Bali's Tourist Tax in 2026 is a mandatory IDR 150,000 (≈ USD 10) levy on every international tourist arriving in the province of Bali, payable online at lovebali.baliprov.go.id or in cash at Ngurah Rai International Airport. The fee is charged per entry, applies to all ages including children, and funds cultural preservation, waste management and infrastructure on the island. As of early 2026 the Bali Provincial Government has activated automated QR-code scanning at DPS — paying before you fly is the only way to skip the airport queue.

What Is the Bali Tourist Tax?

The Bali Tourist Tax is a tourism levy introduced under Bali Provincial Regulation 6/2023 ("Pungutan Wisatawan Asing") and operational since 14 February 2024. It charges every foreign visitor a fixed contribution toward the island's cultural and environmental upkeep — independent of visa category or length of stay.

The levy is collected by the Bali Provincial Government under the brand "Love Bali", with revenue ring-fenced for three programs: cultural site maintenance (Pura temples, dance ritual support), waste management (Sungai Cleanup, plastic-free zones in Canggu and Ubud) and tourist-infrastructure repair on roads to Uluwatu, Munduk and the East Bali corridor.

"The levy is not a visa fee, an arrival tax or an airport tax. It is a separate, provincial-level tourism contribution that runs in parallel to your existing entry documents." — Bali Provincial Tourism Office, 2025 briefing

Why the Bali Levy Exists

Bali received 6.3 million international visitors in 2024 per BPS-Statistics Indonesia, putting strain on temples, water tables and traffic corridors. Before 2024, tourism revenue went into Indonesia's central budget with limited Bali-specific allocation. The provincial levy creates a closed-loop fund that flows directly to Bali-managed projects, with quarterly audits published on the Love Bali portal.

How Much Is It in 2026? (Local + Converted Rates)

The fee is fixed in Indonesian Rupiah at IDR 150,000 per person per entry. Currency conversion fluctuates daily — here are the converted rates as of late May 2026 at typical credit-card exchange:

The fee is locked at IDR 150,000 through at least 2027 per the current regulation. A planned increase to IDR 250,000–500,000 has been discussed publicly by Bali Governor Wayan Koster but no formal amendment has been gazetted as of May 2026.

Who Pays vs. Who Is Exempt

The Love Bali levy applies to all foreign nationals entering the province of Bali, whether by air at Ngurah Rai (DPS), by sea at Benoa Harbour, or by domestic flight from elsewhere in Indonesia. Six categories are formally exempt:

Categories Exempt From the Bali Levy

1. Indonesian citizens (WNI) — automatic, no application needed.
2. KITAS / KITAP / ITAS holders — show the residence card at the airport counter.
3. Diplomatic / official passport holders — Visa-A or Visa-B issued by Indonesian MOFA.
4. Transit passengers staying airside under 24 hours — you must not exit immigration.
5. Operating crew — airline and ship crew on official roster.
6. Special government invitations — conference delegates, sports teams, sister-city programs (MOFA exemption letter required).

Notably not exempt: digital nomad visa holders (B-211B), retirement visa applicants, student visa (KITAS Pelajar) on first entry before card issuance, surfing competition athletes, journalists on tourist visas. If you carry any tourist class visa or use visa-free entry, you pay.

Edge case: If you arrive on a domestic flight from Jakarta, Surabaya or Yogyakarta as a foreign national, you still owe the levy. The fee is provincial, not international — internal Indonesian travel by foreign tourists also triggers it.

How to Pay — Step-by-Step on Love Bali

The fastest path is online before you fly. Allow 3–5 minutes start to finish on a desktop browser; mobile works but the app has been less stable through Q1 2026.

