Bali Airport Gets Increasingly Busy
Bali Airport – Tourists traveling to Bali have got to be prepared for the huge number of fellow passengers they will encounter on their journeys.
Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport is Indonesia’s second busiest airport and has already welcomed over 20 million passengers so far this year.
Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport is the only airport in the province and welcomes all of the region’s international tourists and the vast majority of all domestic travellers too.
The management team at Bali Airport has given an update on the latest travel figures, which confirm what we have all long suspected: Bali Airport is busy…and only getting busier.
Travel data from January 2025 to the end of October 2025 shows that 20.32 million passengers traveled through Bali Airport. The Acting General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Ibnu Solikin, told reporters, “During this period, a total of 20.32 million passengers were served, with an average daily service of 67,000 passengers.”
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Solikin confirmed that a total of fifty airlines are operating out of Bali Airport’s international and domestic terminals, and serving 57 routes altogether; 36 domestic routes and 21 international routes. Since the beginning of the year, 14 new flight services have been added to the schedule, and more are set to be added in 2026 and beyond.
New routes have included the latest additions to the schedule, including a new six-times weekly service between Denpasar and Singapore operated by TransNusa Airlines, as well as Jetstar’s new Newcastle-Bali route and the recent addition of the daily service between Mumbai and Bali by IndiGo.
New routes have included the latest additions to the schedule, including a new six-times weekly service between Denpasar and Singapore operated by TransNusa Airlines, as well as Jetstar’s new Newcastle-Bali route and the recent addition of the daily service between Mumbai and Bali by IndiGo.
Solikin shared with reporters, “We, along with relevant parties, continue to collaborate to strategically expand our flight network. In addition to strengthening our routes by increasing frequencies, we are also working to open new routes that serve direct flights to I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport.”
He concluded, “I Gusti Ngruah Rai Airport is committed to making a positive contribution to the aviation and tourism sectors by expanding Bali’s connectivity network to various domestic and international destinations.”
With Bali Airport on track to be busier than ever, tourists must be prepared for the terminals to feel fuller and more frenetic. While airline and airport staff work around the clock to reduce queues and ensure that operations run smoothly, bottlenecks and passenger traffic do become congested at times.
There are small but impactful ways that tourists can ensure that their airport experience is as smooth as possible on arrival. The first is to apply for their visa prior to arriving in the country.
The eVisa on Arrival can be applied for up to 48 hours prior to travel to Indonesia, via the Official Indonesia Immigration website; however, it is highly advisable to apply at least a week before planned travel to allow for any unexpected delays.
One of the many reasons why applying for the eVisa on Arrival is a top strategic step for travellers during busy periods is that anyone carrying an eVisa is permitted to use the autogates upon arrival and on departure. This reduces immigration check time down to a matter of seconds.
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The next step is to pay the Bali Tourism Tax Levy prior to arrival. This IDR 150,000 fee is a mandatory tourism tax that must be paid by all international tourists. The best place to make the payment is via the LoveBali website or smartphone app.
Once paid, tourists will be issued a QR-code voucher that they should keep handy throughout their trip. Spot checks are being held regularly at top attractions and at top resorts.
The final pre-arrival step that is not only mandatory but also helps save time and keeps passengers moving efficiently through Bali Airport is downloading and completing all the relevant forms on the All Indonesia app.
This new arrivals card application is a replacement for paper customs arrivals cards and health declarations.
Indonesian Immigration Shares Important Clarification
Immigration in Indonesia can be a confusing space to navigate. From eVisas to Hybrid Extension Applications, from Stay Permits to Global Citizen Residency, there is a whole heap of terminology to get up to speed with.
Indonesian Immigration has issued a necessary clarification for foreign nationals in the country. The clarification is simple but crucial for those who are set to navigate the immigration system more deeply. The differentiation Indonesia Immigration wants to make clear is between a visa and a stay permit.
Indonesia Immigration has issued this update in as simple terms as possible, sharing the key differences in summary: “Visa: Permission to enter the country. Obtained before arrival. Stay Permit: Permission to reside in the country. Obtained after arrival.”
This is as straightforward as it seems, but the implications of getting these two immigration categories mixed up could be costly.
Indonesian immigration has explained, “Both a visa and a stay permit are fundamental documents required for foreign nationals to legally reside in a country for a specified period.
While both serve the purpose of allowing foreigners entry and stay within a country, they differ significantly in terms of their function, duration, and requirements.”
Adding “A visa typically grants initial entry into a country for a specific purpose, while a stay permit regulates the terms and conditions for longer-term residence or extended stays. Understanding the distinction between these two documents is crucial for ensuring compliance with immigration laws and policies.”
Understanding the definition of a visa and the definition of a stay permit, as observed by Indonesia Immigration, can help foreigners understand how these two essential documents work together.
As the Indonesian Immigration explains, “A visa functions as an entry ticket or proof of permission for a foreigner to enter Indonesia for the first time. A visa is also required to activate a stay permit at the immigration checkpoint.”
