You’ve booked your holiday to Bali and are prepped and ready with what you want to do. But arriving anywhere can be a bit hectic for the first time so this post will help make your arrival in Bali be the smoothest possible.
There are a few things that you’ll want to have in place before you arrive to ensure that things go smoothly:
- Be sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months
- Purchase travel insurance
- Have an outbound ticket from Bali booked (this is rarely checked, but you need it if they do). Use Onward Ticket if you don’t yet have a ticket booked out of Indonesia.
- Purchase your Visa on Arrival (VOA) in advance. A VOA allows you to stay in Indonesia for up to 30 days and costs about $35 USD. You can also do this at the airport, but it can save you time in line to do it prior to arrival. It also makes extending the visa a breeze for an additional 30 days if you need that. You can apply for a VOA up to 90 days in advance. And yes, children also need visas.
- Bali has recently opened E Gates which should ease your time in queues when arriving on island. In order to use these gates, you need to have an electronic visa purchased in advance and be over 6 years of age. If you are traveling with a child 5 and under you can still purchase your VOA in advance and use the manual immigration line. Hopefully this queue will be shorter as more people use the electronic gates.
- Fill out the online customs form. You can do this up to 72 hours in advance and just need one per family.
- Complete the SATUSEHAT Health Pass. There have been very few cases of MPox in Indonesia but the government is requiring all people entering Indonesia to fill out this health form prior to entry (as of August 29, 2024).
You may also want to think about your phone situation in Bali. I find getting an e-SIM the easiest option. If you want a physical card you can get one in advance and pick it up at the airport at the Telkomsel desk. It is cheaper to purchase in advance than purchasing at the airport.
You can pay for many things with credit cards (hotels, most restaurants) but will still need cash. Having access to a Wise card is a great option as you’ll be charged real market exchange rates, without being worried about being ripped off. You can also freeze and unfreeze the card instantly with the app. There are no hidden ATM fees and you can top up and convert money in real time.
What to expect when you arrive at the Bali Airport
The Bali airport is not huge, but can feel a little hectic. Here I’ll explain exactly what to expect.
- Once you exit the plane you’ll walk down to the immigration hall. If you have not already done your eVOA you’ll need to pay for a VOA here. If you already have documentation of your eVOA you can walk straight to the immigration line.
- If you’re not sure if your country qualifies for a VOA to Indonesia, you can check here.
- If you are purchasing your VOA at the airport you can do so with cash or credit card.
- Once your VOA is sorted you head to the immigration line. Please note that there are typically lines for families with small children (that are shorter!) so do be sure to look for that.
- If you’ve purchased your VOA in advance and your kids are 6 and older you can go through the new electronic gates.
- After Immigration you’ll pick up your luggage and head to customs. All customs forms are done online now, so if you haven’t done this in advance, you can do it while waiting for your luggage on your phone. The airport has free wifi. You’ll get a QR code to scan at customs.
- Once through customs you’ll be in the arrivals hall, and you go through a gauntlet of duty free, money exchangers and SIM card sellers. Once you get to the Starbucks, you’re getting close to the end.
- You’ll then see a sea of drivers holding signs for their passengers. There will be hundreds, day or night. If you’ve pre-arranged a driver, you’ll find him or her here.
- If you need a taxi, there will be no shortage of touts offering you a ride. We personally usually a ride sharing app like Gojek or Grab. Once you get past the sea of drivers you cross the road by the Circle K and you’ll see a Gojek lounge. You can wait inside in air conditioning for your ride and the workers will help you secure a card. If you haven’t done so before arriving in Indonesia, you’ll definitely want to download the Gojek app for getting rides and ordering food. This country runs on Gojek I think!
I hope that helps! Let me know in the comments how your experience arriving in Bali was!
