Bali's international terminal is easy to use once you know the steps, but the forms and fees trip people up. Sort them before you fly, because the queue is no place to start.
Before you fly
- The arrival card. Sources describe a free online arrival and customs card, submitted before you land. One source says it became mandatory from 16 July 2026. Check the official Indonesian immigration site and avoid lookalike sites.
- The tourist levy. Most visitors pay IDR 150,000 a person per visit (about AUD 15). It is separate from the visa fee. Sources point to the official Love Bali portal and warn about copycat sites that charge more.
- The visa. Visitors from about 100 countries can buy a visa on arrival for IDR 500,000 (about AUD 50), valid for about 30 days and extendable once. Buying the e-visa online first is described as faster. Check which category applies to your passport.
When it is busiest
Immigration and baggage queues are longest when the airport is, in July and August and over the Christmas to New Year break. We have not found measured wait times, so allow extra time then, especially if you have a connection or a booked driver waiting. Late-night flights can also arrive in a cluster, which makes the queue longer than the schedule suggests.
At the airport
- Immigration. Join the line for foreign passports. If you bought a visa on arrival, you pay at its counter first.
- Baggage. Collect your bags and a trolley if you need one.
- Customs. Hand in your customs declaration if you are asked to.
- The arrivals hall. This is where drivers wait with name signs, taxi counters sit, and touts approach. Walk past the touts to the official counter, or to your pick-up.
Everything above happens before you reach the hotels, which matters in one way: Novotel and PassGo are reached after you clear immigration and customs, so you cannot skip these steps by staying at the airport.
If you land late at night
Fares and traffic both change after dark. Apps can be harder to use and drivers quote more, so a late arrival is the strongest case for a hotel close to the terminal.
- Inside the airport: PassGo, a capsule hotel on level 2 of the International Terminal, and Novotel, a covered walk away. See the International Terminal short lists.
- A short ride: Hilton Garden Inn and HARRIS Tuban, about five minutes away, both with a shuttle you need to arrange ahead.
- Check-in times. Check-in at PassGo is listed as 2pm to midnight and at Novotel from 2pm, so tell the hotel you are landing late.
Getting to your hotel
For times and rough fares to Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu and Ubud, see Bali airport to your hotel.