Tourists traveling to Bali might need to reconsider their travel day outfits from now on. An amusing story coming out of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport is a timely prompt for tourists entering Indonesia to give a moment’s thought to what they are going to wear when they arrive and depart from the province.
In 2024 I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport installed a series of new immigration autogates inside the international arrivals and departure terminals. The automated technology has helped save tens of thousands of tourists time queueing for immigration checks.
For Indonesian passport holders and those entering Indonesia on a pre-approved e-visa, the autogates cut down immigration check times to on average less than 30 seconds.
Using the autogates is as simple as can be. Travelers must first enter their passport into the passport scanner on the biometric identification page. Once scanned, travellers must stand still for a few seconds and look directly into the camera. During this time the autogate is going through a series of internationally recognized border security checks to ensure that the traveler inside the autogate matches the passport.
Before entering the autogate travelers must remove sunglasses, hats, chunky scarves, and hoodies that obstruct a clear view of their head and neck, as well as remove any headphones and put their phones away.
However, for one recent traveler passing through I Gusti Ngurah Rai International, all this was simply not enough. Bali-bound holidaymaker Terry Bezant was caught out by the autogates after his clothing confused the scanning technology. Bezant was wearing a David Bowie t-shirt that the technology in the autogate repeatedly focused on rather than Bezant’s face.
He told reporters that he tried again and again to no avail. Bezant shared “I tried five times to pass the barrier, using three different gates but the Indonesian AI system does not want to give in. The screen kept asking me to consult the officer, but no one was seen.”
His wife, Deborah told reporters that she was able to pass through without a problem and was anxiously waiting for her husband on the other side. Bezant explained “When I was almost desperate, Deborah brilliantly identified the problem.”
“That stupid machine tried to match my passport photo with the picture of young David Bowie on my shirt. Surprisingly, there seems to be little overlap.”
Bezant was eventually able to pass through the autogate by covering his t-shirt with a fur jacket. He thought better of it than to take his t-shirt off and try and pass through the gate without a shirt on. Bezant’s experience is perhaps an amusing but simple and important reminder to tourists to make sure that they are ready to use the autogates before stepping up to the scanner.
This includes ensuring there are no obstructions to the view of the head and neck, having all travel documents at the ready, being mindful of carrying too many bags on one shoulder which may also obstruct the camera’s view, and as we know now, to be mindful of any graphics or images on clothing too.
Travelers using Bali Airport’s autogates are also reminded that they may also be summoned over to the staffed immigration counters for additional checks and questioning. Indonesia Immigration has recently issued renewed guidance for tourists on how to avoid common mistakes while applying for a visa.
The 101 Visa Application guide published on the Indonesia Immigration Instagram account outlines the most frequent reasons tourist visa applications are unsuccessful, along with handy tips and tricks to make sure that applicants steer clear of them.
Tourists traveling to Bali should also be aware that the autogates can only be used by travelers who have already been granted an eVisa, such as the eVisa-on-Arrival. Those who are applying for the visa on arrival at Bali Airport must pass through the staffed immigration counters.
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Mr Bear Snr
Friday 14th of March 2025
You have to practically strip naked to get out of Australia. Just do the same when entering and leaving Denpasar. 9/10 times our carryon is checked at Perth because we have a 1kg block of cheese and asstd chocolates, same officers everytime. In Bali they smile, say welcome back again and, cheese and chocolate again, then wave us through.