1. Go to lovebali.baliprov.go.id — bookmark exactly this URL. Counterfeit sites with "love-bali" or "lovebali-official" domains are increasingly common; do not pay anywhere else.
2. Select "International Tourist" on the home screen and choose your nationality from the dropdown.
3. Enter passport details: full name as printed on the passport, passport number, date of birth, nationality, email address and expected arrival date in Bali. Names must match the passport exactly; one accidental middle-initial mismatch can require a manual re-issue.
4. Pay IDR 150,000 by credit or debit card. Visa, Mastercard and JCB all accepted. American Express is accepted on the desktop site but rejected on the mobile app as of May 2026.
5. Save the QR-code receipt to your phone (screenshot + email backup). The QR contains your passport number and payment ID, valid for 60 days from issue.
6. At Ngurah Rai (DPS) arrival: after immigration, before baggage claim, scan the QR at the Tourist Levy verification gate. Wait time at a paid lane is typically 30–90 seconds.

If you arrive without paying, follow the signage to the cash counter (turn right after immigration). Bring IDR 150,000 in local currency — the ATMs in the arrival hall are commonly out of small notes at peak season, so an exchange booth is the practical fallback. Card payment at the counter exists but the network is unreliable on weekends.

Paying as a Family Group

The Love Bali portal supports up to 10 passports per transaction. Family members can share one email address and one card. Children of any age — including infants on lap-seats — require their own IDR 150,000 payment. There is no age discount, no student discount, no senior discount. A family of four pays IDR 600,000 total (≈ USD 38).

2026 Airport Enforcement at DPS

Enforcement was inconsistent through 2024 and most of 2025 — estimates from Bali Tourism Office data suggest only 40–55% of eligible arrivals actually paid in the first 18 months. That changed in January 2026 when Ngurah Rai International deployed automated QR-scanning gates and dedicated unpaid-arrival queues.

What Happens at DPS Arrival in 2026

The current arrival flow at Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) for foreign tourists:

1. Passport control — immigration officer scans your e-VOA or visa-free entry. No levy check at this point.
2. Tourist levy verification — located in a corridor between immigration and baggage claim. Two lanes: green for "Paid — Scan QR", red for "Pay Now".
3. If paid: open Love Bali QR, hold phone screen down to the scanner. Buzzer + green light = cleared in under a minute.
4. If unpaid: exit the green lane to the cash counter. Pay IDR 150,000, receive printed receipt with QR, then proceed.
5. Baggage claim and customs — no further levy interaction.

Reported wait times for the unpaid-arrival queue during peak periods (July–August, late December–early January, Australian school holidays):

The morning rush (06:00–10:00) coincides with Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia and Air Asia X arrivals from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. If you land then unpaid, expect to lose over an hour. Anecdotal reports on the r/bali subreddit through early 2026 show that paying online has saved travellers 45–80 minutes versus the cash queue.

Common Love Bali App Errors & Fixes

The Love Bali portal has had documented stability issues since the system went live. Here are the four most-reported problems travellers hit through early 2026 and how to work around each.

Payment Fails Repeatedly

The portal's payment gateway (managed by Indonesian processor "Midtrans") often rejects international debit cards. Workaround: switch to a credit card with 3-D Secure enabled, or use a virtual card via Wise / Revolut. If still failing, complete the payment at the airport counter on arrival in cash (IDR only).

QR Code Not Received by Email

Check spam first, then log back in at lovebali.baliprov.go.id using the same email and passport number. Use the "Recover Receipt" function to re-issue the QR. If the system says no record exists but your card was charged, contact info@balitourismboard.org with the transaction ID — the receipt is rebuildable from the Midtrans side within 24–48 hours.

Wrong Arrival Date Entered

The QR remains valid for 60 days from payment, so a minor date mismatch (say arriving 3 days later than declared) is irrelevant. No correction is needed and the scanner does not cross-check arrival date against your immigration stamp.

Double Charge / Two QR Codes

Sometimes a glitched first attempt charges the card without issuing a QR, then the retry succeeds with a fresh charge. To recover the duplicate: email info@balitourismboard.org with both transaction IDs and a bank statement showing both debits. Refunds take 30–45 calendar days and are processed back to the original card.

