The story
Foreign tourists visiting Bali must pay the Bali Foreign Tourist Levy of IDR 150,000 per person, unless an exemption applies. Pay before arrival where possible and retain the emailed QR-code voucher. This is a Bali provincial levy, separate from visas and other Indonesian immigration requirements. The official Love Bali FAQ also covers cruise passengers.
Information check date: 13 October 2026.
Pay ahead and keep the QR proof
The levy has applied since 14 February 2024. The regional regulation covers foreign tourists entering Bali directly from abroad or through another part of Indonesia, and requires electronic payment before or upon entering a Bali arrival gate.
Love Bali is the official web and mobile payment system. Its FAQ lists cards, bank transfer, virtual account and QRIS, alongside payment at airport or port counters and registered hotels, travel agents and tourist attractions. Payment is cashless; these options do not establish that every location always has a staffed counter or the same procedure.
Paying ahead removes a task from arrival day. Enter accurate passport and email details, then retain the QR voucher sent after payment. Under Governor Regulation Number 2 of 2024, payment or exemption proof may be scanned at arrival gates or other inspection points. The voucher proves levy payment; it does not guarantee immigration admission.
Exemptions depend on your status
The FAQ lists exemptions for diplomatic or official visa holders, transport crew, KITAS or KITAP holders, family-unification visa holders and student visa holders. These categories are distinct from the advance-approval process for golden-visa holders and holders of other eligible visas.
For those latter categories, the governor regulation requires an exemption application through Love Bali at least five days before entering Bali. It allows the tourism authority up to three days after receipt to approve or reject it. Do not treat submitting an application as approval.
Cruise passengers are also covered. They may pay individually or through a registered cruise agent, according to the FAQ. Confirm how payment and proof will be handled rather than assuming a cruise booking settles the levy.
AI-generated conceptual illustration: an accommodation arrival setting in Bali, not a reported levy inspection or payment location.
One payment, with a re-entry question
The FAQ describes payment once while traveling in Bali, before leaving Indonesia; the regional regulation uses entry-based wording. For a straightforward Bali trip, pre-arrival payment is the clearest practical approach. If you leave Indonesia and return, verify the current interpretation with Love Bali rather than assuming an earlier voucher covers the new entry. Passport, visa and other immigration requirements need a separate check.
Low collection does not remove the obligation
Bali reported levy payment compliance of about 43 percent through 20 September 2026, compared with about 35 percent in 2025, in a provincial legislature update. That is a reported collection measure, not a prediction of whether you will be checked or a reason to skip payment.
The practical trade-off is a one-time digital task within a collection system still being improved. The province says it is expanding cooperation with airlines, online travel agencies and tourism businesses without disrupting tourism.
The government’s stated purposes are cultural preservation, environmental protection and tourism-supporting infrastructure. These sources establish intended uses, not project-by-project results or a specific benefit your payment guarantees.