Reviewed by Florent Delente, Founder, ILA Global Consulting. Last updated: October 2026.
Short answer: To drive or ride legally in Bali as a visitor, you need your national driving licence plus an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued in your home country, and both must cover the vehicle you drive. For a scooter, that means a motorcycle category. If you live in Indonesia on a KITAS or KITAP, plan on getting an Indonesian licence, called a SIM, from the Bali police, which our driving licence service can handle for you. Driving without a valid licence can cost up to IDR 1,000,000 or four months in jail under Law 22 of 2009, and it can void your travel insurance after a crash.
This guide covers who needs what, the exact steps and costs for a local SIM, what happens at a police checkpoint, the motorbike rules that catch foreigners out, and how insurance really works after an accident. Amounts are converted at roughly IDR 16,500 to the US dollar, rounded.
Which licence do you need to drive in Bali?
Your status in Indonesia decides which document police expect to see. Use this table first, then read the section that applies to you.
| Your situation | What you must carry | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist on a visa on arrival, e-VOA or visit visa | National licence + IDP from your home country, both covering the vehicle class | Car only licence does not cover a 125cc or 155cc scooter |
| Holder of a licence from another ASEAN country | Your national licence | Covered by the 1985 ASEAN agreement on recognition of domestic licences |
| KITAS or KITAP holder living in Bali | Indonesian SIM (SIM A for cars, SIM C for motorbikes) | An IDP is designed for visitors, not residents |
| Indonesian SIM holder travelling abroad | SIM Internasional from Korlantas Polri | Not for foreign tourists in Bali |
In every case you also carry the vehicle’s registration card, the STNK, which the rental company should hand you with the keys.
Do you need an International Driving Permit in Bali?
Yes, if you are a visitor. Your home licence on its own is not enough, because Indonesian police cannot read or verify licences from every country. The IDP is a standard translation booklet that sits next to your national licence. It is not a licence by itself, so always carry both.
Four rules matter in practice:
- Get it before you fly. Only your home country can issue an IDP. Websites that sell an “international driving licence” online, or shops in Bali that offer one, sell a private translation booklet, which is not an IDP.
- Check the category. An IDP only copies the categories on your national licence. Category A covers motorcycles and scooters, category B covers cars. If your IDP shows B only, you are not licensed to ride a scooter in Bali, even if the rental shop hands you the keys.
- Check the dates. An IDP in the 1949 Geneva format lasts up to one year. The 1968 Vienna format lasts up to three years. Either one ends early if your national licence expires.
- Carry the paper booklet. Some officers accept a photo on your phone. They do not have to.
Indonesia’s licence regulation, Perpol 5 of 2021, recognises licences issued abroad under international agreements, and in day to day practice Bali police and reputable rental companies accept IDPs in both formats.
Can you ride a scooter in Bali with a car licence?
No. This is one of the most common mistakes foreigners make. Popular rental scooters in Bali, such as a 125cc Scoopy or a 155cc NMAX, are motorcycles, and riding one requires a motorcycle licence at home, recorded on your IDP. A rental shop that accepts your car licence has not made you legal. It has only made a sale.
The consequences show up at two moments: at a checkpoint, where you are treated as driving without a licence, and after an accident, where your insurer can refuse the claim. Australia’s motoring body warns that riders without the right licence will not convince their travel insurer to pay.
Can French drivers use the French permis international in Bali?
Yes, as long as it shows the right category. French readers should know about three recent changes and one trap:
- It is no longer free. Since 3 March 2026, France charges EUR 7.25 for an international permit, paid by card on the ANTS website.
- Applications are online only, through the ANTS portal, with a digital ID photo. Processing is reported at two to four weeks, so apply at least six weeks before you fly.
- Validity is three years, or until your French licence expires if that comes first. It is not valid in France itself, and people already living abroad cannot apply through ANTS.
- The 125cc trap. In France, a permis B holder who completes the seven hour training can ride a 125cc. The French government has confirmed that this equivalence is valid only on French territory. Your international permit will show category B only, so it does not cover a scooter in Bali. You need a real motorcycle category (A1, A2 or A) on your French licence.
When do you need an Indonesian SIM instead of an IDP?
As soon as you live here. An IDP is meant for people visiting a country, not for people who reside in it, and police at Bali checkpoints routinely ask KITAS holders for a local licence. If you hold a KITAS or KITAP for work, investment, retirement, family or remote work, the safe position is an Indonesian SIM.
