Driving Licence in Bali: The International Permit, the Indonesian SIM and the Rules of the Road

In Brief

To drive or ride legally in Bali you need a licence valid for that vehicle. A visitor's home licence is not enough on its own: carry it together with an International Driving Permit issued in your home country, and make sure the permit covers motorcycles (category A) if you plan to ride a scooter. Indonesia's police regulation recognises a foreign international permit for driving in Indonesia. A foreigner who lives here on a stay permit (KITAS or KITAP) can apply for an Indonesian licence, the SIM, at a police licensing office, called a Satpas, after a health check, a psychology test, a theory test and a riding or driving test. In north Bali that office is the Satpas of the Buleleng police in Singaraja. Every rider and passenger must wear an SNI-approved helmet, and your travel insurance should be checked for riding cover before you set off.

Driving in Bali at a Glance

• The law: Indonesia's Road Traffic Law (Law 22 of 2009) requires every driver to hold a licence for the type of vehicle they drive
• Visitors: Home licence plus an International Driving Permit from your own country; the UK government lists Indonesia as a 1968-type permit country
• Scooters: The permit must carry the motorcycle category; an Indonesian SIM C covers motorcycles up to 250 cc
• Residents: An Indonesian SIM, issued by the police under Police Regulation 5 of 2021, valid for five years
• Where in the north: Satpas SIM, Buleleng police, Singaraja (Map)
• Helmets: SNI-standard helmet for the rider and every passenger, by law
• Insurance: Check your travel policy covers riding before you hire anything

The school run by scooter on Jalan Raya Ubud. Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What the Law Asks of Every Driver

Article 77 of the Road Traffic Law says that anyone driving a motor vehicle on the road must hold a driving licence for that type of vehicle. Article 281 sets the penalty for driving without one: a fine or up to four months' detention.

Licences come in classes. The police regulation on licences (Perpol 5 of 2021) sets them out:

• SIM A: cars and light goods vehicles up to 3,500 kg
• SIM C: motorcycles up to 250 cc
• SIM CI: motorcycles from 250 cc to 500 cc, after a year on a SIM C
• SIM CII: motorcycles over 500 cc, after a year on a SIM CI

The minimum age is 17 for a SIM A or C. A licence runs for five years and can be extended before it expires; let it lapse and you start again with a new application.

Visitors: Your Licence and an International Driving Permit

The police regulation says an international permit issued in another country is valid in Indonesia under the UN convention on road traffic or other international agreements. The UN treaty record shows Indonesia signed the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, and the UK government's permit table lists Indonesia as a country where you need the 1968 type.

In practice, that means two documents in your pocket:

1. Your full home licence, valid for the vehicle.
2. An International Driving Permit, issued by the body your own government authorises, before you leave home.

The UK government's Indonesia travel advice puts it plainly: you cannot drive on a UK licence alone, and you can drive on a UK-issued permit. Check your own government's advice for the permit your country issues.

Two things catch people out. The permit only translates the licence you already hold, so if your home licence covers cars only, your permit does too, and riding a scooter on it is riding unlicensed. And the International SIM that the Indonesian police issue is for driving abroad; the regulation says one issued in Indonesia is valid only outside Indonesia.

Residents: Getting an Indonesian SIM

A foreigner who lives in Bali on a stay permit can apply for a SIM. For the stay permits themselves, see the Bali visa guide.

The Indonesian SIM card, here a class C for motorcycles, with the holder's details removed. Photo: POLRI, scanned by RaFaDa20631 / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Who can apply

Article 9 of Perpol 5 of 2021 lists the immigration documents a foreign applicant shows:

• a passport and a permanent stay permit (KITAP) for foreigners resident in Indonesia;
• a passport and a service visa or temporary stay permit (KITAS) for foreigners working here as experts or studying here;
• diplomatic documents for embassy staff and their families.

A foreigner who works in Indonesia also attaches a copy of the work permit from the Ministry of Manpower. A tourist on a visa on arrival is not on that list.

The steps

The regulation sets the same sequence for everyone:

1. Register, on the paper form at the office or through the police's online registration.
2. Biometrics: fingerprints and a face photograph at the counter.
3. Health check: eyesight, hearing and physical fitness, by a police doctor or a doctor the police recommend. The doctor's letter is valid for 14 days.
4. Psychology test: a short assessment by a police-approved psychologist. The pass letter is valid for six months.
5. Theory test, on a screen, after a briefing on traffic law and safe driving. The regulation provides the briefing material in English for foreign applicants. The pass mark is 70.
6. Skills test on a simulator, where the office has one.
7. Practical test on a test ground or a set stretch of road.

If you fail a test, you can retake it twice within 14 working days. Fees are set nationally as non-tax state revenue, and the regulation asks for proof of payment; ask for the current schedule at the counter rather than trusting a figure online.

The regulation also lists a certificate from an accredited driving school among the documents for a new licence. Ask at the Satpas what they currently require of you before you book any course.

