As we first reported in October last year, Bali is introducing a new tourism levy from February 2024, to support environmental, cultural and infrastructure projects on the island, which sees over five million visitors annually.
That means your trips to the popular Indonesian island will soon become a little more costly and complex, with the new charge applicable to all non-Indonesian tourist visitors, including Singapore citizens and most of our Singapore-resident and international readers.
Luckily an advance online payment system for the new tax will soon be up and running, and we strongly recommend completing this process and obtaining a QR code to scan on entry to Bali before departing on your trip to ease the arrivals process, if you’ll be touching down from 14th February 2024 onwards.
Bali’s new tourism tax
From 14th February 2024, all non-Indonesian nationals arriving in Bali will have to pay a tourism tax of IDR 150,000 (~S$13) on arrival.
Children are not exempt, so a typical family of four is looking at around S$52 in additional expenses on a Bali trip, once the tax takes effect.
If you make a trip to Bali’s neighbouring islands, you will have to pay the tourism tax again on your return to Bali.
This includes places like the Gili Islands, Lombok and Java.
However, it does not apply when you make trips to:
- Nusa Ceningan
- Nusa Lembongan
- Nusa Penida
These islands are part of the province of Bali, so you haven’t actually “left” when you visit them.
If you’re fluent in Bahasa Indonesia, the full legal text of the new tourism tax is available at the following links:
- Law Number 15 of 2023 concerning the Province of Bali
- Bali Province Regional Regulation Number 6 of 2023
Online prepayment option (phew!)
When we first reported on this news, it was suggested that a form of advance online payment would be in place for tourists to pay the new tax online ahead of their trip, but all that was confirmed at the time was that five designated payment counters would process the payments at Bali Airport’s international arrivals hall.
With an impressive-sounding turnaround time promised of 23 seconds per passenger, we pointed out that it would still take 47 minutes to process 615 arriving passengers from the single daily Emirates Airbus A380 arriving on the island!
Thankfully our worst fears of long queues in the arrivals hall have been laid to rest, because there is indeed an online payment portal via the Love Bali website.
This will allow visitors to provide their personal details, make payment for the arrival tax, and then obtain a QR code to scan at the checkpoint at Bali Airport, or at sea ports.
Hopefully this will be a much smoother option compared to making payment at the counter on arrival, though that will still be possible if you prefer (note: cashless payment only).
“It is strongly advised to make payment before departure to Bali”
Bali Provincial Government
There’s also an upcoming Love Bali mobile app, which may prove an easier option to make the prepayment and have the Levy Voucher QR code stored seamlessly on your phone.
Exemptions
If you fall into one of the following categories, you are likely to be exempt from the requirement to pay the new tourism tax on arrival in Bali.
- Diplomatic and official visa holders
- Conveyance crew (ship workers)
- KITAS / KITAP holders
- Student, family unification and golden visa holders
- Specific non-tourist visa holders
You will be able to apply for an exemption via the Love Bali website (presumably, you get a special QR code to show).
Many tourists still need a VoA too
Those not holding ASEAN nationality, such as Australian, US and UK citizens, will also have to obtain a Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) when entering Indonesia on an international flight, obtained at a separate counter at a cost of IDR 500,000 (~S$44), though this can also be done online in advance.
Remember, Singaporeans and other ASEAN nationals don’t need a VoA (but will need to pay the IDR 150,000 tourism tax).
Don’t forget your customs QR code!
As if all this complexity wasn’t enough, if you are arriving by air at Bali on an international flight, you should also complete the e-customs declaration before departure and obtain a QR code to show on arrival.
Summary
From 14th February 2024, tourists arriving on the popular holiday island of Bali, including Singapore citizens, will be obliged to pay an IDR 150,000 (~S$13) tax, including any children.
While the idea of joining a queue on arrival at the airport filled us with dread, thankfully it’s been confirmed that an advance online payment system will be in place, generating a QR code for you to simply show on arrival.
The provincial tax is being raised to help counter the effects of tourism on the island, including new environmental and infrastructure projects.
Unfortunately if you make a side trip to many of Bali’s neighbouring islands, you will have to pay the tourism tax again on your return to Bali, so be aware.
As if all that wasn’t enough – do note that non-ASEAN passport holders still require a VoA to travel to Indonesia, and there’s a customs declaration QR code to complete before you’ll be allowed to leave the baggage reclaim hall too.
Who said going on holiday was easy again?!
(Cover Photo: Conrad Bali)
They’ve been hammering ads for people to explore the rest of Indonesia from Bali. This tax is a scam! If your pay for a hotel in Bali for the length of your stay then that’s your home. What happens when you get mugged and your card scammed on your Lombok or Java sightseeing trip and you can’t pay to get back into Bali with your four young kids?
Rubbish. I’m Australian and my wife is Indonesian. While I don’t like paying extra money this tax is desperately needed to fund long overdue infrastructure development. During Christmas / New Year Bali is also the main domestic tourism destination for Indonesians (particularly those from Java). Same applies from mid June to mid July. What Bali should also do is charge a domestic tourism tax of 150K IDR per adult and 50K per child up to 16 during these peak periods also.
Hahaha! Stay in your country then. They don’t need you. Try beg in your country and fund your cheap trip to Bali.
Stay at your first world country then. Maybe you don’t get scammed.. hahaha