A local SIM also makes life easier: it is accepted by every rental company and insurer in Indonesia, it doubles as photo ID in many offices, and you can buy and register your own vehicle with it in place. Our driving licence service in Bali prepares the file, books the Satpas appointment and accompanies you through the tests.
If your stay permit is still being processed, see our KITAS and KITAP overview first, because the SIM application is built on that permit.
What are the Indonesian SIM types and minimum ages?
Indonesia splits licences by vehicle type, and since Perpol 5 of 2021 it also splits motorcycle licences by engine size.
| SIM | Vehicle | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|
| SIM A | Cars | 17 |
| SIM C | Motorcycles up to 250cc (nearly every rental scooter) | 17 |
| SIM CI | Motorcycles above 250cc up to 500cc | 18, after 12 months on SIM C |
| SIM CII | Motorcycles above 500cc | 19, after 12 months on SIM CI |
Most residents need SIM A, SIM C, or both. Each class is a separate application with its own tests and fee.
How do foreigners get a driving licence (SIM) in Bali?
Foreign residents apply at the Satpas, the police licensing unit, of the police district where they live. In Denpasar this is Polresta Denpasar on Jl. Gunung Sanghyang No. 110, Denpasar Barat. Regencies such as Badung and Gianyar have their own units.
Documents
Under Article 9 of Perpol 5 of 2021, as amended by Perpol 2 of 2023, a foreign applicant needs:
- Passport, original and copies of the identity, visa and latest entry stamp pages
- KITAS or KITAP, original and copy
- SKTT (Surat Keterangan Tempat Tinggal), the residence certificate issued by the local civil registry. If you do not have it yet, our SKTT service handles it.
- A work permit document if you work in Indonesia
- Your foreign licence, original and copy, if you have one
- A health certificate from a doctor and a psychological test result
- Fingerprint and photo capture, done at the Satpas
- Proof of active BPJS Kesehatan (JKN) health insurance where your Satpas applies this rule. As of August 2026 it was still a pilot outside Bali
- A driving school certificate, which the regulation lists for first time applicants but which police said in 2023 was not yet enforced
Step by step
- Health check. A short eye and blood pressure check by a doctor near the Satpas.
- Psychological test. A written or computer test run by a licensed psychologist, also outside the Satpas.
- Registration and biometrics at the Satpas counter, with your documents.
- Theory test. A computer test in Bahasa Indonesia: 30 questions in 30 minutes, with 21 correct answers needed. If you fail, retakes come after 7, then 14, then 30 days.
- Practical test. Since January 2025, the practical test has two parts: a course inside the test area, then a test on a public road, under Perpol 2 of 2023. Experienced drivers with a valid foreign licence have reported a shorter process.
- Payment and printing. You pay the state fee at the bank counter and collect the card, often on the same day if you pass both tests.
Costs
| Item | Official cost | About |
|---|---|---|
| New SIM A (state fee, PP 76 of 2020) | IDR 120,000 | USD 7 |
| New SIM C, CI or CII (state fee) | IDR 100,000 | USD 6 |
| SIM A renewal | IDR 80,000 | USD 5 |
| SIM C renewal | IDR 75,000 | USD 5 |
| Health certificate | around IDR 35,000 | USD 2 |
| Psychological test | IDR 60,000 to 100,000 | USD 4 to 6 |
The state fees have not changed since 2020. Health and psychology fees are paid directly to the doctor or psychologist, and a 2022 police circular bans officers from adding charges on top. If anyone at the Satpas asks for cash beyond these amounts, ask for an official receipt.
How long is a SIM valid for a foreigner?
Perpol 5 of 2021 sets a five year validity for SIMs. In practice, foreigners report that the card is tied to their stay permit: about one year for a KITAS holder and up to five years for a KITAP holder. Renew before the expiry date. If you let it lapse, you start again with the full test process.
Can you convert a foreign licence into an Indonesian SIM?
Not in the European sense of a licence exchange. Indonesia has no formal conversion route for foreign licences, so every foreign resident goes through the Satpas application above. What your foreign licence does is support your application and, depending on the unit, shorten the testing. Bring the original, not just a copy.
What happens at a police checkpoint in Bali?
Traffic police run regular checks in Canggu, Seminyak, Kuta, Uluwatu and Ubud, often in the morning and at main junctions. In a three day operation in May 2025, police in Badung seized 56 vehicles and cited 81 drivers, 30 of them foreigners, mostly for missing documents and modified exhausts.
