It has always been the case that foreign nationals in Indonesia must carry their identification and stay permit documents with them at all times. However, over the year, this is something that both immigration and security officials and foreigners have become more relaxed about.
Not only is this a legal requirement, but immigration officers are carrying out spot checks on an increasingly regular basis throughout the island.
This is part of a province-wide initiative aimed at preventing foreigners from overstaying their visas and violating their visa conditions. Now, a team of immigration officers, wearing security vests and body cams, is conducting spot checks on tourists, asking to review their passports and questioning them about their intentions and activities on the island.
The team has been spotted out in Legian, in Nusa Dua, and this week in Ubud. Officers can be recognized by their blue and black uniforms, as well as security vests branded with ‘IMMIGRATION’ badges.
Tourists and foreigners in Bali who get stopped by the immigration task force can expect to be asked to produce their passports and stay permits.
This should be the real passport, not a photocopy or other ID card. Officers are also questioning tourists as to their nationality, address in Bali, their travel plans, arrival and departure dates, and plans for their stay.
However, many tourists in Bali have reservations about carrying their passports with them at all times, fearing theft or damage. There are currently no criminal ramifications for not carrying a passport at all times, despite it being a legal requirement.
Officers who have encountered tourists without their passports on their person have issued verbal warnings. In the future, officers may request tourists to check in with their closest immigration office or maybe even conduct a follow-up at their accommodation.
These new spot checks have arisen as a result of a sharp rise in the number of immigration violations detected by Indonesia’s Immigration over the past year, with a significant increase during the first four months of the year.
The Indonesian Minister for Immigration, Agus Andrianto, told reporters in early August, “The establishment of this Immigration Patrol Task Force is a follow-up from the President’s direction to ensure stability and security in Bali as one of Indonesia’s main tourist destinations.”
Speaking at the deployment ceremony for the new immigration task force team, the Acting Director General of Immigration, Yuldi Yusman, also shared, “Patrol Officers will patrol the predetermined route, especially in areas prone to immigration violations or areas where [international tourist] activities are concentrated. The patrol movement schedule is carried out periodically and randomly to avoid predictable patterns.”
The immigration task force officers are a separate group from the Bali Tourism Task Force, which has been tasked with conducting spot checks on tourists at top attractions to ensure they have paid their Bali Tourism Tax Levy. The IDR 150,000 mandatory tourism tax came into effect in February 2024, but within the first year of the policy being in place, as few as 30% of tourists made the payment.
The payment can be made most easily at the LoveBali website or app. In the coming months, more tour and travel agents in Bali will become payment points for those already on the island.
Once paid, tourists are issued a QR-code voucher that they must present to officers should they be subject to a spot check.
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Shorty
Monday 8th of September 2025
Settle people.
I've little doubt phone images of your passport, visa and/or TT QR codes, KITAS(P), SKTT or laminated copies will be accepted. Stop this selective tourist targeting bullshit. Indonesians are required to carry their ID at all times.
Shorty
Thursday 11th of September 2025
@Exp,
Check out your posts on August 25.
Shorty
Thursday 11th of September 2025
@Exp,
Strange, you've posted earlier that copies would probably be accepted!
Shorty
Thursday 11th of September 2025
@Exp,
Dr Google and AI can find no evidence of jailing or fines.
What's your source?
Exp
Wednesday 10th of September 2025
@Shorty, Phone images or paper copies will be accepted? Says who?
Law No.6 of 2011 on Immigration. Article 71(b) of the law states that every foreigner present in Indonesia is obliged to: “Show and submit any travel document or stay permit they possess when required to do so by an active Immigration officer in the interests of Immigration control.”
Should these be originals or photocopies? The law does not explicitly say so; but I guess in any dispute the immigration will come out on top.
Foreigners have been jailed and fined for not carrying originals. The only thing that can save Bali tourists is the bad press / viral online press that will happen if immigration start detaining tourists.
