The Bali Secret guide
Short answer
Every foreign visitor to Bali pays a one-time tourist levy of IDR 150,000 (about $9.30) per person, introduced in 2024. Pay online via the official Love Bali portal before you fly, or at a counter on arrival.
In this guide6 sections · 3 min
Since 2024, every foreign visitor to Bali pays a one-time tourist levy of IDR 150,000 — roughly $9.30 — per person. It is separate from any visa fee, and it catches a lot of travellers by surprise at the airport.
Key facts
- Amount: IDR 150,000 per person, about $9.30.
- Frequency: One-time per entry to Bali, not per night.
- Who pays: Foreign visitors. It applies per person, including children.
- Separate from your visa. Paying for a visa on arrival does not cover it.
- Legal basis: Bali Provincial Regulation No. 6 of 2023 — it is provincial law, not an airport surcharge.
That last point explains a confusion worth clearing up. The levy is charged by the Bali provincial government, while your visa is issued by national immigration. Two authorities, two systems, two payments — which is precisely why clearing one does nothing for the other.
How to pay
Pay online through the official Love Bali portal before you travel. You receive a QR code — save it offline and screenshot it, because airport wifi is not something to depend on after a long flight.
You can also pay at a counter on arrival, but this means queueing at the point you least want to. Paying ahead takes a few minutes at home.
Paying it, step by step
- Go to the official Love Bali portal before you fly. Doing it at home takes three minutes; doing it at the airport means a queue after a long-haul flight.
- Enter each traveller separately — it is per person, children included, so a family of four pays IDR 600,000 in total.
- Pay by card. The confirmation arrives by email with a QR code.
- Screenshot the QR code. Do not rely on finding the email later on airport wifi.
- Keep it accessible for the whole trip, not just arrival. Spot checks happen at some tourist sites.
Who does not have to pay
Indonesian citizens never pay. Several foreign categories are also exempt:
- KITAS and KITAP holders — people living in Indonesia on a stay permit.
- Diplomatic and official visa holders.
- Student visa holders.
- Family reunification visa holders.
- Golden Visa holders.
- Transport crew.
- Transit passengers who never clear immigration.
Everyone else pays, including infants on a lap, which surprises families more than anything else about the levy.
What the money funds
The levy funds cultural preservation and environmental programmes — waste management, heritage site upkeep and conservation. It was introduced in response to the pressure tourism volume places on the island’s infrastructure and environment. Budget it alongside the rest of your trip costs, where it is a rounding error next to a single night of accommodation.
What if you do not pay?
You will be directed to pay on arrival before proceeding. It is not optional, and enforcement has tightened since introduction. Spot checks occur at some tourist sites, so keep the QR code accessible during your trip rather than deleting it after landing.
In practice the levy is a minor administrative step rather than a hurdle. The only people it genuinely inconveniences are those who did not know it existed and now have a queue between them and the exit — which, since you have read this, is no longer you.