Refunds, Cancellations & Multiple Entries

The default position from Bali Provincial Government is no refund once payment is made. There are three narrow exceptions where the Bali Tourism Office has historically processed refund requests:

1. Documented duplicate payment — same passport, two transaction IDs within 24 hours.
2. Denial of entry by Indonesian immigration — e-VOA refused, sent back on same flight. Refund requires the official refusal letter from Imigrasi.
3. Death of the traveller — refund processed to next-of-kin against death certificate.

Cancelled trips, illness, visa delays, missed flights, weather diversions and date changes do not qualify for a refund. If you cancel a Bali trip after paying the levy, the IDR 150,000 is forfeited.

Multiple Entries Within One Trip

Common scenario: tourists fly into Bali (DPS), then take a domestic flight to Komodo or Lombok, then return to Bali before flying home. Each re-entry to Bali province triggers a fresh IDR 150,000 payment. The fee is per arrival, not per stay. A traveller doing Bali → Lombok → Bali pays the levy twice (total IDR 300,000).

To minimise levy hits, route domestic stops to fly back to Jakarta or Surabaya for international departure rather than re-entering Bali. The savings of one levy (about USD 10) rarely justify the routing cost, but it is the structural rule.

How the Levy Interacts With Visa & Onward Ticket

The Bali Tourist Tax sits alongside — not instead of — the standard Indonesia entry document stack. Three documents work together at DPS:

Airlines flying into DPS — especially Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Garuda, Cathay Pacific and Air Asia — check that you have a confirmed exit flight from Indonesia within your visa-on-arrival window (30 days, extendable to 60). Indonesian e-VOA explicitly requires "evidence of further travel" and check-in agents will deny boarding without it. A free MyJet24 dummy ticket with a real PNR satisfies this requirement in 30 seconds.

The Bali levy does not replace the onward-ticket requirement. For the full Indonesia entry breakdown including visa categories, see our complete Bali & Indonesia visa guide. For a region-wide view on Asia digital arrival cards, including how Indonesia's e-Arrival Card interacts with the levy, see our Asia Digital Arrival Cards 2026 roundup.

Proposed 2026 Itinerary & Funds Screening

In late 2025 Governor Wayan Koster signalled a wider tourist-screening reform package to take effect in mid-2026. The proposal, still in consultation as of May 2026, includes three additions on top of the existing IDR 150,000 levy:

• Proof of funds — declared minimum IDR 8–10 million (≈ USD 500–650) per traveller per visit, to be uploaded during Love Bali registration.
• Itinerary upload — planned accommodations and round-trip flight reference numbers, declared at the levy payment step.
• Behaviour-code acknowledgement — mandatory checkbox confirming the "Do's and Don'ts in Bali" guidelines (temple dress code, respect for sacred sites, no nudity at beaches).

The screening regulation is expected to be gazetted by Q3 2026. If passed, it would not change the levy amount but would add documentary steps to the existing online payment. Travellers should expect a more form-heavy version of lovebali.baliprov.go.id once the rules go live. Our team will update this guide when the final regulation is published — the Last Updated date at the top reflects the most recent verification.

"The 2026 reforms are not a deterrent. Bali wants quality tourism, not less tourism. The screening exists to align expectations and protect Bali's culture — not to gatekeep visitors." — Bali Governor's Office, October 2025 press release

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Bali Tourist Tax mandatory in 2026?

Yes. The IDR 150,000 levy applies to every international tourist entering Bali province, by air, sea or domestic flight. As of January 2026, automated scanning at DPS makes enforcement near-total. Skipping the payment results in being directed to a cash counter on arrival — you cannot leave the airport without paying.

Can I pay the Bali tourist tax on arrival instead of online?

Yes, but expect a 30–90 minute queue during peak hours. The cash counter at DPS accepts IDR only, and ATMs in the arrival hall regularly run short on small notes. Online payment via lovebali.baliprov.go.id before departure is the standard recommendation for any traveller arriving outside the 14:00–18:00 window.

Do children pay the Bali tourist tax?