Whereas a Stay Permit allows a foreigner to legally reside in Indonesia for a specific duration. In simple terms, it defines how long a foreign national can stay in the country after entering with a visa.”
One of the key differences is that a visa typically offers single-entry permission to Indonesia, whereas a stay permit allows foreigners more flexibility in their access to Indonesia, in terms of entering and exiting the country, and stipulates what activities they are permitted to engage in, including work, business, investment, or travel and leisure.
For most holidaymakers visiting Bali for 30 days or less, the differentiation between a visa and a stay permit is not as important as for those who are moving to Indonesia to work, start a business, or live on a more permanent basis.
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The most appropriate visa for most holidaymakers visiting Bali is the 30-day eVisa on Arrival, which can be applied for prior to touching down in Indonesia via the Official eVisa website.
The visa costs IDR 500,000 per person, and tourists from Australia, New Zealand, most European nations, China, India, and the USA can all apply for this visa.
Indonesia scrapped visa-free travel for most of Bali’s most frequent international arrivals after the pandemic; however, with a new agreement between Indonesia and South Africa offering visa-free travel to Indonesia for South African passport holders, there are glimmers of hope that more visa-free travel could be rolled out again in the future.
At present, tourists from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macao, and South Africa are eligible for a 30-day visa-free stay in Indonesia.
Foreigners from all other nations must visit the Indonesia eVisa website prior to their travel to understand which visa is most appropriate for them and make the relevant applications.
Bali’s Christmas Traffic
If you have ever traveled to Bali before, you know all too well how the island’s traffic can affect the flow of a vacation. If you’re visiting Bali for the first time in the coming weeks, brace yourself.
With the Christmas and New Year holidays just weeks away, Bali is preparing to welcome over one million tourists.
With the festive season a busy time for travel all around Indonesia, transportation and traffic units nationwide are putting operations into effect now to help ensure everyone keeps moving as the countdown to 2026 begins.
Sharing updates from Jakarta, the Traffic Corps (Korlantas) of the Indonesian National Police has confirmed that they predict that the peaks of the 2025 Christmas and 2026 New Year homecoming traffic will occur on 20th December 2025 and 24th December 2025.
This update was shared by the Head of the Indonesian National Police Traffic Corps, Inspector General Agus Suryonugroho. The Christmas and New Year holiday in Indonesia is referred to as Nataru, referring to ‘Natal’ and ‘Tahun Baru’.
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The Traffic Corps relies on travel data from previous years as well as data from bookings and travel searches nationwide to forecast when the biggest mass movements of travellers, both internationally and domestically, will occur.
With all this taken into consideration, Korlantas will launch Operation Candle 2025 nationwide from 20th December until 2nd January 2026. A reduced operational service will be in place until 4th January as the final ‘homecoming’ traffic flows reach their destinations following the New Year holiday.
Operation Candle 2025 will see increased traffic officers and security personnel stationed strategically nationwide, including in Bali.
This will range from increased staffing on toll roads, highways, and intersections prone to congestion, as well as increased patrols of major transportation hubs, including international airports such as Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai, and major ports and harbours such as Gilimanuk, Padangbai, and Sanur in Bali.
While Inspector General Suryonugroho is overseeing national operations, provincial transportation and security teams are already putting strategies in place to support Operation Candle 2025 and manage traffic flow on a hyperlocal level.
Speaking to reporters, Gianyar Police Chief, AKBP Chandra C. Kesuma, who is in charge of traffic operations in and around the increasingly popular destination of Ubud, shared his commitment to ensuring that traffic in the area is kept to a minimum this festive season.
He confirmed that urgent road repairs have been ordered around Gianyar Regency to help ensure all roads are useable, and that increased staffing will be in place in these areas, including Jalan Raya Laplapan Pejeng to Jalan Raya Gunung Sari Peliatan, where major repair work is currently taking place.
With more than one million tourists set to visit Bali this Christmas and New Year period, traffic in Bali’s busiest tourism resorts is unavoidable.
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This is why tourists need to think strategically about when and where they travel around the island. It is especially important to leave more than enough time to travel to Bali Airport on the day of departure.
While the Bali Mandara Toll Road cuts out a lot of congestion for airport-bound passengers, the roads leading to the toll gate are often congested, especially at rush hour.
In terms of traveling around the island for day trips and to visit attractions, tourists are advised to depart from their accommodation early in the morning to avoid peak traffic.
An important lesson for first-time tourists to Bali to learn is that the estimated travel time given by most map apps is not accurate.
For example, Google Maps will often estimate that a trip from Berawa in Canggu to Uluwatu should take 2 hours. However, in peak traffic time, this trip can easily take 4 hours, especially if traffic is congested along Jalan Labuan Sait.
Tourists are advised to talk directly with their driver, tour guide, or accommodation hosts to ascertain how much travel time is needed, especially during this festive season.
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All above News Articles are provided by “The Bali Sun“
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