Before You Fly

The list

1. Get a card that doesn't charge foreign fees Most normal Aussie debit and credit cards add a fee to everything you buy overseas. Wise, Revolut, Macquarie, Ubank and ING are the usual ones people use to get around that, but they all have their own conditions. Compare them here.
2. Order it a couple of weeks out The physical card takes a while to arrive in the post. Order it at least two weeks before you go, and pop it into Apple Pay or Google Pay too, so you've still got it if an ATM eats the plastic.
3. Make sure your bank codes will still reach you Your bank texts a code to your Aussie number when you log in on a new device or do a big transfer. If your Aussie SIM is sitting in a drawer at home, you can't get into your own account. How to keep your number working.
4. The Bali tourist levy, Rp 150,000 (up to you) Bali's government says every visitor has to pay it once per trip. It's supposed to go to culture, the environment and dealing with rubbish, but there's no public breakdown of where it actually goes. Nobody checks it at immigration, guides say only about a third of visitors paid it in the first couple of years, and there are reports of spot checks at big places like Tanah Lot, Uluwatu and Besakih. unverified Even so, Bali collected Rp 235 billion from it in the first nine months of 2026. (Bali Discovery, checked 2026-10-25) If you do pay, use the official Love Bali site and screenshot the QR voucher.
5. Get your e-VOA (visa on arrival) It's Rp 500,000 on the official evisa.imigrasi.go.id site. In August 2026 immigration floated putting it up to Rp 750,000 online and Rp 1 million at the airport, but last I saw it hadn't been approved. (Executive Traveller, checked 2026-10-25) Only use a site that ends in .go.id, because the copycat ones charge you extra. And if you've got an e-VOA and an e-passport, you get to use the autogates when you land.
6. Fill in the All Indonesia arrival card (it's free) This is the online form that replaced the old paper customs and health forms. Do it in the 3 days before you land and save the QR code, because customs scans it on your way out. It's free, so if you get an email asking you to pay for it, that's a scam. (Bali Holiday Secrets, checked 2026-10-25)
7. Get travel insurance, and actually read the scooter bit A lot of policies only cover you on a scooter if you've got the right Aussie licence and you're wearing a helmet, and some won't cover anything over 200cc. (InDaily, checked 2026-10-25) What people get wrong.
8. Load an eSIM before you leave You'll want data the second you land, for Grab, Gojek and your bank codes. Bali eSIM guide.
9. Bring a bit of cash, not a heap A few hundred thousand rupiah is plenty to get you to your hotel. Don't bother buying a pile of rupiah at the airport back home. You'll usually do better at an ATM here with the right card.