Bali is preparing to roll out significantly stricter screening for foreign visitors in 2026, with officials confirming plans to verify travelers’ financial capacity and detailed itineraries as part of a broader push for what they call “quality tourism.”

The proposed measures would require many holidaymakers to show bank records, proof of onward travel and confirmed accommodation before being allowed onto the island, marking one of the most far-reaching changes to Bali’s entry regime in years.

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New 2026 Screening Rules: What Bali Is Planning

The Bali provincial government is drafting a regulation that will make financial verification and clearer travel plans part of the standard checks for international tourists arriving on the island.

Governor Wayan Koster has said the new framework, formally titled the Regional Regulation on the Implementation of Quality Tourism, is nearing completion and is expected to be taken up by the regional legislature during 2026.

Under the proposal, foreign visitors would be assessed on the adequacy of their funds relative to the length and purpose of their stay. Instead of a single fixed minimum balance, immigration and supporting officers would review recent financial records, focusing on savings and accessible funds over the previous three months.

Officials have signaled that the requirements will be scaled: a one-week beach holiday would not be treated the same as a two-month remote work stay or an extended backpacking trip across the island.

The new rules are also expected to formalize checks on travel plans. Visitors could be asked to present return or onward tickets, hotel or villa bookings, and a clearer outline of their intended activities, from surfing and yoga retreats to business meetings or long-term stays in co-working hubs.

Taken together, these steps indicate a move away from a relatively light-touch arrival process to one more in line with countries that routinely require proof of funds and itineraries at the border.

From Mass Tourism To “Quality Tourism”

Bali’s leaders have been talking about “quality tourism” for several years, but the latest proposals suggest a decisive shift from rhetoric to regulation. The island welcomed an estimated 7 million international visitors in 2025, a record high that underscored just how central tourism has become to the local economy.

At the same time, officials and residents have grown more vocal about the downsides of rapid, volume-driven growth, from traffic gridlock and strain on water supplies to unruly behavior in temples and villages.

Governor Koster has framed the planned screening as part of a broader reset aimed at attracting visitors who stay responsibly, spend more per day and are less likely to breach local norms or immigration rules.

By tightening entry conditions, the government hopes to discourage what it sees as ultra-low-budget travel that pushes some visitors to cut corners, live in unregulated accommodation or seek informal work to extend their stay.

Authorities emphasize that the measures are not meant to deter ordinary holidaymakers but to shift Bali’s tourism model toward higher value and lower impact. For policymakers, the benchmark is not simply how many people arrive, but how their spending flows into local businesses and whether their presence aligns with community expectations around culture, environment and public order.

Proof Of Funds, Travel Plans And Documentation

While final technical guidelines are still being drafted, a picture is emerging of how the new system could work in practice. At the center is proof of financial capacity. Officials have indicated that tourists may be required to provide bank statements covering the previous three months, either in printed form or via secure access on a smartphone.

For many travelers, this would be an extension of requirements that already apply to longer-stay visas in Indonesia but have not traditionally been enforced for short-stay visitors to Bali.

Draft plans suggest that authorities may refrain from setting a single universal minimum amount. Instead, officers will likely use internal benchmarks that take into account the number of days in Bali, the type of accommodation booked and the nature of the trip.

A visitor with prepaid resort accommodation and tours will be viewed differently from someone arriving with a one-way ticket, no confirmed lodging and little evidence of savings.

Alongside bank statements, travelers can expect closer scrutiny of their itineraries. Immigration and supporting staff are likely to check for a return or onward flight, proof of hotel, guesthouse or villa bookings and basic travel insurance that covers the full stay.

There is also talk of integrating these checks with Indonesia’s new All Indonesia digital arrival system, which already collects data on where travelers will stay and how long they plan to remain in the country.

Officials have floated both at-the-counter checks and pre-arrival submissions through an online portal. An advance verification option, to be hosted on a national or provincial platform, is intended to reduce bottlenecks at Ngurah Rai International Airport by allowing visitors to upload documents before boarding their flight.

