In September of 2023, the Indonesian government announced that it would be introducing a new tourist tax but what does that mean and how will it affect travelers to Bali?

We explain how this isn’t as much of an issue as some people are making it out to be and what you can expect when you arrive in the country.

About The New Tourist Tax

From the 14th of February 2024, for each arriving foreign tourist, there will be a new tourist tax on all arrivals in Indonesia, for tourism purposes, and that means paying 150,000 IDR (around $10 USD depending on the exchange rate) for each person entering the country.

This can be paid at the airport, but the government is recommending that tourists visiting Indonesia don’t wait to pay the tourism tax at the airport and instead, make payment for the new tourism tax online.

The Love Bali Website

With that in mind, they’ve set up the Love Bali Website for you to pay the tourist tax on and soon you will find apps in the Apple app store and Google Play store to help facilitate payment too.

You can pay by bank transfer, Qris, or virtual account on the web store and if you really can’t manage to pay online, you can pay by card (non cash or cashless) at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport or Benoa Bali Harbor.

And if tourists visit nearby islands, they will have to pay again at the harbor on their return (except Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan cause it still belong to Bali)

However, with the government urging visitors to pay in advance, we’d hit the website and pay in advance if at all possible, otherwise, foreign tourists entering Bali are likely to find themselves in big queues at the airport.

What Is The Tax For?

The levy on international tourists is meant to help raise funds to help preserve the island’s natural environment, encourage the tourism and creative economy, and improve infrastructure on land/sea, to help your future trip to Bali be as pleasant as the one you take today.

  1. Protect Bali tradition, culture & local wisdom
  2. Supporting sustainable tourism
  3. Implementing quality tourism governance
  4. Creating cleanliness, safety and comfort for tourist
  5. Build quality public transportation facilities and infrastructure

Exemptions To The Tax

There are several exemptions from this tax and they include corporate investors, people here to conduct government business (diplomatic and official visa), golden and student visa holders, and official visa holders for business and other non-tourism purposes (those with a residence permit card, for example).

Final Thoughts On The New Tourist Tax

Bali visitors are going to have to pay a small tax for entering the country from February 2024, however, as this is a much convenient and smaller sum than the previously mandatory visa-on-arrival fee, tourists are still coming out ahead on the deal.

Non-tourist visa holders won’t be affected by the levy as it’s only for foreign tourists.

If the levy helps in the way that the Balinese government have laid out then we’re cautiously optimistic that this tax is a net positive for Bali and for holidaymakers.