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About Indonesia
Indonesia is seventeen thousand islands and roughly 280 million people, and almost every conversation about it among remote workers is actually a conversation about one island. Bali holds a fraction of a percent of the population and nearly all of the foreign attention, which has produced both the infrastructure that makes it workable and the friction that now defines living there.
Canggu and Ubud have coworking spaces, fibre, international schools and a foreign community large enough that you could go months without speaking Indonesian. That density has costs. Traffic in the south has become genuinely bad, rents have risen faster than local wages, and the Balinese conversation about overtourism and foreigner behaviour has sharpened considerably. Immigration has responded with enforcement rather than accommodation.
What changed the picture is the E33G. Before April 2024 the entire nomad population in Bali was working on visas that did not permit it, and everyone including the government knew. There is now a legal route, and taking it is the difference between a life you can build on and one that can end at a border check. The price of that legitimacy is a genuinely high income bar.
Widening the search? If you are looking to expand your job hunt across Southeast Asia, take a look at Thailand →, Malaysia →, and Vietnam →.
Cost of living
Indonesia is cheap and Bali is not, at least not in the parts foreigners live in. Canggu and Seminyak now price in dollars for villas and in local terms for everything else, while Jakarta, Yogyakarta and the rest of the country cost a fraction of that. The gap between the foreigner economy and the local one is wider here than almost anywhere else on this site.
Two things catch people out. Long-term villa rentals are usually quoted annually and paid up front, often a full year in advance, which is a large cash commitment made on an informal contract. And the E33G's USD 2,000 bank balance requirement is separate from and additional to the income threshold.
- Villa or apartment, Canggu or Ubud: roughly USD 700 to 1,500 a month, and considerably more on the beach side. Jakarta and Yogyakarta run at half or less.
- Coworking desk: USD 100 to 250 a month in Bali, among the more expensive in Southeast Asia.
- Warung meal: IDR 25,000 to 50,000, around USD 2 to 3. Western restaurants in Canggu cost five to ten times that.
- Scooter rental: IDR 800,000 to 1,500,000 a month, and the only realistic way to move around Bali.
Cost-of-living calculator
See how your budget stretches in Indonesia.
Estimates use approximate exchange rates and typical monthly costs. Your actual costs will vary.
Visas & Entry
Indonesia's remote work position changed completely in April 2024. Before then, the entire nomad community operated on the B211A social or visit visa, which permits tourism and family visits and does not permit work of any kind. The E33G Remote Worker KITAS replaced that fiction with a real permit, and enforcement against the old approach has tightened sharply since, including deportations and monitoring of public social media.
The E33G is a limited stay permit rather than a visa in the ordinary sense, issued for one year, multiple entry, and requiring no Indonesian sponsor. It is narrow by design: your employer must be registered outside Indonesia, your income must arrive from outside Indonesia, and you may not earn anything from Indonesian clients or in rupiah.
- USD 60,000 a year in foreign income, the highest remote-work threshold in Southeast Asia, plus a personal bank balance of at least USD 2,000 across three months of statements.
- Freelancers are largely excluded. The regulation names an employment contract with a foreign-registered company. Agencies differ on whether client service agreements are accepted and immigration has published no clear answer, so check your specific position before paying anything.
- Get a re-entry permit before you leave. Without a MERP, exiting Indonesia voids the KITAS entirely. Budget USD 100 to 200.
- Working on a tourist or visit visa is illegal, regardless of where your employer sits or how you are paid. This is the specific thing enforcement is aimed at.
- Indonesian brand work needs a different visa. Sponsored content or collaborations with Indonesian companies fall outside the E33G and require the separate content creator route.
| Visa or permit | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Visa on Arrival (e-VOA) | Thirty days for most Western passports, extendable once for a further thirty. Tourism only. Working on it is illegal and now actively enforced against. |
| B211A visit visa | Sixty days, extendable twice to around 180 days total. Still widely marketed by agents as a nomad visa. It is not: it permits tourism, family visits and limited business meetings, not remote work. |
| E33G Remote Worker KITAS | The actual remote work permit. One year, multiple entry, no local sponsor required. Needs USD 60,000 annual foreign income and an employment contract with a company registered outside Indonesia. Grants a KITAS card, which enables local banking and long-term leases. |
| E23 Work KITAS | The route for working with or for Indonesian companies, sponsored by a local employer. This is what you need if any part of your income is Indonesian. |
| E28A Investor KITAS | For those establishing an Indonesian company through a PT PMA. The usual upgrade path for remote workers whose business outgrows the E33G. |
| Second Home Visa | Five or ten years, requiring roughly IDR 2 billion, about USD 130,000, deposited in an Indonesian state bank for the duration. That capital is locked rather than liquid. |
| Family inclusion | Dependents can be included on the E33G, and applying at the same time as the main applicant keeps the permit expiry dates aligned. |
Verified 20 August 2026 against Permenkumham 22/2023 as amended by 11/2024. Renewal practice varies between agents and immigration offices, and the freelancer question remains genuinely unsettled. Confirm your position before committing.
Good to know: B211A provides formal remote work status; visa rules change frequently — verify current requirements before travel.