The BPJS card

A 2023 amendment to the police regulation added proof of active membership of the national health insurance, BPJS Kesehatan, to the documents for a new or renewed licence. Bali was one of the provinces where the requirement was trialled, reported by Tribun Bali at the Buleleng office itself, and detikBali reported in August 2026 that national roll-out was still under evaluation. Bring your BPJS card if you have one; if you work here, the law requires you to be a member. See BPJS for foreigners.

Where to apply in Buleleng

North Bali's licensing office is the Satpas of the Buleleng police (Satlantas Polres Buleleng) in Singaraja (Map). It is a short drive east of Lovina. Go early on a weekday with originals and photocopies of everything, and ask at the front counter before you queue whether they handle foreign applications there and which documents they need.

Helmets, Seatbelts and Papers at a Stop

Article 106 of the Road Traffic Law sets the everyday rules:

• Helmets: everyone riding a motorcycle, and every passenger, must wear a helmet meeting the Indonesian national standard, SNI. Under Article 291 the rider is liable both for their own bare head and for a passenger's.
• Seatbelts: the driver and front passenger of a car must belt up.
• Papers: at a roadside check you must show the vehicle's registration (STNK) and your licence. Keep the rental's STNK with the scooter, and your licence and permit on you.

A helmet in good condition is also what the UK government advises, and it is the single cheapest protection you have. Before you ride, check the strap closes and the shell is not cracked, and ask for another if it is.

Insurance

Ride only once you know you are covered. The UK government's advice is simply to check with your travel insurer that you are. Read the motorcycle clause itself, including any condition about the licence you hold, rather than the summary.

Medical care after a road accident in the north means the hospitals in Singaraja, and for serious injury the referral hospital in Denpasar; healthcare in north Bali sets out where to go. A foreign resident who works here should also hold BPJS. Its 2018 health insurance regulation (Article 52) pays for road-accident care only above what the compulsory traffic-accident scheme covers, and never for treatment abroad, so it does not replace travel insurance.

When a Driver Makes More Sense

The roads up to the lakes and down to the north coast are steep and winding, and many of the north's waterfalls sit at the end of narrow village lanes. Beyond short hops along the coast, a driver is often the easier choice. Private drivers in north Bali explains how it works and what to expect, and getting to north Bali covers the routes over the mountains. Palm Living's helpdesk in Kalibukbuk arranges drivers and transfers anywhere in Bali. If you are here for longer, moving to north Bali covers the rest of settling in.

Practical Notes

• Get the permit before you fly. It is issued in your home country, by the body your government authorises.
• Check the category. Motorcycles are category A on the 1968 permit; cars are B.
• Carry originals. Licence, permit and the scooter's STNK, every ride.
• Helmet on, strap closed, for you and anyone behind you.
• For a SIM, go in person to the Satpas in Singaraja with passport, stay permit, work permit if you work, and copies.
• Read your insurance for riding before you hire.

FAQ

Do I need an International Driving Permit to ride a scooter in Bali? Yes, if you are a visitor. Carry your home licence and an International Driving Permit that includes motorcycles. Indonesian law requires a licence for the vehicle you drive, and the police regulation recognises a foreign international permit for that purpose. A home licence on its own is not enough.

Can a tourist get an Indonesian driving licence in Bali? The police regulation lists the immigration documents a foreign applicant shows: a passport with a KITAP, a KITAS for experts and students, or diplomatic papers. A visa on arrival is not among them, so the route for a visitor is an International Driving Permit from home.

How do I get a SIM in Bali as a foreigner? Apply in person at a Satpas, the police licensing office, with your passport, stay permit and, if you work here, your work permit. You pass a health check, a psychology test, a computer theory test with English briefing material for foreigners, and a practical test. In north Bali the office is the Satpas of the Buleleng police in Singaraja.

Where is the driving licence office in north Bali? At the Buleleng police traffic unit (Satlantas Polres Buleleng) in Singaraja, a short drive east of Lovina. Ask at the front counter before you queue.

Is wearing a helmet compulsory in Bali? Yes. The Road Traffic Law requires an SNI-standard helmet for the rider and for every passenger, and makes the rider liable for a passenger without one.

Will my travel insurance cover a scooter accident in Bali? Only if your policy covers motorcycling and you meet its conditions, which often include holding a valid licence for the bike. Check the motorcycle clause with your insurer before you ride.

Sources

• Korlantas Polri, Police Regulation 5 of 2021 on the issue and marking of driving licences, for licence classes, validity, foreign applicants' documents, the tests and the international permit clause, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
• Pasal.id, Law 22 of 2009 on Road Traffic, Article 77, Article 106, Article 281 and Article 291, with the official text at JDIH BPK, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
• United Nations Treaty Collection, Convention on Road Traffic, Vienna 1968, status of Indonesia, read September 2026 (in English)
• GOV.UK, International Driving Permit: countries and permit types and Indonesia travel advice: safety and security, read September 2026 (in English)
• Tribun Bali, Buleleng traffic police begin applying the BPJS requirement for licences, 4 July 2024, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)
• detikBali, Active BPJS Kesehatan to become a national licence requirement, 7 August 2026, read September 2026 (in Indonesian)

Read next: private drivers in north Bali, getting to north Bali and BPJS for foreigners.