Bali cracks down on visa violations: Tourists now required to carry passports at all times

Foreign visitors to Bali are now required to carry their passports and stay permits at all times when leaving their accommodation. This measure comes as part of a new crackdown by the island's immigration authorities, who have ramped up patrols to monitor compliance with immigration laws.

The policy was confirmed following the deployment of the Bali Regional Immigration Patrol Task Force, which consists of 100 officers tasked with monitoring tourist hotspots such as Canggu, Seminyak, Kerobokan, Sanur, Benoa, Uluwatu, Bingin, Mertasari, Kuta, Nusa Dua, Ubud, and Legian. According to a report by The Bali Sun, Agus Andrianto, Indonesia’s Minister for Immigration, announced the launch of the task force in early August.

Footage from the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office recently showed officers conducting random checks in Nusa Dua. In one video, the office stated, “One of the important roles of immigration officers in the field is to conduct a random check on WNA in Bali, especially in the working area of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office. This check aims to ensure that each WNA complies with the rules and regulations of the immigration administration.”

During these checks, officers asked tourists whether they had their passports with them. Several admitted to leaving their documents at their hotels, but no fines or penalties were imposed. The increased checks come in response to a rise in visa violations in Bali. Immigration officers, equipped with uniforms, body cameras, and patrol vehicles, are now conducting these checks across the island's key tourist areas.

Officials have also suggested that future checks may include verification of payment for the Bali Tourism Tax Levy, although this responsibility currently falls to the Tourism Task Force under the provincial government.