General information, not legal advice: check the official source before you act. How we check
Short answer
Yes: to ride a scooter in Bali you need a licence that covers motorbikes, plus, as a visitor, the international driving permit your own government names for Indonesia. Riding unlicensed risks a fine of up to IDR 1 million (about AUD 80), so get the permit before you fly.[1]
- Visitor
- Home licence plus a permit from home
- Resident
- Indonesian SIM C
- Fine, no licence
- Up to IDR 1 million
- Fine, no helmet
- Up to IDR 250,000
In detail
Who counts as a visitor, and who as a resident?
A visitor rides on a home licence plus an international driving permit from home. A resident with a qualifying stay permit can apply for an Indonesian licence, called a SIM (Indonesian driving licence); for a motorbike it is the SIM C.[2]
A KITAP (permanent stay permit) qualifies, and so does a KITAS (limited stay permit) held as an expert worker or a student. With any other stay permit, ask the SIM unit at Polresta Denpasar before you apply; sources differ, see Conflicts.[2, 6]
Which international driving permit does Indonesia accept?
Carry the international driving permit your own government names for Indonesia, beside your licence. For a UK licence that is the 1968-format permit issued in the UK; for an Australian licence, Australia's government asks for an international driving permit.[5, 7]
| Your licence | Your government's advice | Permit to carry |
|---|---|---|
| UK | The licence alone is not valid | A 1968-format permit issued in the UK |
| Australia | Licence plus a permit, covering motorbikes | An international driving permit |
| Your licence | Where to get the permit | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| US | AAA (American Automobile Association) or AATA (American Automobile Touring Alliance), the only two US issuers | 1 year, with a valid licence |
| UK | Shops with PayPoint, GBP 5.50 | 3 years, or until your licence expires |
| Australia | Your state motoring club, for the Australian Automobile Association | 12 months |
With a US licence, or one from anywhere else, read your own government's travel advice for Indonesia and carry the permit it names. Sources differ on which permit format counts for other licences; see Conflicts.[2, 6, 7]
Our rule
Get the permit your government names before you fly.
Bali cannot issue one: a permit issued in Indonesia is valid only outside Indonesia.
Does your licence need to cover motorbikes?
Yes. You must hold a licence for the type of vehicle you ride, so a car-only licence does not cover a scooter. In Indonesia the SIM C covers motorbikes up to 250 cc, and larger bikes need their own class.[1, 8]
The same goes for your permit: it must cover motorbikes too. Your own government's advice asks you to check both.[6, 7]
What are the fines for riding without a licence or helmet?
Riding without a licence carries a fine of up to IDR 1 million (about AUD 80) or up to four months' confinement. The other riding offences carry up to IDR 250,000 or a month.[1]
| Offence | Maximum fine | Confinement of up to |
|---|---|---|
| No valid licence | IDR 1,000,000 | 4 months |
| Licence not shown when stopped | IDR 250,000 | 1 month (a fine, confinement or both) |
| No helmet, or one not to the national standard, rider | IDR 250,000 | 1 month |
| Passenger without a helmet, fined to the rider | IDR 250,000 | 1 month |
These are maximums. A stop leads to a ticket, the court sets the fine, and a rider who cannot attend the hearing may deposit the maximum at a bank the government designates.[1]
Our rule
Carry your licence and permit, and fasten a helmet on yourself and any passenger, on every ride.
Check that a rental helmet carries the Indonesian national standard mark.
Does travel insurance cover you on a scooter in Bali?
Only if you hold the right licence and ride within your policy. Australia's government warns that insurers deny any claim from a rider who is unlicensed or holds the wrong type of licence, and the UK government asks you to check your cover.[6, 7]
Check the liability wording when you buy cover. A policy can exclude scooter liability to other people, and an insurer can take a day to confirm your cover while you wait.[17, 18]
Our rule
Read your policy's motorbike wording, then ride only within it.
Hospitals generally ask for proof of insurance, a deposit and a written payment guarantee from family or a friend before they treat you, and unlicensed riding can void the cover.
How do you get an Indonesian motorbike licence?
Apply at the SIM unit of Polresta Denpasar (Denpasar city police), Jalan Gunung Sanghyang 110, with a qualifying stay permit; you must be at least 17. The licence fee and the health and psychology tests come to about IDR 195,000 (about AUD 16), our estimate, and the total is often quoted at IDR 300,000 to 500,000 (July 2026), before any agent's fee.[8, 9, 10, 11]
Bring these documents to the SIM unit.[2, 8]
- Your passport.
- Your KITAP, or your KITAS or service visa with proof that you work as an expert or study in Indonesia.
- A copy of your work permit, if you work in Indonesia.
- Proof of active BPJS Kesehatan (Indonesia's national health insurance) membership; without it, you join before the licence is handed over.
- A competence letter from an accredited driving school, if you learned to ride without one.
