Tourists Visiting Bali’s Top Resort Areas Spot Checked By Immigration Officials 

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Tourists visiting Bali’s top resort areas must be prepared to be stopped by immigration officers. As part of a province-wide mission, Immigration Task Force Officers have been deployed to patrol ares like Nusa Dua, Seminyak, Legian, and Canggu to check on the immigration status of holidaymakers. 

In the first quarter of 2025, Indonesian Immigration reported a huge spike in the number of foreigners committing immigration violations and offences, with a notable spike in cases coming from Bali. This stemmed from overstaying visas, working without the correct permits, and engaging in criminal activities.

In early August 2025, Indonesian Minister for Immigration, Agus Andrianto, announced that he would be deploying the Bali Regional Immigration Patrol Task Force, known as Satgas. This is a dedicated unit of 100 officers who will be conducting patrols around Bali’s most popular and densely populated tourist resort areas. 

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The reach of these patrols is considerable. In the North Kuta area, patrols will be held in Kerobokan, Seminyak, and Canggu. In Denpasar, patrols will be carried out around Sanur’s Matahari Terbit Beach and the resort of Benoa and Tanjung Benoa. In Pecatu Village, also known as Uluwatu, patrols are set to take place on Uluwatu Beach and in Bingin Beach, as well as Mertasari Beach.

Officers have also been spotted in Legian and Kuta, as well as Ubud and Nusa Dua. Their mission is simple: to spot-check foreigners for their immigration status. This is why tourists are being informed that they must carry their passports with them at all times.

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Tourists must be able to show proof of their immigration status to officers, and while those who have failed to do so during current spot checks have only been issued a friendly warning, it’s not out of the question that stricter measures could be taken in the future. It may be acceptable that tourist can show their eVisa to officers on their smartphone, though some officers may wish to see the passport or identity card. 

Ngurah Rai Immigration Office recently confirmed, “Under Law Number 6 of 2011 on Immigration, Article 71 states that every foreign national must present and surrender their passport or residence permit when requested by an immigration officer for immigration control. We always advise carrying these ID documents. However, in some cases, we may use discretion and accept copies instead.” 

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Immigration officials from Ngurah Rai Immigration have been out on patrol within their jurisdiction and have shared footage of their work on their social media channels. Immigration Officers can be identified by their navy and black uniform, their black protective vests, and many are now wearing body cams. 

Tourists have been asked to show their passports and visas and are being asked questions about their stay in Bali. These questions have included asking where tourists are staying, when they arrived, and when they plan to depart, what activities they plan on taking part in, what they do for work, who they are traveling with, and whether they have visited Bali before. 

During the deployment of the Bali Immigration Patrol Task Force, Minister Andrianto shared, “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.”

The Acting Director General of Immigration, Yuldi Yusman, further explained that teams are set to conduct patrols in the areas prone to immigration violations.

The patrol schedule will continue to be applied periodically and randomly.

Yusman explained, “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.”