up to six figures for an air ambulance^[2]. Hence the golden rule: take out international health insurance with repatriation coverage before you ever need a doctor^[2]. Call your insurer's assistance line before you get to the hospital, so they can arrange the payment guarantee and you don't have to put down a deposit^[2].

If you obtain a KITAS and stay more than six months, enrollment in Indonesia's public health insurance, BPJS Kesehatan, is mandatory for holders of a work residence permit^[2]. It remains a supplement, not a substitute for real international insurance with medical evacuation^[2].

Money, Phone, and Getting Around

Money

If you stay less than six months, you don't need an Indonesian bank account: a multi-currency card and ATM withdrawals are enough^[2]. For a long stay, open a local account: the KITAS makes opening one much easier^[2].

Phone

A phone bought abroad works for 90 days with a local tourist SIM card^[1]. If you stay longer, register its IMEI at the customs counter in the arrivals hall as soon as you land, up to two devices per passenger^[1].

Scooter

A scooter covers most of your travel needs, as long as you ride legally. A visitor may ride with an International Driving Permit that includes the motorcycle category, along with your home-country license^[1]. Once settled in with a KITAS, police expect an Indonesian SIM C^[1].

Pets

If you're traveling with a dog or a cat, plan ahead: Bali has banned their entry since 2008^[1].

Pitfalls, Scams, and Points of Caution

• Visa runs: leaving the country to indefinitely renew a tourist visa instead of regularizing your situation is frowned upon by Indonesian authorities and increasingly penalized^[3].
• Working on a tourist visa: even for a foreign employer, this is a gray area that immigration has been watching closely since 2023^[3].
• The C1 Visa sponsor: a sponsor is mandatory. Never sign anything blindly, and go through a locally recognized provider^[2].
• Riding without the proper license: it exposes you to a fine of up to 1 million IDR and can void your insurance after an accident, which costs far more^[1].
• Imported phones: if you register the IMEI later than at arrival, you lose the duty exemption^[1].
• Animals: under Quarantine Law 21/2019, illegal importation is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to 10 billion IDR. An animal seized at the border is handed over to the quarantine service and will not be returned to you^[1]. Routing through Jakarta and then continuing by plane or boat does not work either: moving an animal from another province to Bali requires a permit issued on the Bali side, and it is not granted^[1].

Steps in Order

• Choose your visa based on the length of your stay and check the requirements at imigrasi.go.id.
• If you work remotely, aim for the appropriate status (E33G for clients abroad) rather than a tourist visa.
• Review your health needs with a doctor or vaccination center for your itinerary, then consult France Diplomatie or the equivalent website for your country.
• Purchase international health insurance with medical evacuation before you leave.
• Buy a local SIM as soon as you arrive and, if you stay more than 90 days, register your IMEI at the customs counter upon landing.
• Get an International Driving Permit with the motorcycle category before renting a scooter.
• On the date of your application, confirm the visa and banking requirements with official sources.