In short. For entry on B1, C1, D12 and E33G visas, immigration does not require insurance (the lists on imigrasi.go.id were checked on 11 October 2026), but without a policy you pay for treatment out of your own pocket, and bills at private hospitals run to thousands of dollars. Check four things in the policy: emergency hospitalisation, medical evacuation, riding a scooter with a licence of the right category and a helmet, and active sports such as surfing and diving. Ask your insurer about limits, the excess and exclusions. If life is at risk, ambulance and hospital come first, then the helpline in your policy. A hospital with an agreement asks for the letter of guarantee itself. Otherwise you pay yourself and claim the money back with receipts.
Why you need it. The Australian government, in its travel advice (Smartraveller), warns that a policy should cover all medical costs abroad, including evacuation. Without insurance, you sometimes have to pay thousands of dollars at once for treatment. Which clinics work on the island and how to find them is in the guide to hospitals.
What to check in the policy. Based on Smartraveller advice and on what clinics require:
- emergency hospitalisation;
- medical evacuation;
- riding a motorbike or scooter. Smartraveller notes that motorbike riding is often among the policy exclusions, and that the insurer refuses to pay if the rider does not hold a licence of the right type. Our driving licence guide explains which licence you need for a scooter. Ask your insurer what the required category is called in the policy and check that it is covered for you;
- surfing, diving, trekking and other active pursuits: they are often excluded, and for diving Smartraveller advises checking separately whether a decompression chamber is covered.
COVID. On 11 October 2026 the document lists for the B1, C1, E23, E33G and D12 visas on the immigration website contain no item on insurance and no item on COVID. According to those lists, a policy with COVID cover is not needed for entry. Whether you need it is for you to decide, based on what you want covered.
Limits: what to ask your insurer. We do not give specific amounts, because they depend on the policy. Ask:
- what the maximum limit is for treatment and for evacuation;
- whether there is an excess, meaning the sum you pay yourself, and a share of your own payment (co-insurance);
- how chronic illnesses and conditions that existed before the trip are treated;
- which sports and means of transport are excluded.
In its section for travellers, Kasih Ibu hospital advises checking the same points: cover, reimbursement terms, excess and maximum limits.
Making a claim: what to do. This is a practical order of steps, and it depends on the terms of your policy:
- If life is at risk, ambulance and hospital come first, and the call to the insurer comes later. The numbers of the ambulance and other services are in the guide to emergency numbers.
- If it is not an emergency, call the round-the-clock helpline whose number is in your policy before you visit a clinic. They will tell you how to proceed under your policy.
- If the hospital has an agreement with your insurer, it contacts the insurer itself when a patient is admitted and waits for a letter of guarantee. Kasih Ibu says it notifies the insurer within 24 hours.
- Keep all receipts, discharge papers, the diagnosis and prescriptions: the insurer will ask for them when you claim.
Direct billing and deposits. Direct billing means the clinic sends the bill straight to the insurer. Kasih Ibu says many companies allow it, but some ask you to pay first and claim the money back. On 11 October 2026 the hospital had 47 direct billing partners. If the letter of guarantee does not arrive within 24 hours, the hospital asks for a full deposit, and if there is no letter by the discharge date, for full payment. The money is returned once the letter arrives. If the hospital has no agreement with your insurer, you pay and claim the money back yourself. BIMC Siloam Nusa Dua says it has agreements with many international insurers and sometimes bills directly, and arranges evacuation together with the insurer. Smartraveller adds that hospitals in Indonesia may ask for proof of insurance, a deposit and a written guarantee of payment from a relative or friend.
BPJS Kesehatan for foreigners. BPJS is the Indonesian state health insurance. Under presidential regulations Perpres 82/2018 and 59/2024, a member can be any person, including a foreigner, who works in Indonesia for at least 6 months and pays contributions. The rule is written for people who work. For a KITAS holder without a job we found no separate rule in these regulations, so ask at a BPJS office. On the TKA Online portal, the list for the employer names BPJS Kesehatan and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan for foreigners who work more than 6 months, and separate insurance for those who work less. The size of the contributions is not given here, because it changes.
The letter about 1 December. The BPJS branch in Denpasar, judging by a retelling of the letter, asks self-paying foreign members to confirm their ITAS or ITAP, passport and RPTKA, otherwise they will be disconnected from 1 December 2026. Our tip: without an RPTKA, arrange a private policy before 1 December.
What this means for you. Arrange a policy before you fly and read the exclusions: scooter, surfing and diving are not covered for everyone. Write down the helpline number, make sure your licence fits the policy terms and keep a copy of the policy on your phone. When you go to a clinic, say at once that you have insurance and ask them to contact the insurer. If you live on the island on a work KITAS, ask your employer about BPJS.