New autogates at Bali’s Denpasar International Airport to reduce queue times

A major change at Denpasar International Airport will allow Australian travellers to enjoy Bali’s beaches sooner.

The introduction of autogates at Bali’s main international airport have been fully operational for just under a month but usage rates are still down.

Figures published in the Bali Sun show that just 67 per cent of international travellers and 62 per cent of Indonesian passport holders are using the smart gates.

See what it means for Australian travellers and what you need to make the most of the convenience.

WHERE ARE THE E-GATES?

I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, also known as Denpasar International Airport, has 90 autogates: 60 in the arrivals hall and 30 in the departure areas.

They were installed at the airport to help reduce queue times for both domestic travellers and international tourists by checking and verifying passports and visas without the intervention of immigration agents.

The average international arrival at the airport is between reaches 18,000 – 21,000 people a day according to Silmy Karim, the Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration.

Automated gates at Bali International Airport are now operational. Picture: Supplied

HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THEY?

According to Karim the introduction of the smart gates has reduced the customs process at Denpasar International Airport to just 15-25 seconds per person.

“This is a good breakthrough to smooth immigration inspection traffic, becoming more effective and efficient,” he said, as per The Bali Sun.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR AUSSIE TRAVELLERS?

The autogates can be used by all Indonesian passport holders with an e-passport and all international travellers who have an e-passport and an e-visa. This includes e-visa on arrival.

Bali’s immigration advises keep the passport open to the ID page when standing in the autogate queue as this is the only page that the autogate will scan.

Scanning the wrong passport page causes extra delays.

You could be enjoying Bali’s beaches sooner by using the autogates. Picture: iStock

HOW DO I GET AN E-VISA AND E-PASSPORT?

Australians can apply for an e-Visa on Arrival (e-VOA) online at least 48 hours before travel to Indonesia at https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id/.

All Australian passports, except for emergency passports, are ePassports. An ePassport contains an electronic chip which allows you to use e-gates.

PROBLEMS SO FAR?

Bali’s smart gates have been hit by a data breach which is said to have impacted at least three Australians.

According to the ABC, three Australians who separately travelled to Bali were caught up in the fiasco where they had sensitive details of strangers appearing on their phones when they scanned a QR code on their visa document.

Indonesia’s Immigration department in Jakarta, however, said they were in the process of fixing anomalies in the system.