In short. Governor of Bali circular No. 7 of 21 March 2025 sets the rules for foreign tourists. Required: respect temples and ceremonies, dress modestly away from the beach, behave politely, pay the tourist levy of Rp 150,000 on lovebali.baliprov.go.id, visit sites with a licensed guide, change currency only at licensed places, pay through QRIS and in rupiah, carry a licence and wear a helmet when driving, rent vehicles from registered companies, stay in licensed accommodation. Banned: entering the inner courtyards of temples (except to pray in Balinese dress), climbing sacred trees and structures, indecent photos in temples, littering, single-use plastic, rudeness and spreading hatred, working and doing business without documents, trading in protected animals and drugs. Supervision is carried out by the police and Satpol PP, and violators face sanctions or a criminal case.
What this document is. On 21 March 2025, the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, signed circular No. 07 on rules of conduct for foreign tourists. It replaced a similar list from 2023 and applies from the day it was signed. It is addressed to the police, immigration, the airport, village councils, hotels and directly to tourists themselves. Below is a retelling of all points in our own words, and the official text is available in English on the website of the Bali Tourism Office.
What a tourist must do.
- Respect temples, sacred objects and religious symbols, and during ceremonies stay quiet and do not disturb processions.
- Dress modestly and neatly in temples, at tourist sites, in public places and in general while travelling around the island. Beachwear is for the beach.
- Behave politely in temples, restaurants, shopping centres, on the roads and in other busy places.
- Pay the tourist levy of Rp 150,000 before arrival or during the trip on lovebali.baliprov.go.id. How to do it in five minutes is in our guide to the tourist levy.
- Visit tourist sites with a licensed guide who knows the nature, customs and traditions of Bali.
- Change currency only at licensed places, bank or non-bank. They are recognised by the licence number and the Bank Indonesia logo with a QR code. Where to find them is covered in the guide to rupiah and ATMs.
- Pay through QRIS, the single Indonesian QR code, and settle in rupiah.
- When driving, obey Indonesian law: have a valid national or international licence, wear a helmet and proper clothing, do not carry extra passengers, do not drive drunk. Which licences are accepted is in the guide to driving licences.
- Rent vehicles only from officially registered companies, and the vehicle must meet safety requirements.
- Stay in accommodation with a valid licence.
- Follow the separate rules of each tourist site and each kind of activity: a waterfall, a volcano or a dive centre each have their own.
What a tourist is banned from doing.
- Entering the inner and middle courtyards of a temple (Utama Mandala and Madya Mandala). There is one exception: praying in Balinese traditional dress. Women during menstruation may not enter even in this case.
- Climbing sacred trees.
- Desecrating temples and holy places: climbing sacred structures, taking indecent photos there, including nude ones.
- Littering and polluting lakes, springs, rivers, the sea and public places.
- Using single-use plastic: bags, polystyrene foam, straws, plastic drink bottles.
- Being rude, swearing and acting aggressively towards officials, local people and other tourists, in life and on social media. This also covers spreading hatred and fake news.
- Working or doing business without documents from the authorised agencies.
- Taking part in illegal activity: trading in protected plants and animals, cultural items, sacred objects, drugs and other prohibited goods.
What happens for a violation. The circular entrusts supervision to the Bali police and the provincial public order service, Satpol PP. Violators face sanctions or a criminal case under Indonesian law. The tourist levy is mentioned separately: anyone who has not paid it may be refused entry to tourist sites. Residents and tourists are asked to report violations by WhatsApp to the Siaga hotline: +62 812-8759-0999.
Common questions.
Can a tourist go into a temple? Many temples let you into the outer courtyard in suitable clothing. The inner courtyards are off limits if you did not come to pray. The rules of a particular temple are posted at the entrance, so follow them.
Do you need a guide on every trip? That is what the circular says for visiting tourist sites. The document does not specify exactly how this is checked at each site, so before a trip look at the rules of the place on its official website or at the entrance.
Who needs a work visa? Everyone who works in Bali or runs a business here: the circular requires documents from the authorised agencies for this. A tourist visa and a visa on arrival do not allow work.
What this means for you. Most points match ordinary politeness, but three of them are really checked: whether the tourist levy is paid, whether you have a licence to ride a scooter, and whether anyone is working without the right visa. Pay the levy before you fly, bring a licence that allows you to ride a motorcycle, and dress for temples by the rules. If you plan to work or open a business in Bali, arrange the right visa first.