Take the theory test
A briefing on the traffic rules comes before the theory test, in English for foreigners. You need 70 marks to pass, and you can retake the test twice within 14 working days.[8]
Take the skills and riding tests
After the theory test come a skills test on a simulator, where the office has one, and a riding test.[2]
Pay the licence fee
As of December 2024 a new SIM C cost IDR 100,000 (about AUD 8) and a renewal IDR 75,000.[10]
Is it safe for tourists to ride a scooter in Bali?
Not unless you are already a practised rider. There were 142 crashes involving foreigners in Bali in 2024, up 35%, and 21 of those foreigners died. In November 2025 Bali Police urged foreigners who are not skilled riders not to ride alone, and said a rental should come with a rider.[12]
If you are not a practised rider, book a ride in an app instead.[7, 12]
Next steps
FAQ
How long does an Indonesian motorbike licence last?
Five years, and you can renew it before it runs out.[1]
Can you ride a bike over 250 cc on a SIM C?
No. Over 250 cc you need a SIM CI. You can get one from age 18, after holding a SIM C for 12 months.[8]
Is an international driving permit bought online valid?
Only if it comes from your country's issuer. In the US, a website selling one through any company but AAA or AATA is a scam, and in Australia permits from unofficial websites are fakes.[13, 16]
Conflicts
Sources differ on which international driving permit a licence from outside the 1968 road-traffic convention can rely on in Indonesia, and on which stay permits qualify for an Indonesian licence.
Which international driving permit can a licence from outside the 1968 road-traffic convention rely on in Indonesia?
Carry the permit your own government names for Indonesia, with your home licence: the 1968 format for a UK licence, the international permit Australia's government names for an Australian one; a resident's Indonesian licence avoids the question.
Indonesia is a party to neither convention on the UN record, so any foreign permit's standing rests on the police regulation's "another international agreement" wording and on each government's advice; no source states how police treat a 1949-format permit.
See what each source says
Article 3(13): an international licence issued in another country is valid in Indonesia under the UN road-traffic convention or another international agreement; no convention year or permit format is named.[2]
in force 19 February 2021; restated unchanged by Perpol 2/2023
Article 85(4): a licence issued by another country is valid in Indonesia where a bilateral or multilateral agreement exists.[1]
enacted 22 June 2009
Indonesia signed the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic on 8 November 1968, with no ratification shown; the UK ratified it on 28 March 2018; Australia is not listed.[3]
status as at 17 October 2026
Indonesia is not a participant in the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic; Australia acceded on 7 December 1954.[4]
status as at 17 October 2026
For UK licence holders: Indonesia requires a 1968 international driving permit.[5]
read 18 October 2026
For Australians: you need an Indonesian licence or an International Driving Permit in addition to your Australian licence; no permit format is named.[7]
updated 16 October 2026
Which stay permits let you apply for an Indonesian driving licence?
A KITAP qualifies, and so does a KITAS held as an expert worker or a student; with any other stay permit, ask the SIM unit at Polresta Denpasar before you apply.
See what each source says
With a temporary or permanent stay permit you can apply for an Indonesian driving licence.[19]
updated 4 February 2026
Foreigners with a passport and a KITAP, or with a KITAS or service visa as an expert worker or student, may apply (Perpol 5/2021, Article 9(2), restated unchanged by Perpol 2/2023).[2]
published 2021
UK nationals who live in Indonesia and have a limited stay permit card (KITAS) can apply for an Indonesian national driving licence.[6]
read 18 October 2026
Sources
Our summaries of Indonesian rules are unofficial; the Indonesian text governs.
Government of Indonesia (BPK legal database copy), UU 22/2009 on road traffic and transport, Articles 77, 85, 267, 281, 288 and 291
Indonesian National Police (BPK legal database copy), Perpol 5/2021 on driving licences, Articles 1(7), 3 and 9
United Nations Treaty Collection, Convention on Road Traffic, Vienna 1968: status
United Nations Treaty Collection, Convention on Road Traffic, Geneva 1949: status
UK Government (GOV.UK), Driving abroad: international driving permit
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Indonesia travel advice: safety and security
Australian Government, Smartraveller, Indonesia travel advice
Indonesian National Police (BPK legal database copy), Perpol 2/2023 amending Perpol 5/2021 on driving licences
bali.com (travel guide), International driving licence (SIM internasional)
Kompas TV, quoting Korlantas Polri (traffic police), Driving licence fees still apply: police explain
Medcom.id, SIM C renewal fee 2025 and requirements
TIMES Indonesia, quoting Bali Police traffic directorate, Bali Police urge foreigners not skilled at riding not to ride motorbikes
US Federal Trade Commission, Planning to drive in another country? Here's how to avoid international driver's permit scams
American Automobile Association (AAA), International Driving Permit
UK Government (GOV.UK), Driving abroad: get an international driving permit
RAC (Western Australia motoring club, AAA agent), Fake international driving permits
Your Local Examiner, Travel insurance claim denied after Bali scooter crash
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Living in Indonesia
Ministry of Finance, Indonesia, Fiscal Policy Agency, Kurs Pajak (tax exchange rate), weekly
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