After days, weeks, (heck, maybe even months) of anticipation, your holiday in Bali has finally arrived! As your plane touches down at Ngurah Rai International Airport, you eagerly look around, trying to catch a glimpse of the paradise that awaits you. I bet you haven’t even thought about what’s involved with getting a visa for Bali!
Immigration and Visas
In short, any non-native person who wishes to enter the country will need a visa of some sort, though your country of origin as well as the purpose of your visit will play a role in determining exactly what type of visa you are eligible for. Regardless of your visa type, you will be required to show a passport that is valid for a minimum of six months after the date of departure (not your date of entry).
Before you throw up your hands and resign yourself to spending hours waiting in Customs lines, allow us to assure you that this process is actually quite painless and should take no longer than half an hour. Once upon a time most visitors were directed to the immigration hall, where getting a visa on arrival was the modus operandi. Nowadays you simply queue before the immigration team and show your passport and the immigration card you will have received on the plane prior to your arrival. Once these documents have been processed, you are free to embark on your magical holiday.
Luggage and Transportation Considerations
As you might imagine, by the time you have completed the arrival procedure, your luggage will have likely been removed from the baggage claim conveyor belt. Not to worry! Airport crews are notoriously organised and your bags will be neatly lined up off to the side of your baggage claim carousel… though determining which carousel your luggage arrived on may be a bit of a challenge, as airport signage is best described as “sparse.”
As you gather your bags, a porter offering his assistance will inevitably approach you and grab the bags. The decision to use his services is entirely up to you but be aware that there will be fee if he carries your luggage for you and sometime best to discuss this before they walk off with the luggage. This will set you back $1 to $5 depending on the amount you have. The Balinese are friendly, but not to the extent of doing manual labor all day for free!
Having made the discerning choice to book a luxury villa, we assume our guests appreciate the finer things in life and welcome the option of additional amenities to help make their trip as hassle free as possible. For the easiest and quickest transportation from the airport, we highly recommend securing a personal driver through Ministry of Villas. Your driver will be waiting for you just outside the airport and will whisk you away to your secluded hide-away.
Of course, there is a public taxi stand just outside the airport as well. Should waiting in lines be a hobby of yours, you will be able to secure a cab by bargaining first or checking a taxi has a meter. We recommend Blue Bird Taxi company as they are the most professional in Bali
Departure Process
Unfortunately, as the old adage points out, all good things must come to an end, and so it will inevitably be with your Bali holiday as well. Saying good-bye to this tropical Indonesian paradise will be difficult enough in itself… the good news is the departure procedure is as smooth as can be.
Be aware that while getting a Visa for Bali is no longer an ordeal, you should get to the airport with plenty of time up your sleeve!
