Indonesia’s immigration authorities have highlighted growing concerns over the behaviour of foreign nationals in Bali amid a sharp rise in arrivals. Acting Director General of Immigration, Yuldi Yusman, said the province now faces “complex and multidimensional challenges” involving legal compliance, economic impact, and cultural norms.
He delivered the statement during a public lecture at Udayana University (Unud), Jimbaran, on Tuesday, 2 December 2025.
According to Yusman, the tension lies between facilitating tourism growth and maintaining state sovereignty. He stated that two groups of foreigners are now the main focus of immigration supervision.
“First, digital nomads. Many online workers enter Bali using tourist visas but carry out professional activities and even take over the local job market, such as yoga instructors and impromptu tour guides,” he said, as quoted from Kompas.com.
He noted that these activities create “a gray area” that law enforcement struggles to address and described the practice as a form of predatory business affecting local micro, small and medium enterprises.
Yusman said the second group consists of foreigners arriving due to geopolitical conflict.
“The geopolitical exodus, with Bali now a primary destination for foreigners from conflict-ridden countries like Russia and Ukraine,” he said.
He added that while many of them are legal, the sharp increase in arrivals demands “sharper risk analysis capabilities”, particularly concerning asylum status or links to political regimes.
Statistics from the Directorate General of Immigration show that Bali recorded 5,297,869 foreign arrivals up to September 2025. The figure is expected to exceed seven million by the end of the year.
“This significant increase, on the one hand, stimulates the local economy, but on the other hand, gives rise to crucial problems,” Yusman said.
Chronic Overstays and Misuse of Permits Raise Concerns
Immigration reported recurring violations, including misuse of residence permits, overstays, legal breaches, and offences against local customs. Yusman said the issue of overstaying had become chronic.
“Chronic overstayers. This term is used because the fine of IDR 1 million per day is still considered light for some high-income foreigners,” he said.
Director of Visas and Travel Documents, Eko Budianto, said the ease of access provided to support tourism is often misused.
“This creates legal, economic, and social vulnerabilities,” he said during the signing of a cooperation agreement between Immigration and Udayana University.
Budianto said digital nomads frequently enter with tourist visas but work without proper permits. Many operate businesses or provide services without a Foreign Worker Employment Permit (IMTA).
Immigration also recorded violations of Balinese cultural norms, including disrespectful behaviour in sacred areas and other acts considered inappropriate. Officials say these incidents contradict Bali’s cultural tourism framework.
Yusman added that unauthorised foreign investment through nominee arrangements remains a significant concern. “This practice is detrimental to Indonesian citizens and indicates a violation of the principle of economic sovereignty,” he said.
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