Bali Special Task Force Tackling Down Tourists Without A Legal Permit

Share:

Local authorities are forming a special task force to track down those working without a legal permit in Bali due to a growing number of expatriates doing so. The announcement comes at a time when the online conversation has been growing. Public awareness of the problem appears to have increased thanks to prominent personalities like Ni Luh Djelantik and a public service social media account like @moscow cabang bali on Instagram.

According to Tjok Bagus Pemayun, head of the provincial tourism office, a special task force is being formed to address the problem, who spoke to the media on Monday, 27th February. They will put much effort into taking action against foreigners working without a legal permit in Bali. He said, “we have the local cops (Saptoll PP), the Manpower, Energy and Mineral Resources Office, the Industry and Trade Office for the permitting aspect, and the complete police apparatus in the task force.”

Although the task force will address any instances of foreigners working without a legal permit in Bali, Russian nationals are the focus in particular. There has been an increase in Russian immigrants arriving in Bali since the war started. Despite the conflicting opinions, netizens and officials agree that foreigners engaging in activities that violate their visa conditions, such as staying without a legal permit, must be stopped. 

Since the regulation is getting so strict to the point where the authorities conduct a special force to tackle this issue, it is crucial to choose your visa wisely and respect the terms of your visa. Several types of visas would grant you a legal permit to legally operate a business in Bali. One of those is the Investor Visa/Investor KITAS

Applying for legal permit working visa
Source Freepik

The Investor KITAS is a visa created especially for foreign business investors in Indonesia as a legal permit that enables them to reside and conduct business here. This visa is considered one of the most popular ones. Since this one is intended specifically for business owners

To be qualified for the Investor KITAS, the investor must invest at least IDR 1.125 billion in business shares. In addition, an investor who is also a director of the company they wish to engage in is only needed to invest IDR 1 billion.

Upon obtaining the Nomor Induk Berusaha (NIB) and business licenses (Izin Usaha), a newly formed company can sponsor your Investment KITAS. You must register for all required licenses using the Online Single Submission system (OSS) for existing companies.

Learn more about this visa as your legal permit here. 

However, the investor visa is intended for business owners working to generate income from within Indonesia or work ‘on the ground’ or in person in any capacity. Using this visa is illegal. This includes offering yoga classes, photographic services, in-person life counselling, surf lessons, marketing goods, subletting rental properties, tour guiding, and babysitting. Foreigners must obtain the necessary work and/or company legal permits to engage in these types of work or business operations.

Interested about this topic? Check out our other articles: 

Related News

BPJS Kesehatan (BPJS Health) has confirmed that more than 124,000 foreign nationals are currently registered as participants in Indonesia’s National Health Insurance (Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional or JKN) programme, with around 15,000 of them based in Bali. The figure was revealed by BPJS Health Director, Ghufron Mukti, during a media workshop entitled “Layanan Kesehatan Jiwa Hak […]

Mariah Carey is set to return to Indonesia with a special concert titled The Celebration of Mimi, which will take place on Saturday, 4 October 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at the Sentul International Convention Centre (SICC). The event will feature a special opening performance by Boyzlife, a duo consisting of Keith Duffy from Boyzone and […]

Bali, one of Indonesia’s leading tourist destinations, was struck by severe flash floods on 10 September 2025 after several days of continuous heavy rainfall. The disaster inundated thousands of homes, damaged public infrastructure and resulted in significant casualties. According to data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), at least 17 people were killed across […]

A video showing a foreign tourist paragliding in the Mount Bromo area, East Java, has gone viral on social media, prompting concern from both local authorities and community leaders. The footage shows a person wearing white clothing and a helmet flying a paraglider with an orange parachute canopy, gliding towards Mount Batok, a smaller volcano […]

Indonesia Guide

Just For Fun

Write For Us

Exclusive Promotions

Event Gallery