Before the pandemic, compiling a travel to-do list was only limited to your imagination. Today, after years of closed international borders, as well as the halting of overseas travel to and from many countries, it is also guided by the rules, requirements, restrictions and procedures of entry of COVID-19. But if you’ve been keen to add Bali to your itinerary, the Indonesian island has good news: it’s now open to double-vaccinated Australian and New Zealand tourists without quarantine.

In February, Bali began welcoming some tourists back – including people from Down Under – but with a shortened isolation period, forcing arrivals to self-quarantine for five days once they reach the Isle. Now, as of Monday, March 7, this rule has been removed. There are still mandatory tests, as well as a few other procedures to follow, but you no longer have to factor in a long stay confined to your hotel before your getaway really begins.

First, the new rules only apply to travelers who have received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine – and, within 48 hours of arriving in Bali, you must also take a PCR test (and , obviously, it is necessary to return a negative result). Then, through Bali’s new Visa on Arrival program, you’ll complete the paperwork and pay the fee (around AU$50) when you get off the plane, and you’ll also take another PCR test. You’ll have to self-isolate until you get a negative result from it, but it’s clearly better than spending five days in quarantine.

Upon arrival, you will also be required to present proof of a paid hotel reservation for four days/three nights, as well as health insurance covering COVID-19 up to at least USD 25,000. And, you will also need to download the Bali COVID app. Then, three days after you arrive, you must also take another PCR test – but there is no requirement for isolation.

Countries covered by the Bali Visa on Arrival program from Monday March 7 include Australia, New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, France, Qatar, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Italy, Turkey and the UEA, with the program expanding to 42 nations on Monday March 21.

Indonesia also just dropped its nationwide quarantine requirement, effective the same date.

This desire you feel now? It’s the need to get out your dusty suitcase, pack your bags and book yourself a beach vacation in Bali.

For more information on the requirements for traveling to Bali, visit the Indonesian government website.

Posted on March 23, 2022 by

Sarah Ward