Before you fly to Bali, sort out three different things—not three versions of the same visa. First, you need the Indonesian entry permission appropriate for your passport and reason for visiting. Second, international arrivals use the free All Indonesia arrival declaration. Third, most foreign tourists pay a separate Bali provincial tourist levy through Love Bali, although listed exemptions exist. Completing one does not replace the others.
Imagine two arrivals. A first-time holidaymaker needs to check visa eligibility, submit the arrival declaration in its permitted window and pay the levy if applicable. A foreign resident returning with qualifying immigration documents may have a levy exemption, but must still follow the entry and declaration rules relevant to that journey. The useful question isn't “Have I bought the Bali visa package?” It is which documents and receipts do I personally need before boarding?
Bali is part of Indonesia and does not issue a separate Bali visa. National Immigration controls entry; the Bali provincial government manages its own visitor levy.
Start with your Indonesian visa or visa-free eligibility
Use the official Indonesian e-Visa portal to see what your ordinary passport and intended activity may qualify for: a visa-free scheme, a visa on arrival/e-VOA, or a visa requiring advance approval. Do not assume a national visa on arrival is available to every passport or that tourism permission authorises paid work.
A visitor who intends to work, teach, run events, provide local consulting or move to Bali permanently should examine a lawful work/residence route before arrival. A 'Bali digital nomad visa' advertised by an agent is not proof of a particular Indonesian government entitlement.
For a visit longer than an ordinary holiday, the Indonesia national visa-choice guide explains passport-dependent visa exemption, B1, C1 and D1, while the Bali longer-stay guide routes remote workers, local employees, families and existing ITAS holders to the right national guidance. Those are different decisions from the Love Bali payment below.
Then complete the free arrival declaration
Indonesia's integrated passenger declaration, All Indonesia, is available at allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id. Government guidance confirms it combines immigration, customs, health and quarantine arrival declarations and can be completed up to three days before arriving. It is not the visa application or a paid visa-upgrade service.
Have your flight to I Gusti Ngurah Rai (DPS), passport and local accommodation details available. Keep the submission result or QR confirmation for the airport. The Indonesian government's announcement explains the nationwide arrival process.
Finally, does Bali’s tourist levy apply to you?
Most foreign tourists visiting Bali pay Rp150,000 per person, separate from any Indonesian visa-on-arrival fee or national arrival declaration. Bali's tourism department reaffirmed the Rp150,000 rate in September 2026. The levy is charged once during a Bali visit, not each day, at each beach, or for every hotel. The province's regulation covers a tourist arriving directly from abroad or indirectly from another part of Indonesia.
| Your actual travel status | What to do |
|---|---|
| Ordinary foreign holiday visitor | Pay the Rp150,000 provincial levy through the official Love Bali system. Keep the voucher QR. |
| Holder of a qualifying KITAS or KITAP, diplomatic/official visa, transport crew status, family-unification visa or student visa | The province lists these as automatic exemptions. Carry the actual residence card/visa or other qualifying proof; simply saying you live in Bali is not sufficient evidence. |
| Golden Visa holder or holder of another qualifying non-tourist visa type | Do not assume automatic exemption. Apply through Love Bali for approval at least five days before arrival in Bali and keep the approval. |
| Unsure whether your document qualifies | Use the visa index and current document shown by Immigration to ask the Love Bali helpdesk. Do not infer exemption from a rental contract, a long holiday or a travel agent's assurance. |
The distinction comes from Bali Governor Regulation No. 2/2024, Articles 5–7 and the province's exemption explanation. For the Golden Visa and other eligible visa categories, the regulation gives the province up to three days to approve or refuse a complete exemption application. That is a decision process, not a guaranteed approval. The rule also permits the Governor to amend exemption categories; confirm your current document and portal procedure before travel.
Example: A tourist flies London–Jakarta–Bali and plans to stay in Bali for a week. Arrival in Jakarta does not remove the Bali levy. A foreign employee with a qualifying KITAS instead brings the valid ITAS/KITAS evidence rather than paying simply because their passport is foreign. A Golden Visa holder who wants the exemption checks the approval procedure before the five-day cut-off rather than relying on an airport conversation.
Paying the Bali levy without confusing it with a visa fee
If the levy applies, start at the Bali Government's Love Bali portal, not an unofficial “Bali visa” payment site. Articles 9–14 of the provincial procedure set out the cashless payment flow:
- Enter the traveller's name, passport number, email and Bali arrival date carefully; one companion's receipt is not automatically another person's proof.
- Select a payment method actually offered by Love Bali, such as a supported card, bank transfer, virtual account or QRIS. Availability depends on the live checkout; an outside agent's quote is not the government tariff.
- After payment, save the digital voucher/QR and email confirmation. Make it available offline for an airport, accommodation or tourist-site check.
- Prefer to complete payment before reaching Bali. If you have not done so, the regulation also permits cashless collection at designated arrival points and province-approved endpoints such as certain accommodation or attractions. Verify that a collecting hotel, agent or attraction is genuinely integrated with Love Bali; do not hand cash to an unidentified collector.
If the payment page fails, the QR never arrives or your card appears charged twice: check your email (including spam), the portal's payment/receipt status and the card/bank record before trying again. Preserve the payment reference and contact the official Love Bali helpdesk or authorised payment provider for a trace or correction. The regulation addresses a payment-system outage, but the sources reviewed here do not establish a universal automatic refund or duplicate-payment reimbursement timetable. Do not promise yourself one or submit another payment simply because the first email is delayed.
If you leave Bali and return for another visit, check how the province treats the new arrival and whether the prior voucher is still applicable. “Once per Bali visit” does not mean a lifetime pass. A Love Bali receipt is not a national visa, proof of immigration entry, or permission to work.
The province's September 2026 tourism update confirms the current rate and that payment is possible through official Love Bali and verified collection endpoints. The specific payment screen can change, so follow the actual government portal rather than screenshots circulating on social media.
Your arrival-day documents and airport plan
Prepare:
- Passport with sufficient validity and any visa approval required for your nationality.
- Confirmed arrival flight, address of your first stay and onward plan.
- All Indonesia declaration confirmation.
- Love Bali levy confirmation if applicable under current provincial rules.
- Offline travel/insurance contacts, and copies of approvals for accompanying family.
After immigration and baggage at DPS, allow for unpredictable traffic to Canggu, Ubud, Seminyak, Sanur or Uluwatu. Arrange a lawful pickup or reputable transport and keep the property address accessible when offline.
What if you fly via Jakarta or leave Bali?
If you enter Indonesia in Jakarta before a domestic flight to Bali, national immigration checks occur at the first Indonesian international entry point. A domestic connection is not a new tourist visa. Check if any provincial levy obligations apply to your itinerary, rather than assuming the first island cancels them.
For repeat visits, extensions, re-entry or longer stays, check the specific visa's entry count, stay period and extension rules. A lease, coworking membership or provincial levy receipt does not change national immigration authorisation.
Before booking a non-refundable trip, identify your passport-specific Indonesian entry route, save the completed arrival declaration and carry the levy receipt or qualifying exemption proof. Confirm the rules that apply to your real passport, activity and route; payments and submitted forms are not guarantees of entry.