Frequently asked questions

For most Western passports, yes, but it is easy: the Visa on Arrival (VOA) costs about 35 dollars, lasts 30 days and extends once to 60. For longer, there is the C1 tourist visa, then the KITAS permits (remote worker, investor, retiree). Details in our visa guide.

Between 800 and 1,200 dollars a month solo with a simple lifestyle, 1,500 to 2,500 for a comfortable life with a villa and coworking, and 4,000 to 6,000 for a family with kids in international school. The line-by-line detail is in our cost of living guide.

Yes, but never freehold, which is reserved for Indonesian citizens. The three legal routes: the prepaid long lease (leasehold, 25-30 years), the Hak Pakai right of use for residents, and the PT PMA company for rental operation. All explained in leasehold vs freehold.

On a 25-30 year leasehold, decent 2 bedroom villas start around 150,000 to 200,000 dollars in established areas, and beautiful 3-4 bedroom pool villas trade between 300,000 and 600,000 dollars and up. See our selection of villas for sale and rent.

It depends on your life: Canggu and Pererenan for nomads and social life, Ubud for calm and jungle, Uluwatu for surf, Sanur for families, Amed for small budgets. Full comparison in where to live in Bali.

The dry season, roughly April to October: less rain, calm seas, clear diving. July-August and the year-end holidays concentrate the crowds. The rainy season remains very livable: clear mornings, short showers, a greener island and softer prices.

Violent crime is rare. The real risks are elsewhere: scooter accidents (the top cause of foreigner hospitalization), dengue in the rainy season, swimming currents, and dog or monkey bites (rabies zone). With a helmet, insurance and common sense, Bali is safer than most big cities.

Yes: the remote worker KITAS (E33G) gives one year of legal residence for people working for abroad. Many nomads also use tourist visas for short stays, tolerated as long as the activity stays 100 percent foreign-facing. The red line: serving Indonesian clients. Details in working remotely from Bali.

Past 183 days of presence in 12 months (or with a long KITAS), you become an Indonesian tax resident, taxable on worldwide income, with tax treaties preventing double taxation. Since late 2025, the tax office cross-references immigration data. The full picture is in our tax guide.

Absolutely, and with evacuation cover: serious cases leave for Jakarta or Singapore and a medical transfer costs tens of thousands of dollars. KITAS holders must also enroll in BPJS, the local public scheme. Our health insurance guide covers it all.

An independent media in three languages (English, French, Spanish) for people who want to live in Bali, invest there or travel there. The guides are free and never sponsored. When a partner compensates us for an introduction, we say so. Our villa selection is visited and verified before publication.

Describe your project in two minutes via our form: we organize viewings on the island or by video call, with the full dossier (title, zoning, figures), and you buy accompanied by an independent notary and lawyer.