Work & Legal
Indonesian working culture runs on hierarchy, indirectness and the avoidance of open disagreement. Saying no directly is close to unthinkable, so a yes may mean acknowledgement rather than agreement, and reading the difference takes practice. Seniority and age are deferred to visibly, small talk precedes business, and public criticism of anyone damages the relationship permanently. In Bali specifically, Balinese Hindu ceremonial obligations take precedence over work without negotiation, and expecting otherwise marks you out badly.
- Remote work for a foreign employer: what the E33G authorises, and the only thing it authorises.
- Any Indonesian client, employer or rupiah payment breaches the permit and risks deportation. This includes small local gigs that feel harmless.
- Working on a tourist or B211A visa is illegal and enforcement is now genuine, including social media monitoring and deportations with re-entry bans.
- Hiring locally or running a business requires a PT PMA and the investor route, not the remote worker permit.
- Register with the local kelurahan if you rent long term. Your KITAS number is used for it, and landlords or agents usually handle it.
Good to know: B211A explicitly permits remote work for overseas employers; local employment requires a KITAS work permit.
Taxes
The widely repeated claim that remote workers in Bali pay no Indonesian tax is the most dangerous misconception on this page, and the KITAS itself is what creates the exposure.
| What applies | The rule in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Tax residency | Two independent triggers. More than 183 days in any twelve-month period, *or* presence in Indonesia with intent to reside. Holding a KITAS, including the E33G, is itself evidence of that intent, which means you can be treated as tax resident regardless of day count. |
| What residency means | Indonesian tax residents are taxed on worldwide income. That is the opposite of the territorial treatment people assume Bali offers. |
| The four-year exemption | Indonesia legislated a foreign-income exemption for certain new resident foreign nationals, but it is applied unevenly in practice and has faced legal challenge. Treat it as a question for an Indonesian tax adviser rather than a settled benefit to plan a life around. |
| Income tax rates | Progressive from 5% to 35%, with the top rate applying above IDR 5 billion. |
| You need an NPWP | The Indonesian tax number. Without one, withholding rates on any Indonesian-source income run substantially higher, and the Coretax system now tracks KITAS holders more closely than it used to. |
| Indonesian income is prohibited anyway | The E33G bars earning from Indonesian clients or in rupiah, so the practical tax question is entirely about whether your foreign income becomes taxable here. |
| VAT (PPN) | 12% standard following the 2025 increase, applied broadly to goods and services. |
| Treaty position | Indonesia holds a wide treaty network including with the US, UK, Australia and most of Europe, which is the main mechanism for avoiding double taxation if residency does trigger. |
Verified 20 August 2026. The intent-to-reside test is what makes Indonesia different from Thailand or Malaysia, and it is routinely missed. Take Indonesian tax advice before applying, not after. General information, not tax advice.
Good to know: 183-day rule determines residency; B211A visa holders under this threshold have no Indonesian tax obligation on foreign income.
Healthcare
Indonesian healthcare varies enormously and the gap between the private facilities foreigners use and the public system is very wide. Jakarta has genuinely good private hospitals. Bali has adequate private care for routine matters and a well-developed international clinic scene, but for anything serious the established practice among foreign residents is medical evacuation to Singapore, which is two and a half hours away and a different standard entirely.
That makes evacuation cover the single most important line in any policy you buy here, more so than in any other country on this site. Traffic accidents on scooters are the most common reason foreign residents need it, and many policies exclude motorbike injuries unless you hold the correct licence and were wearing a helmet.
- International clinic consultation in Bali: IDR 500,000 to 1,500,000, roughly USD 30 to 90.
- International health insurance: USD 80 to 250 a month. Confirm it includes evacuation to Singapore.
- Check the motorbike exclusion. Most foreign residents in Bali ride scooters, and most standard travel policies will not cover the resulting injuries.
- Rabies is endemic in Bali. Dog and monkey bites need immediate medical attention rather than a wait-and-see approach.
- Emergency number: 112, though response times outside cities are unreliable and private ambulance services are often faster.
| Hospital | What to know |
|---|---|
| BIMC Hospital, Kuta and Nusa Dua | The international standard facility most used by foreign residents and visitors in Bali, with English-speaking staff and direct insurance billing. |
| Siloam Hospitals Bali, Denpasar | Part of Indonesia's largest private hospital network, and the main private option in Bali for cases beyond clinic level. |
| Sanglah General Hospital (RSUP Prof. Ngoerah), Denpasar | Bali's main public referral hospital and the island's trauma centre, where serious accident cases are taken. |
| Siloam Hospitals Lippo Village, Jakarta | One of the better-regarded private hospitals in the country, with broad specialist capability. |
| Mayapada Hospital, Jakarta | Private hospital group with international patient services and a reputation for cardiology and oncology. |
| Singapore, for anything serious | Not an Indonesian hospital, but the honest answer. Mount Elizabeth and Raffles are the standard destinations for complex care, and evacuation cover is what gets you there. |
Hospital list compiled 20 August 2026 and not yet confirmed against each facility directly. Treat as indicative and verify before relying on it.
