Which Bali Visa You Need and How to Get It
Updated: 2 days ago
Most travellers visiting Bali need the Visitor Visa, a single-entry visa costing Rp500,000 (about A$40) that allows a 30-day stay for tourism, business meetings, government visits, goods purchasing or transit. Australians, Britons, Americans and Indians are among the 87 nationalities that can get it. Longer stays, remote work or retirement need a different visa. Here is what applies to a typical holiday.
One visa, Rp500,000, 30 days from landing
Most holidaymakers need the Visitor Visa: Rp500,000 (about A$40) per person, including babies and children.
It allows 30 days in Indonesia, counted from the day you land.
Apply online up to 14 days before you fly, and at least 48 hours ahead.
Your passport needs at least 6 months of validity from your arrival date.
The Rp150,000 Bali tourism levy is a separate charge, paid once per trip.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Why 'Bali Visa' Search Results Send You in Circles
Search for a Bali visa and the results mix at least four different products together: the short stay Visitor Visa most holidaymakers need, visa free entry for a short list of exempt countries, long stay residency visas aimed at retirees and remote workers, and visa extensions. Reading advice written for one of these while planning for another is how travellers end up overpaying or arriving with the wrong paperwork.
What Are the Official Bali Visa Rules?
Every figure below comes from Indonesia's official eVisa portal, run by the Directorate General of Immigration, except the tourism levy, which is set by the Bali provincial government.
Rule | Official figure | What it means for you |
Visa fee | Rp500,000 (about A$40) | Per person, including babies and children; card fees are extra. |
Length of stay | 30 days | Counted from the day you land, not from the day you apply. |
Time to use the visa | 90 days | You must arrive within 90 days of the visa's start date, or apply again. |
Passport validity | 6 months | Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you arrive. |
When to apply | Up to 14 days ahead | Apply at least 48 hours before your flight. |
Extending your stay | Online, before expiry | Apply on the eVisa site before your 30 days end; the local immigration office checks it. |
Overstay fine | Rp1,000,000 a day | Staying more than 60 days over can lead to detention, deportation or a ban. |
Bali tourism levy | Rp150,000 (about A$12) | A separate charge from the visa, paid once per trip. |
How to Tell Which Visa You Need
Confirm your nationality is not on Indonesia's visa exemption list before assuming you need to apply for anything.
If your trip is a standard holiday of 30 days or less, the Visitor Visa (e-VOA) is almost always the right category.
Apply online through the official e-Visa site in advance, or budget extra time to pay for it at the airport on arrival.
Budget IDR 500,000 for the visa and a separate IDR 150,000 Bali tourist levy.
If your plans involve staying longer, working remotely or retiring in Indonesia, check the official portal for a long stay category before assuming the Visitor Visa covers it.
The Visa Most Travellers Actually Need
For most travellers the visa in question is the Visitor Visa, often called the e-VOA. Indonesia's Directorate General of Immigration lists it at Rp500,000, single entry, for a 30-day stay for tourism, government visits, business meetings, goods purchasing or transit. You can apply online before departure or pay at the airport counter on arrival, and every traveller, including babies and children, needs their own visa.
The visa carries two separate dates that are often confused: a 90 day validity period, the window in which you must enter Indonesia, and the 30 day period of stay, which starts only once you land. Applying online in advance avoids the arrival queue, and the portal accepts payment only by Mastercard, Visa or JCB credit card with international transactions enabled.
Apply only on the official portal. The immigration directorate warns:
There are numerous websites which claim to assist users in receiving Indonesian Visitor Visa in return for a service charge. These websites are not endorsed by or associated with the Indonesian government.
Travellers with a different kind of trip use a different category altogether. Longer stays, remote work and retirement in Indonesia fall under separate residency and multiple entry visas with their own requirements and costs, and the details change often enough that the official immigration portal, not a blog written months earlier, is the only place to confirm current terms before applying.
To stay longer than 30 days, apply to extend online through the eVisa site before your stay ends. Since November 2024 the immigration office for the area where you are staying checks each request before approving it, and you are not counted as overstaying if you apply and pay before your visa expires.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all nationalities pay the same amount for the Bali visa?
Yes. The Visitor Visa costs IDR 500,000 regardless of nationality, for every country eligible to apply for it.
Is the visa process different for Australians, Indians, or UK and US travellers?
The visa itself is identical for every eligible nationality. For country specific tips, see our guides for Australian travellers, Indian travellers and UK and US travellers.
What is the difference between the Visitor Visa and visa exemption?
Visa exemption applies only to a short list of countries and needs no application. Every other eligible nationality applies for the Visitor Visa, online in advance or on arrival.
Do I need a different visa for a longer stay in Bali?
Yes. Stays beyond what the Visitor Visa allows, or purposes like remote work or retirement, fall under separate residency categories with their own requirements on the official immigration portal.
Can every traveller apply for the Bali visa on arrival?
Most eligible nationalities can, though applying online in advance through the official e-Visa site avoids the arrival queue.
Sort the Rest of the Trip While the Visa Processes
With the right visa identified, turn to where you are staying, what you want to do, and how you will get around. Settling these before you fly means less to organise once you land.
Where To Stay?
Once your visa is sorted, book where you are staying next. Compare hotels and villas across Bali so your first night is confirmed before you fly.
Things To Do
While the visa processes, plan the rest of the trip. Browse tours, temple visits and day trips across Bali so your first days are already sorted.
Rent A Car
Bali is bigger than it looks on a map. Compare car hire, check what your licence requires, and arrange transport before you land at the airport.
Sources: Directorate General of Immigration eVisa portal | Directorate General of Immigration, VOA extension rules | Love Bali, Bali Provincial Government.
Last verified: 24 October 2026
