Travel Tips Travelling to Indonesia

Complete Guide to Traveling to Bali from New Zealand: Everything you need to know [2025]

Aditya Shrivastava

08.02.25

Read time 7 minutes

Bali has long been a favoured holiday destination for New Zealanders with its rich, diverse culture and mix of affordable luxury and accessible outdoor activities. If you want to travel to the Indonesian province soon, you’ll need to sort out a visa and a few other documents before you go.

This guide will detail all the travel requirements and customs regulations for entering Bali, and cover some useful packing and finance tips, too. Whether you are looking to work or study in Indonesia, or simply take in the sights, it’s best to plan ahead to make the most of your stay. We'll also introduce the Wise travel card – your perfect companion for managing expenses on your travels abroad. Wise offers the mid-market exchange rate with no markups and transparent fees to help save on international transactions.

Table of contents
NZ to Bali Travel Requirements Applying for Bali Visa from NZ Flying to Bali from NZ Checklist for NZ to Bali Travel Managing Your Finances in Bali Cash Considerations Using Your NZ Cards in Bali Wise Travel Card for Bali

New Zealand to Bali Travel Requirements

There are no visa exemptions when travelling from New Zealand. You must acquire a relevant visa to enter Bali. Fortunately, a handy Visa on Arrival (VoA) can be acquired at airport counters for tourist purposes¹. The one caveat is that you may have to put up with long queues to get it.

Bali Visa for New Zealand Citizens

For visitors just eager to explore Bali’s stunning beaches and vibrant lifestyle, a B-type visitor visa will suffice. This is valid for 30 days and can be extended once for a maximum stay of 60 days². You will need to return home and apply for a separate visa for trips longer than 2 months.

Bali counts visits to relatives and business conferences and meetings as tourist-related activities, so you can use a visitor visa for these, too². You can also apply for a C2 business visa for non-working obligations longer than 1 month. There is an option of single or multiple entry business visas. Both are valid for 60 days and can be extended in Bali³.

For any form of work, you will need to get a Temporary Stay Permit (KITAS). This acts as an Indonesian work visa, allowing New Zealanders to take up a role at a registered company. A KITAS is valid for either 6 or 12 months and can be renewed⁴.

Students must also acquire a KITAS to enrol at an educational institution in Indonesia.

Bali Visa for New Zealand Residence Permit holders

Non-NZ citizens need a visa to travel to Bali. All visa regulations are based on nationality. You can check the visa requirements for the country with which you hold a passport by filling out the short questionnaire on the official Ministry of Immigration and Corrections website.

Only citizens from 13 countries can enter Bali visa-free. These include the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Hong Kong⁵.

Applying for Bali Visa from New Zealand

Bali has made it as convenient as possible for New Zealanders to get a tourist visa. There are two main options: online self-service, and on arrival. Air New Zealand recommends getting a visa before travelling to reduce hassle and minimise delays on arrival.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting an electronic visitor visa (E-VOA):

Visit the official e-visa website for Indonesia
Click apply and select ‘general, family, or social’ as the main purpose for your visit and then ‘tourism’ as the sub-purpose
Choose B1 - Tourist visa from the drop-down box
Start your application by entering personal information and supporting documents:
1. A clear and sharp image of your passport’s biodata page
2. A minimum 400 x 600 pixel passport photo
3. Hotel or accommodation information in Bali
4. Return or outbound ticket
Make the NZD payment of 35 USD equivalent (62 NZD)
Download the visa after the link to download is sent to your email

A B1 tourist visa is the easiest to get. When inquiring about work, study and other visas on the official website, you may be asked to ‘apply via guarantor’. Prepare for a longer and more exhaustive process for acquiring these types of visas. For that reason, you should start the process 2 or 3 months before your trip.

We recommend contacting Indonesia’s official embassy in New Zealand if you want clarity on visa details and requirements. The contact details are⁶:

Embassy	Address	Phone
Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia	70 Glen Road, Kelburn, 6012, Wellington	+64-4-475-8697

Flying to Bali from New Zealand

Bali is one of the fastest long-haul destinations to get to. A typical flight takes just over 9 hours from Auckland without stops. Air New Zealand operates seasonal direct flights to the main airport in Bali — Denpasar International Airport.

Several airlines also offer flights with a single layover in locations including Dubai, Jakarta, Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore, and Dubai. These include:

Qantas
Jetstar
Singapore Airlines
Emirates

You can expect flights to take anywhere between 12 and 20 hours depending on the layover length.

What can I bring into Bali

When travelling to Bali, you need to think carefully about what you will take. Every visitor has to complete a BC 2.2 Electronic Customs Declaration (ECD) form⁷. This is legally binding and must be completed before arrival, so there’s no wiggle room for late changes to your luggage.

Bali has strict customs rules⁸. You are required to declare any prohibited and restricted items including firearms, narcotics, drugs, sharp objects, and pornography. The same is true for any animals, fish, plants and adjacent products.

Duty-free allowances include:

Foreign banknotes worth the equivalent of 1bn IDR (20k NZD)
Currency valued up to 100m IDR
Merchandise up to the value of 500 USD
Up to 200 cigarette sticks, or 25 cigars, or 100g of tobacco
1L of alcohol

After completing the online customs form and declaring your goods, you will receive a QR code. You must present this at customs after collecting your luggage and before exiting the airport.