Good to know: BIMC and Siloam hospitals serve the international community; evacuation insurance to Singapore is non-negotiable for serious conditions.
Safety
Indonesia is broadly safe for visitors and violent crime against foreigners is rare. The realistic dangers are traffic, water and geology, in roughly that order, and they account for far more foreign deaths and injuries than crime does.
Scooter accidents are the defining risk in Bali. Roads are congested, drainage ditches sit unguarded beside them, and a large share of foreign riders have no motorcycle licence and no insurance that would cover them. It is the single most likely thing to go wrong.
- Scooters. Wear a helmet, hold the right licence, and confirm your insurance covers motorbike injury. Road-rash cases fill Bali's clinics daily.
- Rip currents and reef. The Bukit peninsula beaches and much of the south coast have strong currents and shallow reef. Swim where there are flags and lifeguards.
- Drug penalties are among the harshest anywhere, including death sentences for trafficking. There is no leniency for foreigners and no useful consular intervention.
- Methanol poisoning from adulterated spirits recurs periodically, particularly with cheap arak and free-pour cocktails. Stick to sealed bottles and established venues.
- Volcanoes and earthquakes. Indonesia sits on the Ring of Fire, and eruptions have closed Bali's airport before with little notice. Build flexibility into fixed travel plans.
- Petty theft and phone snatching from moving scooters is common in the tourist south. Do not use your phone while walking near the road.
Official travel advisories
| Government | Current position |
|---|---|
| United States | Advises increased caution nationally, with substantially stronger warnings for the Papua provinces. Bali, Java and the main tourist regions are treated differently from those areas.travel.state.gov → |
| United Kingdom | No blanket advisory against travel, with region-specific warnings covering Papua and parts of Sulawesi, plus guidance on volcanic activity.gov.uk → |
| Australia | The most detailed of the four for Bali specifically, given the volume of Australian visitors. Covers scooter safety, methanol poisoning and drug penalties at length.smartraveller.gov.au → |
| Canada | Advises a high degree of caution, with regional advisories against travel to Papua.travel.gc.ca → |
| US Embassy Jakarta | Register with STEP for alerts, which is worth doing given how quickly volcanic and airport disruption notices move.id.usembassy.gov → |
Advisory positions verified 20 August 2026. Indonesia's advisories carry strong regional variation, and the position for Papua differs sharply from Bali and Java. Open the source rather than relying on a national summary.
Good to know: Scooter accidents are the primary danger — wear a helmet and drive with respect; Indonesian drug laws are severe and unforgiving.
Climate
Indonesia straddles the equator and has no temperature seasons worth the name. Coastal temperatures sit between 26C and 32C year round almost everywhere, and what changes is rainfall and humidity. The country runs on a wet and dry cycle driven by the monsoon, though the timing shifts across the archipelago: Sumatra and Kalimantan are wetter overall, and the eastern islands including Flores and Timor are markedly drier. Altitude is the only real escape from the heat, which is why Ubud sits noticeably cooler than the Bali coast.
| Season | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Dry season, April to September | The best working stretch. Lower humidity, reliable sun, and calm seas. July and August are peak season in Bali with prices and traffic to match, while May, June and September offer nearly the same weather with fewer people. |
| Wet season, October to March | Heavy afternoon downpours rather than constant rain, and mornings are often clear enough to work or surf. Humidity is high, mould is a genuine problem in villas, and prices drop substantially outside the Christmas and New Year peak. |
| Peak rains, January and February | The wettest and quietest months. Flooding is common in Jakarta, some Bali roads become difficult, and boat crossings to the smaller islands are frequently cancelled. |
| Regional variation | The eastern islands including Komodo, Flores and Sumba have a longer and more reliable dry season than Bali. Sumatra and Kalimantan are wetter year round, and Sumatran haze from land clearing can affect air quality between June and October. |
Good to know: Dry season (May-October) is optimal; wet season is workable but dampens outdoor lifestyle quality.
Culture & Customs
Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority country in the world, and Bali, where nearly every foreign remote worker ends up, is a Hindu island within it. Assuming Bali represents Indonesia is the most common error visitors make, and it affects everything from dress to drinking to how Ramadan is observed around you.
The shared thread is indirectness and the avoidance of causing anyone embarrassment. Confrontation, raised voices and public complaint are read as a loss of control that reflects on you rather than on whoever you are complaining about. Patience is the operative virtue, and the Indonesian phrase for it, sabar, gets used often enough that it is worth learning early.
- Bali is Hindu, most of Indonesia is Muslim. Behaviour that passes in Canggu will not in Aceh, Java or Lombok, and dress standards differ sharply.
- Respect Balinese ceremony. Processions have right of way, temple offerings on the pavement are not litter, and stepping over them is genuinely offensive.
- Cover shoulders and knees at temples, and wear the sarong provided. Menstruating women are traditionally asked not to enter, which is posted and enforced.
- Use your right hand for giving, receiving and eating. The left is considered unclean.
- Never touch anyone's head, including children, and do not point with a single finger or with your feet.
- Nyepi shuts Bali completely for 24 hours each March, including the airport. No lights, no travel, no leaving your accommodation. Plan around it rather than being surprised by it.
