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Good To Know Before You Arrive | Bali Airport

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In this article we will shed some light on what expects you right after landing at the airport, the process of moving through immigration and customs, the location, the easiest way to grab a taxi or transport and get to your hotel or villa. If you want to avoid time consuming or nerve wrecking surprises, read on. SEE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Location of Bali Airport, DPS

The airport is in the south of Bali and very near to most of Bali’s main tourist areas. Not far and north of the airport there is: Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Kerobokan, Umalas, Canggu, Tanah Lot.
South of the airport there is: Jimbaran, Nusa Dua, Tanjung Benoa, Pecatu, Uluwatu, Ungasan.

Arriving at Bali Airport International

Once you landed at the international terminal, listed below is the recommended procedure:


  • Keep your passports ready (6 months valid, enough space for the sticker)
  • Fill in Tax Card ready (stewardess will give them to you or pick one up in the arrival hall)
  • Move to the Visa on Arrival counters and pay US$ 35 per person
  • If you have already obtained a visa abroad you can skip this step
  • Next, go to the immigration counters and queue according to the appropriate signs. Long queues after a long flight are still happening. Hopefully the picture just above will be an experience of the past
  • No more Fast Track Service available! The Head of the Bali Regional Office of the ministry of “Justice and Human Rights”, I Gusti Kompiang Adnyana, made a strong statement end of Nov 2014, that there will be no more immigration officers who will take extra money (bribery) to help foreigners jump the queue.
  • When you have passed through immigration go towards the conveyer belt indicated on monitors according to your flight number
  • Grab a trolley and collect your luggage. If you need assistance there are porters around that you can hire. They will get your luggage, escort you to your car, taxi or pick up service and help you load the vehicle
  • Go through customs towards the ‘exit’ sign and give them the tax card. You will only need ONE for PER family. Make sure you do not bring more then $10,000 CASH and of course…no drugs. You could end up enjoying an all-inclusive holiday in Bali’s prison for a very long time
  • Then exit the airport. There’s a money changer (rates are OK) just when you get out, and an ATM machine.
  • There are MANY people holding up name signs as they wait and page for the guests who booked a airport pick-up to be dropped to numerous hotels and villas. If you have arranged a pick up and you can’t find your name, don’t give up. The driver might just be sitting on the floor checking his sms
  • If you have not yet arranged a pick-up, no problems, walk towards the  TAXI SERVICE counter. They work with a fixed price list and the price depends on the area you want to go to. You CAN NOT get a metered taxi at the airport – there is no real easy alternative. But, the prices are o.k. anyways – just no special service. Expect to pay around US$ 8-10 per taxi for the main tourist areas in the south. E.g. Umalas, Kerobokan is currently 120.000Rp. Remote areas can cost you up to $30 or $40. Tell the assistant your destination or hotel name they will tell you the price an give you a ticket. Arguing the price they quote is of no use if you feel that the price is too expensive or if you think your hotel is not in Seminyak, but in Legian.
  • You need to pay CASH to the driver AFTER he dropped you. So if you plan to get a taxi, remember to change some money at the money changer just behind you or pull some money at the ATM. Tipping is common but not a must.


A small note on Taxis

Getting around by taxi is cheap on Bali, however you need to know a few rules.

  • You should insist that the taxi driver switch on the meter at the beginning of the ride
  • Some of the drivers “tend to forget” which could lead to possible negotiations that can be avoided from the start
  • Bluebird Taxi Drivers follow strict company regulations to switch on the meter immediately. With other companies you might have to insist or remind them.
  • Some drivers other companies refuse to switch on the meter, particularly in the middle of the night in Kuta or when you want to be dropped in a remote area. Here you need to find your best bargaining and negotiation powers. Avoid settling for the first asking price
  • In some areas such as in Ubud or Tanah Lot the local community manages the taxi services, “private cars” without meters. You need to fix a price with the driver AFTER BARGAINING. Prices depend on distance and time of the day. Other taxi companies are not allowed to operate and pick up guests on the street. But you can be dropped there, so getting to these areas is no problem. But because taxis can not pick up guests after dropping you in Ubud or Tanah Lot they might ask for a higher price, because the return trip will not bring them any money.

Airport Tax, Passenger Service Charge (PSC)

Until Feb. 9th 2015 In Indonesia and therefore also at Bali Airport DPS Ngurah Rai, the airport operator Angkasa Pura charged every passenger departing the famous Passenger Service Charge, also called AIRPORT TAX (or Departure Tax). Every passenger had to pay, Indonesian citizens and tourists!

Effective Feb 9th 2015 all airlines will include the passenger service charge (PSC) in the ticket price.
This was long overdue and finally saves us from lining up in front of another counter.

If you have purchased your ticket before that date but are leaving Indonesia after that date you might be asked from the airline to pay this fee online. Otherwise the PSC payment counters are still there at the airport. So one way or the other, you will be reminded to pay. The fee for international flight is Rp. 200.000.

Key Facts Airport Bali, DPS

The government has invested millions of dollars to extend and renovate the old airport: : Ngurah Rai Airport (DPS) Denpasar. It opened just in time for the big APEC meeting in October 2013. Authorities claim the airport can handle a total capacity of 25mio passengers a year. Immigration and luggage collection is expected to be more efficient than experienced in previous years