Starting in 2026, Bali’s provincial government plans to screen incoming international tourists based on their financial capacity, length of stay and planned activities – a move officials say is aimed at restoring order and sustainability.
Bali Governor Wayan Koster said the policy would require foreign visitors to demonstrate adequate financial resources, including a review of savings over the previous three months, as part of entry requirements. Authorities would also assess how long tourists intend to stay and what activities they plan to undertake while on the island.
Rising Arrivals, Rising Concerns
The policy comes amid record-breaking tourism numbers. Bali recorded 7.05 million foreign tourist arrivals by air throughout 2025, compared to 6.3 million in 2024. The figure marks the highest level in the island’s tourism history, with arrivals continuing to climb since the COVID-19 pandemic subsided.
But the surge has also coincided with growing public concerns over a series of incidents involving foreign visitors. In recent years, Bali has seen repeated cases of unruly tourists disrupting public order, violating local laws and customs and straining law enforcement resources.
Rather than simply capping visitor numbers, the administration believes stricter screening and clearer rules will help filter out problematic behaviour while preserving tourism’s economic benefits. Officials say the move is part of a broader effort to shift Bali’s tourism model from sheer numbers to sustainability and order.
Foreign levy totalling US$23 million collected in 2025
Bali collected 369 billion rupiah (about US$23 million) from its foreign tourist levy in 2025, a modest improvement in compliance in the policy’s second year, Governor Koster said, even as receipts fell short of budget targets amid record visitor arrivals.
These figures are higher than the island’s population of 4.3 million. In 2024, tourism revenue was recorded at US$16.7 billion, contributing 4 per cent to the country’s GDP.
Bali introduced the 150,000 rupiah ($9.40) levy per foreign visitor in early 2024 as part of its effort to fund cultural preservation and environmental protection on the island.
New Immigration Task Force to crack down on unruly tourists
Bali also introduced a new Immigration Task Force that is deployed in top tourism destinations across Bali to crack down on unruly tourists visiting the island. These officers now wear safety vests equipped with body cameras to ensure accountability.
New guidelines that outline specific rules for tourists were also announced in May last year, including dress codes for religious sites, restrictions on motorbike rentals and the tourist levy. For tourists who overstay their visa, the prison sentence has now increased to 10 years, plus an additional 10 years, meaning a maximum of 20 years or life imprisonment.
607 foreigners were deported and another 303 detained for the period from November to December 2024, nationwide in Indonesia. This number increased alarmingly from January to July 2025, with 2,669 deportations and 2,009 detentions nationwide, with a sharp rise in the number of cases recorded in Bali.
In December last year, a British adult content creator was detained in Bali after police alleged she produced pornographic material. Indonesia has now banned her for 10 years, immigration officials said on 22 December, after her deportation over content production that could cause “public unrest”.
