Australians planning a Bali escape are being warned not to work while travelling on a tourist visa after three foreign nationals were deported and banned from returning to Indonesia for breaching the country’s immigration laws.
The latest expulsions highlight Bali’s increasingly tough stance on visitors who attempt to earn money or carry out business activities without the correct visa, with authorities making it clear that ignorance of the rules is no excuse.
The three travellers, from India, Singapore and China, were deported following separate investigations that found they had been working despite entering Indonesia on visitor visas. All have since been blacklisted from re-entering the country.
According to Bali immigration officials, an Indian national and a Singaporean were caught running yoga classes in Buleleng Regency, while a Chinese national was found installing industrial machinery and providing staff training at a factory in eastern Bali.
Officials said none of the three held the work permits required to legally carry out those activities.
The Indian and Chinese nationals had entered Indonesia on Visas on Arrival, while the Singaporean visitor used the visa free entry scheme. Immigration authorities stressed that neither visa permits employment or any activity that generates an income.
The warning is particularly relevant for Australians, who continue to be Bali’s biggest international visitor market.
Australia’s Smartraveller advisory states that travellers must not work, volunteer or undertake business activities while visiting Indonesia on a tourist visa.
It also cautions that some commercial activities, including creating sponsored social media content, may require a different class of visa.
The deportations form part of a broader immigration crackdown aimed at tackling visa misuse by foreign nationals, including digital nomads, influencers and overseas workers attempting to operate in Indonesia without the appropriate documentation.
Bali authorities have significantly stepped up compliance checks over the past year, warning that those caught breaking visa conditions face deportation, detention, fines and long term bans from re-entering Indonesia.
For the millions of Australians expected to holiday in Bali this year, the message is straightforward.
A tourist visa is exactly that. If your trip involves teaching, promoting a business, volunteering or earning money in any form, make sure you have the correct visa before you travel.