Yes. The IDR 150,000 fee applies to every foreign national regardless of age. Infants on lap-seats and toddlers under 2 still require their own paid QR code. There is no family discount, no child discount, no senior discount. A family of four pays IDR 600,000 total (approximately USD 38).

Is the Bali tourist tax the same as a visa?

No. The levy is a provincial tourism contribution separate from your Indonesian visa. Tourist arrivals still need an e-VOA (USD 35), B-211A tourist visa, or visa-free stamp (depending on nationality) plus proof of onward travel. The Bali levy is paid in addition to whichever visa category applies to you.

How long is the Love Bali QR code valid?

Sixty days from the date of payment. The scanner does not cross-check the arrival date you entered against your immigration stamp, so a date mismatch within the 60-day window is not a problem. Plan to pay within two months of your trip rather than months in advance.

Can I get a refund if my trip is cancelled?

Generally no. Refunds are only processed in three narrow cases: documented duplicate payment, denial of entry by Indonesian immigration with an official refusal letter, or death of the traveller. Trip cancellation, illness, weather diversions and missed flights do not qualify. Plan the IDR 150,000 as non-refundable when budgeting the trip.

Do KITAS holders pay the Bali tourist tax?

No. Holders of KITAS (Limited Stay Permit) and KITAP (Permanent Stay Permit) are exempt. Show the residence card together with your passport at the verification gate. Note that during the gap between visa approval and the physical KITAS card being issued (typically 14–30 days), you are still treated as a tourist and the levy applies on first entry.

If I leave Bali for Lombok and return, do I pay the levy twice?

Yes. The fee is charged per entry to the province of Bali, not per stay. A domestic flight out and back triggers a second IDR 150,000 payment. The only way to avoid this is to route the international departure through a non-Bali Indonesian airport such as Jakarta (CGK) or Surabaya (SUB).

Can I pay the Bali levy in cash USD at the airport?

No. The DPS cash counter accepts Indonesian Rupiah only. Foreign-currency exchange booths in the arrival hall offer poor rates and often have queues longer than the levy counter itself. Either pay online by card before departure, or carry IDR 150,000 in small notes (one IDR 100,000 + one IDR 50,000 is ideal).

Does paying the Bali tax mean I do not need an onward ticket?

No. The Bali Tourist Tax is independent of the onward-ticket requirement enforced by airlines and Indonesian immigration. Airlines like Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Garuda and Cathay Pacific check for a confirmed exit booking at check-in before boarding to Bali, and the e-VOA explicitly requires evidence of further travel. A free dummy ticket with a real PNR covers this requirement.

Are digital nomad visa holders exempt from the Bali levy?

No. Indonesia's B-211B "remote worker" visa does not grant levy exemption. Only KITAS, KITAP, diplomatic, transit-only and crew categories are exempt. Digital nomad visa holders pay the IDR 150,000 on each entry into Bali province until they upgrade to a residence permit.

What happens if the Love Bali website is down on my arrival day?

If you cannot pay online before departure due to a portal outage, proceed normally to DPS and use the airport cash counter. Have IDR 150,000 in small notes ready. Save a screenshot of the outage notice in case a counter agent asks why you did not pay online — this is rare but happens during the morning rush.

Plan Your Bali Trip With the Full Document Stack

The Bali Tourist Tax is small in money but big in friction if you arrive unpaid during peak hours. Three minutes on lovebali.baliprov.go.id before you fly buys you a 60-second QR scan instead of a 60-minute queue. Pay online, screenshot the QR, email a backup to yourself, and you are done.

Beyond the levy, two documents still gate your trip: a valid Indonesian e-VOA (or visa-free stamp, depending on your passport) and proof of onward travel. Airlines reject boarding without the second more often than immigration officers reject the first. A free, verifiable flight itinerary closes that gap in 30 seconds.

Last updated: 27 May 2026. This guide reflects Bali Provincial Regulation 6/2023, the Love Bali portal interface as of May 2026, and Bali Tourism Office quarterly briefings Q4 2025 / Q1 2026. Procedures change — always check lovebali.baliprov.go.id before paying.