At a stop, have these ready:
- The STNK (vehicle registration card)
- Your national licence and IDP, or your Indonesian SIM
- Your passport or a copy, and your KITAS if you are a resident
Fines under Law 22 of 2009
The amounts below are the legal maximums. A court or the official e-tilang system sets the final amount, which is often lower.
| Offence | Article | Maximum penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Driving without a valid licence | Art. 281 | IDR 1,000,000 (about USD 61) or 4 months jail |
| Having a licence but not carrying it | Art. 288(2) | IDR 250,000 (about USD 15) or 1 month |
| No STNK in the vehicle | Art. 288(1) | IDR 500,000 (about USD 30) or 2 months |
| No helmet, rider or passenger | Art. 291 | IDR 250,000 or 1 month |
| Ignoring signs or red lights | Art. 287(1) | IDR 500,000 or 2 months |
| Speeding | Art. 287(5) | IDR 500,000 or 2 months |
| No seatbelt in a car | Art. 289 | IDR 250,000 or 1 month |
| Motorbike headlight off in daytime | Art. 293(2) | IDR 100,000 (about USD 6) or 15 days |
Fines add up. Missing your licence, your IDP and the STNK at the same stop can lead to separate penalties.
Paying a ticket the right way
An official ticket, called a tilang, comes with a slip and is paid through a bank account number or at a court hearing. If an officer suggests settling in cash on the spot, you are entitled to ask for the official slip instead.
Bali also uses ETLE cameras, which issue electronic tickets to the registered owner of the vehicle. For a rental, that is the rental company. Bali police have told rental owners to check the ETLE app and to pass fines to renters before they leave, so expect your rental contract to make you liable for camera tickets during your rental period. An unpaid ETLE ticket blocks the vehicle’s registration renewal.
What are the motorbike rules in Bali?
Indonesia drives on the left. Beyond that, these rules cause most problems for foreigners:
- Helmets for rider and passenger, always, fastened.
- No more passengers than the bike is built for. Bali’s Governor Circular No. 7 of 2025 on conduct for foreign tourists spells this out.
- Dress decently while riding. The same circular requires it, and riding shirtless is a common reason police stop tourists.
- No alcohol or drugs before driving, also listed in the 2025 circular.
- Headlight on, day and night, for motorbikes.
- Cars: rent only from a registered business. The 2025 circular requires tourists to use four wheel vehicles officially registered under a rental business or association.
The government has discussed restricting motorbike rentals for tourists several times. In March 2023 the Governor announced that tourists should use vehicles from travel agents, but no binding regulation followed, and in November 2025 Bali’s traffic police director advised unskilled foreign riders not to ride alone and said rental outlets may start checking riding ability. Police counted 142 collisions involving foreigners in 2024, down 35% on 2023. Check the current position before you rent, as this is the area most likely to change.
Will your insurance pay after a scooter accident in Bali?
Only if you were legal. Travel and international health policies usually exclude accidents on a vehicle you were not licensed to drive in the country where it happened. That means the licence category on your national licence and IDP, not the fact that a rental shop gave you a bike. The World Health Organization reports that more than 70% of road deaths in Indonesia involve motorbikes, so a refused claim can leave you paying the full hospital bill yourself.
Three other points:
- Jasa Raharja, Indonesia’s state road accident fund, pays victims up to IDR 20,000,000 (about USD 1,210) for treatment and IDR 50,000,000 (about USD 3,030) on death. It excludes the driver who caused a collision between two or more vehicles.
- Rental bikes are often uninsured for damage to the bike or to third parties. Ask what is covered and get it in writing.
- Residents should check that their health insurance covers motorbike accidents explicitly, and that the policy does not require an Indonesian SIM.
Can foreigners buy and register a car or motorbike in Bali?
Yes. Under Perpol 7 of 2021 on vehicle registration, an individual foreigner can register a vehicle in their own name. A KITAP holder registers with the KITAP. A KITAS holder registers with the KITAS plus the SKTT residence certificate. You then receive the BPKB (ownership book), the STNK (registration card) and the plates. Buying with your own registration avoids the common, risky practice of keeping a vehicle in a local friend’s name, where you have no legal ownership if the relationship or the friend’s circumstances change.
