Asia has never been the easiest continent to navigate for American travelers. From Vietnam’s complex e-Visa to South Korea’s off-and-on online travel authorization, a world of bureaucracy awaits tourists who are Orient-bound.
When it comes to Bali, the Island of the Gods, and a tried-and-true vacation hotspot, it’s no different.
Since the world reopened for tourism in 2021, Bali has required that foreign visitors, and this includes U.S. citizens, apply for a Visa On Arrival, to the tune of $35 per person.
The new border formalities were only ever meant to be a temporary measure to help boost the island’s economy in the wake of the global pandemic, but not only are they looking set to stay, but they are also becoming somewhat more complex:
Starting September 1, Bali (along with the rest of Indonesia) will launch the All Indonesia digital portal, which all travelers will have to sign up for in order to travel to Bali.
Contrary to what had been previously suggested, it will not replace current requirements, such as e-Visas, e-Visas on Arrival, or Visas on Arrival, but rather complement them, and this is where it gets interesting. Notice the irony?
The All Indonesia portal aims to centralize arrival formalities for travelers headed to Indonesia (this includes Bali). In short, all existing customs forms, health declarations, and immigration questionnaires will move to this new online address.
In a way, that’s great news for travelers as they will no longer have to look for all those different forms on different websites, nor waste several long minutes filling them out upon arrival in Bali.
On the other hand, this means an additional entry step, as you can’t exactly opt out: even if you’ve paid for the e-Visa, or e-Visa On Arrival, you must show proof of your All Indonesia form when entering the island.
At this point, it’s not widely known what kinds of forms will have to be completed in the online platform, but we do know that travelers can only apply for the digital permit up to three days before their scheduled arrival in Bali.
Other information you must know:
- It’s free
- All applications must be sent through allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id or the All Indonesia mobile app
- You may apply either prior to arrival, or upon arrival*
*Piece of advice: if you want to avoid long lines? Do it before flying.
Travelers who have failed to obtain the All Indonesia permit will not be forbidden from flying to Bali, but they will be held back at the border until they’ve submitted all the forms and it’s approved, which can cause significant delays at border control as authorities process the data.
The All Indonesia digital card is set to come into force in the airports of Denpasar-Bali (DPS), Jakarta (CGK), and Surabaya (SUB) on September 1, before the wider national rollout across all Indonesian entry points on October 1, 2025.
Other destinations expected to operate under the new guidelines include Komodo, Makassar, Manado, Medan, and Sumatra.
In sum, as an American, this is the complete list of documents you’ll need to travel to Bali from fall 2025:
- An e-Visa or e-Visa On Arrival, which can be obtained in advance*
- The All Indonesia card, coming into force on September 1
- Proof of outbound or return journey within 30 days of entering Bali
*Alternatively, you can purchase a Visa On Arrival directly at Bali Airport.
Oh, and if you’re flying abroad in the near future, regardless of whether it’s Bali or elsewhere, be sure to check out our newly launched TOP Entry Requirement Checker to stay up to date with the numerous regulatory changes affecting U.S. passport holders.
Vinicius Costa
Vini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ countries under his belt (and currently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.
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