Alan Gerbracht
Sunday 7th of September 2025
Have not made the time to do tourist things. My focus is will I stay to live here, possibly find a wife/etc., and leave all my estate here in Bali. Otherwise it's onward westward - Bali's lose may be my gain and where I end up (but not in my country of origin). In the U.S. this news would be seen as a political distraction from corruption or the need to change. Looks like an expense not a need for any reason, but I'm no expert. So how do citizens? My hotel owner was perplexed and shocked - didn't know the requirement. I paid MUCH more than that amount, 10 times more! Maybe if pulled over I'd eventually would be reimbursed. Hmm? And yes, the whole thing got more involved here and elsewhere. I'll never use Batik or Lion Airways again. What is that, a legal scam of big money? That's one big strike. And how many women here are in politics? That seems universal for the need of change, and a respect for the vast majority of citizens anywhere in the world.
Cable guy
Monday 8th of September 2025
@Alan Gerbracht, what language is this ?
Viktor Z
Monday 8th of September 2025
@Alan Gerbracht,
Bali is no playground for Trumpies who don’t know what they want..
Please go home, enjoy the rising fascism and find yourself an endorsing position ..
You don’t need skills fur such a job as stupidity rules..
Bacot
Saturday 6th of September 2025
It's the typical "let me solve my problems, by creating problems for you"
Who wants to carry his passport on the beach or during a night out? When not going through airports a passport should be in the safety box, not in your back pocket.
And what would be the requirements for Kitas holders? Would my Indonesian SIM, or my Kitas PDF with QR code be sufficient?
I rather go to the the immigration office for showing my documentation, than getting my original passport lost or stolen and - file a police report - fly to the embassy in Jakarta to get a replacement passport - get through the process for getting my Kitas moved to my new passport number
Let WNA carry the eVisa on their phones. The online system is there to authenticate documentation via QR codes.
Randy
Saturday 6th of September 2025
In Australia, protestors on anti immigration vs those who believe for welcoming people of all colors. One kiwi with linked to neo nazi sentiment who is anti immigrant may be asked to leave Australia. Petition to remove him is growing.
Anyway back to Bali, there are some foreigners who are taking advantage of a loophole to overstay and breaking the law. Perhaps, immigration officials should check in the Canggu area more often. Tourists are there to enjoy Bali if they say they do unless there is a different reason to stay in Bali longer without the proper documents.
In the West there is a growing resentment to stop immigration from non white migrants. Oh well...
Exp
Wednesday 10th of September 2025
@Randy, They are not catching overstayers by spot check on the streets or beaches. Immigration knows from their computer systems who overstays and the supposed address they are at. Not hard to track them down at all.
This whole exercise is therefore part of showing force, i.e. intimidation and militarization that will backfire as many of the 99.99% of the foreigners who follows all the rules will tire of these constant "checks" everywhere they go.
Paul Morris
Monday 8th of September 2025
@Peter, haha love it the guys a goose.
Peter
Sunday 7th of September 2025
@Randy, and you would know Jack shit about Australia yank,go home Donald wants you
Paul Morris
Saturday 6th of September 2025
What a fantastic way to discourage tourists from holidaying on the island , it beggars belief that the government insists on shooting itself in the foot changing rules and regulations on a daily basis so that people are constantly having to get updates from forums and online outlets so that they are not breaking the law, when all they want to do is have a great holiday. Very few people carry their passports with them because of the potential damage that might be caused and the chance that next time you go to Bali you could be rejected because of a slight imperfection with your passport. Please don’t make it too difficult and complicated otherwise tourists will just go somewhere else for their holidays.
Viktor Z
Monday 8th of September 2025
@Paul Morris,
That’s exactly what should happen less tourists..especially those who are surrounded with the scent of Pauline Hanson, Nigel Farage, the MAGA movement and Putin worshippers..
The vibe of the 1980s, 90s and the first decade of this century may return..