Living in Bali as a Digital Nomad

Bali is a popular location for digital nomads because it’s easy to stay in Bali legally. As long as you are not working for an Indonesian company and not earning revenue from Indonesian sources, you can stay in Bali.

Cost of Living in Bali as a Foreigner

The living costs in Bali are relatively low. A foreigner can live comfortably in Bali for about USD 1,000 to 1,900 a month.

The biggest expense is housing. A villa in Bali can cost between USD 500 to 1,000 per month. Rental fees in Bali vary greatly depending on the location and features of the property. Villas closer to the beach often cost more.

If you’re on a really tight budget, you can also rent a room in a boarding house, or kost as it’s known locally. A room in a kost can cost as little as USD 300 per month and often includes utilities.

This table shows a sample breakdown of living expenses in Bali for an individual living in a villa.

Expense	Cost per month
Housing	USD 500 to 1,000
Utilities (electricity, water, internet, mobile phone service)	USD 100 to 150
Villa maintenance (housekeeper, gardener)	USD 100 to 150
Food (groceries, eating out)	USD 150 to 300

Bali Visas for Digital Nomads

Indonesia allows people from most countries to enter the country with a free visa on arrival. This visa is valid for 30 days, but is not extendable. Foreigners who wish to stay longer can get a social visa or business visa.

Social Visa

The social visa is valid for 60 days upon entry into Indonesia. After the initial 60 days, you can extend this visa up to four months. Each extension adds 30 days to the validity period giving you a total of six months.

Note that this is a single-entry visa. If you leave Indonesia, you will have to apply for a social visa again.

Per Indonesian regulations, a foreigner can get a social visa for the following reasons:

• Visiting a family member in Indonesia.
• Visiting a social organization operating in the same field as you.
• You are part of an exchange program in Indonesia for training and education purposes
• You are lecturing or joining a non-commercial conference or seminar in a social or governmental field

One of the key requirements for a social visa is a sponsor letter from an Indonesian sponsor. Emerhub can act as your sponsor and provide a sponsor letter for you. In addition to that, we will facilitate the monthly visa extension after the initial 60-day period. Fill out the form below to get in touch with our consultants.

Business Visa

The business visa is a multiple-entry visa that is valid for one year. This visa allows the holder to enter and stay in Indonesia for 60 days per visit. This type of visa is suitable for individuals who intend on visiting Bali several times a year.

A foreigner can get a business visa for the following reasons:

• Discussing matters of trade transactions
• On-site observation and discussions on trade terms (import-export business)
• To conduct businesses activities where the visa holder is not engaged as an employee
• To attend international shows and exhibitions
• To attend meetings in Indonesia
• Investigating commercial possibilities of capital investment with possible partners in Indonesia
• For journalistic purposes
• To make a non-commercial film

Emerhub’s experts are ready to help you with your visa-related concerns. Our team has extensive experience in handling visas and work permits for expats and digital nomads. We will facilitate your application and extensions or renewals.

Representative Office and Work Permit in Bali

If you want to set up a legal entity in Indonesia without making a large investment, you can open a representative office. Note that a representative office cannot earn revenue in Indonesia.

A representative office can act on behalf of its foreign parent company as long as it does not generate income in Indonesia. A representative office can also hire local and foreign employees. It can also sponsor work permits for its foreign employees.

Interested in moving to Bali? Get in touch with us and our consultants will assist you with your concerns about living and working in Bali. Fill out the form below to get started.