Get your Bali driving licence sorted
If you live in Bali, a local SIM removes most of the risk in this guide: checkpoints, rental disputes and insurance refusals. ILA Global Consulting prepares your documents, coordinates your SKTT if needed, books your Satpas appointment and stays with you through the tests. Contact our team or see our driving licence service to start.
Just arriving? Our visa on arrival guide covers the entry side.
Want this guide offline? Get the free PDF version, or browse all 27 free ILA guides.
Frequently asked questions
Is an International Driving Permit mandatory in Bali?
Yes for visitors. You need your national licence plus an IDP from your home country, and both must cover the vehicle class. ASEAN licence holders can use their national licence. Residents should get an Indonesian SIM.
Can I get an IDP once I am already in Bali?
No. Only the country that issued your licence can issue your IDP. Anything sold online or locally as an “international licence” is a private translation, not an IDP.
Can I ride a scooter in Bali with a car licence?
No. Rental scooters need a motorcycle category on your licence and IDP. A car licence or a category B IDP leaves you unlicensed for a scooter, with fine and insurance consequences.
What is the fine for driving without a licence in Bali?
Up to IDR 1,000,000 (about USD 61) or four months in jail under Article 281 of Law 22 of 2009. Having a licence but not carrying it is up to IDR 250,000.
How much does an Indonesian SIM cost for a foreigner?
The state fee is IDR 120,000 for a new SIM A and IDR 100,000 for a new SIM C. Add around IDR 35,000 for the health certificate and IDR 60,000 to 100,000 for the psychological test.
Can a tourist get an Indonesian SIM in Bali?
Generally no. Bali police issue SIMs to foreigners holding a KITAS or KITAP. Tourists use their national licence and IDP.
Is the French permis B valid for a 125cc scooter in Bali?
No. The French rule letting permis B holders ride a 125cc after seven hours of training is valid only in France. You need a motorcycle category (A1, A2 or A) on your licence.
Who pays an ETLE camera fine on a rental scooter?
The ticket goes to the registered owner, which is the rental company, and most rental contracts pass it on to you. Settle any fines before you return the vehicle.
Sources
- Law No. 22 of 2009 penalties: Ketentuan dan Denda Resmi Pelanggaran Lalu Lintas, Pusiknas Polri
- Masa berlaku SIM untuk WNA (Perpol 5/2021), Hukumonline
- Mengenali kategori SIM C terbaru, Hukumonline
- Aturan dan biaya pembuatan SIM A dan golongan lain (PP 76/2020), Carmudi
- Biaya bikin SIM baru Juli 2025, detikOto
- Biaya tes psikologi SIM naik, detikOto
- Ujian praktik SIM di jalan raya sudah berlaku (Perpol 2/2023), detikOto
- Bikin SIM wajib punya BPJS, bakal berlaku nasional?, detikOto, August 2026
- BPJS jadi syarat bikin SIM, GridOto
- Sertifikat sekolah mengemudi untuk SIM baru, Otomotifnet
- How to get an Indonesian driver’s licence, Expatindo
- Indonesia driving license guide, Rukita
- Bali International Driving Permit guide, Bali.com
- International driving licence and SIM Internasional, Bali.com
- 1985 Agreement on the Recognition of Domestic Driving Licences issued by ASEAN Countries, NUS Centre for International Law
- Road signs in Indonesia (convention status), Wikipedia
- Permis international à 7,25 €: l’ANTS impose la demande en ligne, Ulysse, March 2026
- Le permis de conduire international, France Diplomatie
- Question écrite n° 26805, formation 7 heures et validité à l’étranger, Assemblée nationale
- Get the paperwork before you get the motorbike, Australian Automobile Association
- Guidance for Indian tourists visiting Bali, Consulate General of India Bali
- Police crackdown exposes a problem for Bali tourists and scooters, InDaily, May 2025
- Major changes coming for tourists renting motorcycles in Bali, The Bali Sun, November 2025
- Officials set to enforce international driving licence requirement, Coconuts Bali, May 2023
- Tourists in Bali barred from operating non-official rental vehicles, Tempo, March 2023
- Bali luncurkan edaran tatanan baru bagi turis asing (SE 7/2025), Antara Bali
- Pemilik rental motor di Bali diminta rajin cek aplikasi tilang elektronik, detikBali
- Lingkup jaminan dan premi Jasa Raharja, Hukumonline
- Bisakah WNA punya apartemen dan kendaraan di Indonesia (Perpol 7/2021), Hukumonline