Document to carry before flying to Bali

Bali immigration authorities demand quite a lot of paperwork on arrival. In addition to the usual passport and visa requirements, visitors must all sign or submit a few other forms. There’s a new tourist tax, too, effective from 14 February 2024⁹.

Before you depart, make sure you have these documents sorted:

Passport: Valid for at least 6 months from the arrival date
Visa: Download your e-visa or have a physical copy of another visa type
Customs declaration form: Complete the online customs declaration form and get a QR code within 3 days before your flight
Health declaration form: Complete the official MPOS Health Declaration form before your flight
Tourist tax: Pay a 150000 IDR (16 NZD) tourist levy via the official tax payment link

Not completing these forms before you fly can delay your onward journey. We also recommend printing off a copy of your travel insurance and preparing other documents such as return flight tickets and hotel bookings.

Checklist for New Zealand to Bali Travel

After you’ve got the paperwork sorted, it’s time to ready some other essentials for your trip to Bali.

Mobile connectivity

You can use your NZ SIM in Bali, but risk racking up significant costs over time. Spark customers, for example, can access a 4G service in Indonesia for 30 NZD and get 2GB of data, 300 minutes, and 300 texts for 14 days¹⁰.

While this might suffice for super short holidays, we recommend looking at eSIMs and local prepaid SIMs for longer stays. You can pick up an eSIM from Airalo, Nomad, or Klook before you travel. Another option is to buy a local SIM card at an airport or convenience store.

Travel adapters

Bali uses Euro-style Type C and Type F plugs so remember to pack a couple of adapters to charge your smartphone and other devices. Having a portable power bank will also keep your battery topped up for lengthy days out and excursions.

Appropriate clothing

Bali has a tropical climate with an average temperature of 27C. It’s hot and humid for most of the year, so take light and breathable clothing. However, you should wear modest attire that covers shoulders and knees at any temples or sacred sites.

Health and safety items

Remember to pack sunscreen, mosquito repellent, antihistamine, and a basic first aid kit. You can check advice from local healthcare services. for a full list of relevant medical items. Don’t worry too much, though, as you can also buy things when you arrive.

Travel Insurance for Bali

Finally, make sure you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy in place to cover every eventuality during your time in Bali. You can read our guide to the best travel insurance in New Zealand to find the right policy for your needs.

Managing Your Finances in Bali

You need to get your finances in order to make the most of your stay in Bali. Cash is king here, but cards remain useful in certain situations.

Cash Considerations

The local currency in Bali is the Indonesian rupiah (IDR). Cash is still incredibly popular, accounting for roughly 80% of all point-of-sale transactions¹⁵. It’s easier to pay for most things with notes and coins in Bali, especially when visiting warungs — small family-owned businesses — and shrines. And it’s much more convenient for tipping.

You can get cash from ATMs dotted around Bali, so you don’t have to worry about being caught short. However, watch out for conversion rates and fees when drawing money out and exchanging currency elsewhere as this can eat into your budget. For some helpful tips, check out our guide to avoiding foreign ATM fees when traveling abroad 📹

As cash will dominate your spending habits, be proactive in keeping it safe. Don’t flash large quantities in public, and try to split your stash between three or four different pockets or locations. When exploring Bali, stow cash in a money belt or hidden pouch.

Using Your NZD Debit/Credit Cards

There is a 1m IDR limit for contactless payments¹². However, neither Apple Pay nor Google Wallet are available in Bali at the time of publishing this article^13,14.

Your NZD cards will work in places where card payments are accepted. If you are mainly staying in hotels and tourist hubs, you can mostly get by with debit and credit cards in Bali. That said, you will need to watch out for your card provider's foreign transaction fees and marksup on currency exchange rates on each purchase.¹¹.

Using a multi-currency travel card such as Wise is an excellent alternative with transparent exchange rates and low fees. Available for residents of New Zealand and supported countries, Wise offers the mid-market rate on currency conversions, which is the usually the same rate you see on Google, ensuring that you don’t lose money to extra fees or hidden mark-ups.

Save on Bali Transactions and Swipe like a local with Wise

Wise offers a convenient travel card and money transfer services that make managing your finances abroad a breeze. The Wise card lets you spend like a local in over 150+ countries.

Get started with Wise 🚀

Here's why Wise is a great choice for your international travels:

Excellent exchange rates: Always get the mid-market exchange rate – the same one you usually see on Google – so you get the most out of your money.
Low, transparent fees: Say goodbye to hidden charges and hefty markups. Wise keeps its fees low and transparent, so you know exactly what you're paying.
Convenient card and app: Use your Wise card to swipe like a local in supported countries. Manage your money, track spending, and even freeze your card if needed, all through the Wise app.
Cash withdrawals: Easily withdraw cash from supported ATMs abroad with low, transparent fees. But be mindful that ATM providers may charge their own cash withdrawal fees.
International transfers: Send money abroad with the same mid-market exchange rates and low fees.

Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

Sources:

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.

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