How to pay Bali’s new tourist tax

The entry requirements for Bali are changing from February 14. Here is what you need to do before you arrive.

Australians heading to Bali from Wednesday will need to pay a new tourist levy to enter the popular holiday island.

Travellers must pay 150,000IDR per person (about $15).

Here is what you need to know.

How to pay the tourist levy

You can pay the $15 fee via the lovebali.baliprov.go.id website or Love Bali app.

You will need to enter your details, including your passport number and arrival date.

Then you can choose your payment method and once successful, you will have a ‘Levy Voucher’ sent to your email.

It is important to make sure the voucher is valid and active as your will need to present it at scanning checkpoints when entering Bali.

There will also be a counter to pay the fee by debit or credit card at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport or Benoa Harbour, but this is not the method encouraged.

Bali’s new tourist levy comes into effect on February 14, 2024 and can be paid on the Bali Love website or app.

What is the tourist levy for?

The tourist levy is promoted as a way to protect Bali’s culture and natural environment.

“This money will be used in our efforts to establish sustainable tourism,” Indonesia’s Deputy Tourism Minister Ni Made Ayu Marthini told news.com.au when she visited Melbourne last October.

“Primarily, these funds will be used to improve waste management, preserve cultural sites and the local environment.”

The government’s Love Bali website added that it will help improve the quality of services, the safety, and comfort of tourists, by developing integrated land, sea and air infrastructure.

The tourist levy is just one of a series of measures introduced in Bali in the last year to crackdown on mass tourism.

An official tourist dos and don’ts list was released, a hotline was established for anyone to dob in misbehaving travellers, and a special task force was set up to monitor foreigners’ activities.

Indonesia has pleaded with Australian tourists to not only respect local customs but explore more of the country beyond Bali.

The Australian government has also urged travellers to listen to Indonesia’s pleas to behave.

More than 5 million foreign tourists visited Bali last year. Picture: Sonny Tumbelaka / AFP

Do I need to pay the tourist levy again if I leave Bali and come back?

There has been some confusion about whether travellers will need to pay the fee twice if they visit nearby islands, like Lombok and the Gili Islands, and then return to Bali in the same holiday.

Indonesia’s Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno confirmed to news.com.au the tourist levy would only need to be paid once by foreign visitors during a trip to Indonesia.

“You could fly to Bali, pay the fee, visit Jakarta [the country’s capital] and then return to Bali and not have to pay again,” he said. “However if you were to go from Bali to Bangkok [Thailand] and then back to Bali, you would need to pay again.”

Who is exempt from the tourist levy?

Foreigners who have the following visas can apply for an exemption via the same website and app.

They must do so at least one month before arriving in Bali or they will have to pay the tourist levy.

• Diplomatic visas and official visas

• Temporary Stay Permit Cards (KITAS) or Permanent Stay Permit Cards (KITAP)

• Family unification visas

• Golden visas

• Student visas

• Holders of other visa types issued by Immigration, excluding those intended for tourist destinations

Crew of conveyances are also exempt and do not need to submit an application for exemption.