Why Bali Is Tightening Controls Now

The timing of the 2026 measures reflects a mix of long-standing concerns and new pressures that intensified in the post-pandemic tourism rebound. Local authorities have repeatedly reported cases of foreigners running out of money and resorting to behaviors that stretch or break the rules, from unlicensed street trading and unauthorized guiding to social media crowdfunding campaigns that ask others to pay for their stay.

Immigration offices have also faced a rising caseload of visa overstays, illegal work and other administrative violations. Dozens of high-profile deportations over the past two years, some involving foreigners behaving disrespectfully at sacred sites or engaging in disruptive social media stunts, have fueled public debate within Bali about who the island should welcome and on what terms. Officials argue that more robust entry checks would help filter out some of the most problematic cases before they reach the arrivals hall.

Economic arguments are also central. Provincial leaders say that when visitors arrive without sufficient funds, they are less likely to spend money in local restaurants, markets and legal tour operators, and more likely to occupy low-cost informal rentals that may bypass local tax systems.

By linking entry to demonstrable financial capacity, Bali’s government hopes to boost the overall value generated per tourist while supporting micro, small and medium enterprises that form the backbone of the island’s hospitality sector.

How New Rules Fit With Existing Entry Requirements

The planned 2026 screening will layer onto an already evolving entry framework for Indonesia and Bali. Since February 2024, foreign tourists visiting the island have been required to pay a dedicated tourist levy, collected under the Love Bali program and earmarked for environmental protection, cultural preservation and infrastructure. Although enforcement has been patchy, officials say the levy has brought in hundreds of billions of rupiah in additional revenue.

In parallel, Indonesia has moved its immigration and customs processes onto a unified All Indonesia digital arrival card system. Since late 2025, travelers have been required to submit their details through the app or online portal before arrival at major airports, including Bali’s Ngurah Rai.

The system already collects information such as passport data, planned address in Indonesia, health declarations and customs details, and issues a QR code used at border control.

Industry observers expect Bali’s financial verification and travel-plan checks to dovetail with this digital infrastructure. In practice, that could mean that some proof of accommodation and onward travel is submitted via the All Indonesia system, while more sensitive financial data is handled through a separate secure platform or reviewed directly by officers upon arrival.

For standard visa on arrival cases, the existing requirements for a valid passport and return ticket would remain in place, but would now sit alongside the possibility of deeper questioning about funds and itinerary.

Travelers should also be aware that the new provincial measures will not replace national visa rules. Visitors will still need to comply with Indonesia’s visa on arrival and e-visa conditions, including maximum stay limits, possible extensions and separate proof-of-funds requirements for specific visa categories. Bali’s regulation would instead act as an additional layer focused on visitor quality and local impact.

Reactions From Tourism Stakeholders And Travelers

Within Bali’s tourism industry, reaction to the proposed 2026 screening has been mixed. Many hotel owners, villa managers and tour operators support steps to reduce disruptive behavior and under-the-radar long-stays that rarely translate into significant local spending.

They argue that clearer rules, consistently enforced, could help restore Bali’s reputation as a well-managed, culturally respectful destination rather than a free-for-all for ultra-cheap tourism.

Others, especially businesses that cater to budget travelers, are more cautious. They worry that headlines about bank statement checks and proof-of-funds requirements could discourage spontaneous trips and make Bali feel less welcoming than competing destinations in Southeast Asia.

There are also concerns about how front-line officers will interpret the rules in practice, and whether inconsistent application could lead to confusion, delays or even perceptions of unfair treatment.

Privacy advocates and some frequent travelers have raised separate questions about data security and proportionality. The idea of immigration officers reviewing months of personal financial history at the border has sparked debate about how much information is truly necessary to assess a visitor’s ability to support themselves.

Authorities have yet to release detailed protocols on data handling, retention or safeguards for travelers who are reluctant to show full banking histories but can demonstrate financial means in other ways, such as credit card limits or employer letters.

Local community groups, meanwhile, are watching closely to see whether stricter entry screening translates into tangible improvements on the ground. For many residents, the key questions are whether the measures will reduce overcrowding in popular areas, improve enforcement against nuisance behavior and channel more benefits toward local businesses and village economies, rather than simply increasing administrative hurdles at the airport.

