Got a trip to Bali coming up? See you (and half of Australia) at the airport! Our love affair with Indonesia runs deep, with it having been our most popular overseas destination for the past two years. But before you start daydreaming about Bintangs on the beach, you need to be aware of the new entry requirement that kicked in on September 1.
As part of the updated entry rules, travellers to Bali must now complete an online declaration form before arrival. While another form might sound like a hassle, the new ‘All Indonesia’ declaration is designed to speed things up – meaning you’ll go from passport control to poolside even sooner.
Previously, travellers had to complete separate forms for health, customs, immigration and quarantine. However, the new platform streamlines everything into one digital form. The ‘All Indonesia’ declaration was introduced on September 1 for all overseas arrivals at Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta and Juanda Airport in Surabaya. From October 1, it will become mandatory across all international Indonesian airports.
The online declaration is free, and must be completed three days before your arrival – even if you already hold a visa or are visa-exempt. Once you’ve entered your personal details, travel plans, transport and accommodation info, plus health and customs declarations, you’ll receive a QR code to present at the border on arrival. We recommend screenshotting it, in case the Wi-Fi is dodgy when you land.
Even with the new declaration card in place, Aussies still need to apply for an e-Visa on Arrival (e-VOA). This can be done online via the official Indonesian immigration website at least 48 hours before your flight to Indonesia. The e-Visa costs around IDR 500,000 (AU$50), with Aussies travelling to Bali also required to pay a tourist tax of around IDR 150,000 (AU$13) – a scheme introduced in early 2024.
A final change to Bali entry requirements, introduced earlier this year, is that Australians keen to extend their stay past the initial 30-day period must now visit an immigration office in person to apply. And given our national love affair with Bali, we have no doubt plenty of Aussies have already made the trip.