Update 6th April
Indonesia has now revealed its nationwide quarantine-free arrival scheme for fully vaccinated travellers, leading to an even simpler Bali trip process with less testing, no CHSE hotel booking requirement and no VoA for ASEAN nationals.
See our latest article for up-to-date details.
This article is now out of date.
Following a long two-year wait for most Singapore residents, it’s finally possible once again to make relatively simple quarantine-free trips to one of the most popular destinations in the region – Indonesia’s holiday island of Bali.
With 33 weekly non-stop flights from Changi, 14 of which return as designated VTL flights operated by four different airlines, there are both full-service and low-cost options available, plus a KrisFlyer redemption deal with 30% off the usual miles required for a saver award in April and May.
That could make the next couple of months the perfect time to rediscover Bali, as the island moves into the dry season and hotel rates are at all-time lows.
Here’s how it works.
In a nutshell
Before we get into the details, here’s a summary of the process in each direction for quarantine-free travel to Bali and back, for a Singapore resident.
Singapore Bali
| Eligibility & Vaccination |
|
| COVID-19 Test(s) |
|
Bali Singapore
| Eligibility & Vaccination |
|
* Short-term visitors only
| COVID-19 Test(s) |
|
Singapore to Bali
Bali relaxed its quarantine requirements for international visitors in early March 2022, replacing a three-night / four-day “resort quarantine” arrangement with a new policy allowing travellers to roam freely around the island once the negative results of their on-arrival PCR test have come through.
Unfortunately a minimum three-night hotel booking is still required, though practically all properties on the island are eligible, but aside from a self-isolation period awaiting the results of the on-arrival test there is no quarantine and you are free to explore Bali almost straight away.
Here’s how the eligibility restrictions and process look for travel from Singapore.
Singapore to Bali
Eligibility
In normal circumstances, if you’re travelling on a Singapore passport (or several others including those issued in Australia, the Netherlands and the UK) you do not need a visa to enter Indonesia for visits of up to 30 days. This service is currently suspended.
Since 7th March 2022, Singapore Citizens and those with passports issued in 22 other countries who are entering Indonesia via Bali for tourism purposes can instead apply for a Visa on Arrival (VoA) at a cost of IDR 500,000 (~S$47).
You can pay by cash or credit card after disembarkation at Bali Airport. You cannot apply in advance.
Update: From 22nd March 2022, citizens of 19 additional countries are now eligible for the VoA when arriving in Bali as tourists.
This VoA is valid for 30 days, and can be extended once (for a maximum of 30 further days) by making an application to an immigration office once you are in Bali. You must extend your visa within the initial 30 days, to avoid an overstay fine.
Here’s the full list of 23 42 nationalities (based on your passport) you’ll have to hold to enter Bali under the VoA programme (the latest 19 additions from 22nd March 2022 are highlighted).
- Argentina
- Australia
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- Canada
- China
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- India
- Italy
- Japan
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Myanmar
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Philippines
- Poland
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Spain
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- UAE
- UK
- USA
- Vietnam
If you are not Indonesian and your passport is not on the list above, you can still travel to Bali but you will need to obtain a B211A visit visa in advance.
You will require a company or travel agency to sponsor your application, and there are several services available online, though it is expensive.
Those entering on the B211A visa are also eligible for the quarantine-free process, as well as VoA passengers.
Singapore to Bali
Vaccination
To travel to Bali quarantine-free you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Your primary vaccine course (i.e. the second dose in a two-dose vaccine, or the only dose of a single-dose vaccine) must have been administered at least 14 days before departure.
The certificate must be issued in both English and the local language of the country where you were vaccinated, if different.
Most of our readers fully vaccinated in Singapore will have no issues here. The Notarised vaccination certificate (i.e. with QR code) issued by the Ministry of Health will be accepted by Indonesia.
Bali does not require travellers to have a booster dose to travel to the country at this stage.
Children younger than 12 are exempt from the requirement to be fully vaccinated to enter Indonesia, when travelling with fully vaccinated parents.
Singapore to Bali
Vaccine Verification
You can verify your overseas (i.e. non-Indonesian) vaccination certificate in advance through the Non-Indonesia Vaccination Verification website, which can then be uploaded to the PeduliLindungi contact tracing app for the purposes of entry to public places while you’re in Bali (like you do with the TraceTogether app in Singapore).
Turnaround time for having your vaccination verified is approximately three working days, so you may want to get this process underway around a week before your trip if possible, since it should simplify your visit.
To do so you’ll need to upload your notarised vaccination certificate (or equivalent from the country you were vaccinated in) and your identity document.
Update: My Singapore vaccination certificate verification was approved and is now loaded in my PeduliLindungi app. Turnaround time was two days and the process is relatively simple. I now have ‘Green’ status to show while in Bali for check-in purposes, etc.
Singapore to Bali
Pre-Departure Testing
You must have a negative COVID-19 test before departing to Bali, which must be:
- a PCR test taken within 48 hours of departure
The timing applies prior to departure at the first embarkation point in a continuous journey to Indonesia.
For most of our readers that means taking a PCR test within 48 hours of the departure time of your non-stop flight from Singapore.