Latest visa/immigration rule changes, overstay penalties, new taxes, and legal updates affecting foreigners in Bali.
Corporate law firm ANSUGI LAW announced its expansion into Bali on September 25, 2026, appointing lawyer Haganta Tarigan as Partner of its Bali office. The move responds to growing demand for legal services as Bali's business ecosystem expands beyond tourism into property, investment, and technology sectors.
Read more βIndonesia's Ngurah Rai Immigration Office detained four foreignersβan Egyptian man, two Russian men, and a Nigerian womanβduring a joint operation in Canggu, Bali. Three were suspected of misusing their stay permits to work as DJs at a nightclub, while the woman had overstayed her visa by 402 days.
Read more βBali's Chamber of Commerce (Kadin Bali) is pushing the government to review the Online Single Submission (OSS) licensing system and reassess the Rp10 billion investment threshold for the Golden Visa, arguing it is now relatively low and allows foreign capital into sectors traditionally run by local small businesses. The chamber also raised concerns about foreign investors using local partners only to meet formal requirements while retaining full control of businesses.
Read more βBali's Ngurah Rai Immigration Office deported 17 foreign nationals between September 8 and 18, 2026, following a routine immigration patrol. Ten were cited for disturbing public order under Article 75 of the Immigration Law, while seven others were deported for overstaying their visas by more than 60 days under Article 78. Australians made up the largest group among those cited for order violations.
Read more βBali's Tourism Office held a webinar for 818 civil servants across regencies and cities to strengthen understanding of the Foreign Tourist Levy (PWA), its purpose and mechanism. As of September 20, 2026, PWA collections reached Rp289 billion, though only 65 of about 150 registered payment points are currently active.
Read more βOn April 15, 2025, Bali's provincial council passed a revision to the regulation governing the foreign tourist levy (PWA), expanding exemption categories, fund usage, and administrative sanctions for non-payment. Implementation is targeted for May 2025, with direct implications for foreign visitors.
Read more βTourism analyst Azril Azhari has raised concerns that hundreds of hotels and villas listed for sale in Bali may be linked to a 'shadow economy' involving foreigners who fund and manage businesses registered under local Indonesian names. He also pointed to a mismatch between high tourist numbers and hotel occupancy rates, as well as allegations of foreigners operating businesses on tourist visas.
Read more βThe Ngurah Rai Immigration Office in Bali has expanded its jurisdiction to include the North Badung districts of Mengwi, Abiansemal, and Petang, now covering the entire Badung Regency. As a result, foreign residents in these areas will now apply for residence permits and be subject to oversight through the Ngurah Rai office instead of the Denpasar immigration office.
Read more βNgurah Rai Immigration Office in Bali has repatriated a 29-year-old Ethiopian national who was subject to an Interpol Red Notice for fraud. The individual was flagged during immigration checks on September 6 and deported under Interpol escort on September 15.
Read more βTabanan Immigration Office has designated Nyambu and Kaba-Kaba villages in Kediri District as pilot 'Immigration Development Villages' to strengthen monitoring of foreign nationals at the community level. Immigration officers will make weekly visits and encourage residents to report information, with plans to expand the program to other villages gradually due to limited staffing.
Read more βIndonesia's Director General of Immigration revealed that sham marriages used by foreigners to illegally acquire land, along with drug trafficking, human trafficking, and cyber scams, are being driven by organized crime syndicates. In response, immigration authorities announced plans to tighten a 'selective policy' to screen out low-quality or rule-breaking foreign visitors.
Read more βDenpasar's Immigration Detention House has temporarily detained a 35-year-old Palestinian man with refugee status, suspected of running an unauthorized tourism business on Nusa Lembongan Island. He is being investigated for violating Indonesia's immigration law, with coordination with UNHCR now underway.
Read more βForeign investors are cautiously returning to Indonesian stocks, bonds, and the rupiah after a turbulent first half of 2026, as the Prabowo administration pledges fiscal discipline and a new central bank governor signals policy continuity. While sentiment has improved, market participants remain wary, citing global risks and a need for consistent policy execution. For foreigners living in or visiting Indonesia, including Bali, the rupiah's trajectory affects daily costs of living and currency exchange decisions.
Read more βThe Denpasar Class I Immigration Office deported a Chinese national (initials JZ) via I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on September 7, 2026, after he was found working as a project supervisor at a construction site in Bali while holding only a tourist visa.
Read more βFollowing flight cancellations caused by the September 6 eruption of Anak Krakatau volcano, Indonesia's Immigration Directorate General has begun issuing Emergency Stay Permits (ITKT) and waiving overstay fees for affected foreign nationals. Between September 5-7, 528 flights were affected, impacting 86,760 passengers, with applications also processed at Bali's Ngurah Rai immigration office.
Read more βIndonesia's Directorate General of Immigration detained 55 Chinese nationals at a data center construction site in BSD Serpong, South Tangerang, on suspicion of working illegally while holding tourist or visit visas. Although the incident occurred in Java rather than Bali, it signals intensified enforcement against visa misuse that could extend to other regions.
Read more βA 40-year-old director of an immigration and travel document service company has been charged at Denpasar District Court with embezzling a total of IDR 649,549,255 from 11 foreign clients. Prosecutors allege the funds were not used to pay required immigration office fees, leaving clients' visa and residency documents unprocessed.
Read more βA popular Bali-based running club, Entourage Bali, came under fire after allegations of discrimination against local applicants and noise complaints from its 'silent disco run' events in Canggu. Indonesian immigration authorities banned two Dutch nationals linked to the club from re-entering the country, amid a broader trend of stricter enforcement against foreigners in Bali and rising deportation numbers.
Read more βIndonesian immigration authorities in Tabanan, Bali, apprehended a Nigerian national who had overstayed his visa for eight years. The man attempted to flee during questioning but was caught with the help of local police and community security. He is now held at the Denpasar immigration detention center pending deportation.
Read more βIndonesia's immigration authority is modernizing border and entry control through a 'digital fence' program using AI, drones, and facial recognition technology. Facial recognition has already been implemented for immigration checks at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport, and a new immigration service point for foreigners has opened in a Kuta shopping mall.
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