Preparing For Bali Travel In 2026

For travelers planning Bali trips in 2026 and beyond, the emerging message is to arrive better prepared. Even though many details of the new regulation are still being finalized, prospective visitors can already take steps that will make it easier to satisfy future checks.

These include booking at least the first several nights of accommodation in advance, ensuring return or onward flights are confirmed and having travel insurance that covers the full period of stay.

Financially, travelers may wish to ensure that they have easy access to recent bank statements through mobile or online banking, and that available balances comfortably cover the anticipated daily costs of their stay, plus a margin for unexpected expenses.

Those relying mostly on credit cards should be ready to show proof of their limits or other documentation indicating that they can meet their obligations without resorting to unauthorized work or public fundraising.

It will also be important to keep up with official updates from Indonesian and Balinese authorities as the regulation moves through the legislative process. Officials are expected to clarify whether certain traveler categories, such as organized tour groups, frequent business visitors or returning long-stay residents, will face simplified checks, and how the rules will apply at different ports of entry beyond Bali’s main international airport.

In the meantime, existing requirements remain in force. Travelers must comply with Indonesia’s visa rules, complete the All Indonesia digital arrival process when required and pay the Bali tourism levy where applicable. The new financial screening and itinerary verification elements are planned for 2026 and are not yet a formal condition of entry, even though officers already retain discretion to ask questions about funds and plans under current law.

FAQ

Q1. When will Bali’s stricter screening rules for foreign visitors come into effect?
The provincial government is targeting 2026 for implementation, but a specific start date has not yet been confirmed and will depend on when the regional regulation is passed and supporting systems are ready at airports and other entry points.

Q2. Will every tourist have to show three months of bank statements on arrival?
Officials have signaled that financial capacity will be verified, and bank statements are one of the main tools being considered, but it is unlikely that every traveler will be subjected to exhaustive checks in the same way; practical procedures will balance risk-based screening with the need to keep border queues manageable.

Q3. Is there a fixed minimum amount of money I must have to enter Bali under the new rules?
Current plans suggest that Bali will not set a single universal minimum balance; instead, officers will assess whether your available funds are reasonable for the length and purpose of your stay, taking into account accommodation, itinerary and other supporting documentation.

Q4. What other documents will I need besides proof of funds?
In addition to financial evidence, you should expect to be asked for a valid passport, visa or visa on arrival eligibility, a return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation such as hotel or villa bookings and travel insurance covering your time in Indonesia.

Q5. How will the new screening rules interact with Indonesia’s All Indonesia digital arrival system?
The All Indonesia system already collects key arrival information and issues a QR code, and Bali’s proposed regulation is expected to build on this by using digital data for itinerary checks while reserving more detailed financial verification for secure channels or face-to-face inspection where required.

Q6. Could I be refused entry to Bali under the 2026 rules?
Yes, if immigration officers are not satisfied that you can support yourself financially or that your travel plans are genuine and lawful, they will have the authority to deny entry or ask you to modify the duration of your intended stay, as they already can under national immigration law.

Q7. Are these new requirements only for long-stay visitors or digital nomads?
No, the proposed regulation is designed to apply broadly to foreign tourists, including those using the standard short-stay visa on arrival, although the depth of checks and the level of required funds are likely to vary depending on how long you plan to stay.

Q8. What does Bali mean by “quality tourism” in this context?
Officials use the term “quality tourism” to describe visitors who respect local culture and laws, have sufficient resources to fund their trip without resorting to illegal work or public fundraising and contribute positively to the local economy through responsible spending and behavior.

Q9. Will the Bali tourism levy change when the new rules are introduced?
The tourism levy is a separate provincial charge that is already in place and used to support environmental and cultural projects; while discussions about enforcement and collection continue, the financial screening regulation is not primarily about increasing that levy but about verifying visitors’ overall capacity to fund their stay.

Q10. How should travelers plan now for a trip to Bali in 2026?
Prospective visitors should monitor official announcements, plan to travel with clear documentation of their itinerary and accommodation, maintain accessible proof of sufficient funds for the full stay and ensure they are familiar with both national Indonesian visa rules and any Bali-specific entry conditions that come into force before their departure.