Banking in Bali: accounts, QRIS and cash rules

Short answer: you need a KITAS to open a normal Indonesian bank account, so until you have one, live on a good Australian or multi-currency card, licensed money changers and careful ATM habits.

The short version

Major Indonesian banks open everyday accounts for foreigners with a KITAS or KITAP, a passport and proof of a local address. Tourists are usually turned away [1].
QRIS, Bank Indonesia's national QR code standard, is everywhere in Bali. Bali's 2025 governor's circular asks foreigners to pay in rupiah and use QRIS [2][3].
Australian banking apps can't pay QRIS directly yet. Australia isn't among QRIS's cross-border partners [4][5].
ATM skimming happens. Use machines inside bank branches or shopping centres [6].
Declare cash of IDR 100 million or more entering or leaving Indonesia. That's roughly A$8,000, less than Australia's A$10,000 threshold [6][7][8].

Do you need an Indonesian account at all?

If you're in Bali on a visit visa or a short trial stay, probably not. A decent card from home plus a multi-currency fintech card covers most of it. Things change once you're living here:

Rent and villa bills are cheaper and simpler paid by local transfer.
Household staff expect payment in rupiah, often by transfer.
QRIS works smoothly from a local banking app, and many small warung and market stalls prefer it to cards.
Visas sometimes require it. The E33E retiree visa requires money held in an Indonesian state-owned bank, as our long-stay visas guide explains.

Opening an account with a KITAS

What banks ask for

A 2026 comparison of Bali banks lists the usual documents for foreign residents [1]:

Passport, original plus copies of the photo page and your visa stamp.
KITAS or KITAP, original and copy, ideally with six months or more left on it.
Proof of local address, such as a rental agreement, utility bill or a signed landlord letter.
An Indonesian mobile number for mobile banking and one-time codes. That means a phone that won't be blocked, so see our IMEI registration guide.
Cash for the opening deposit.

A tax number (NPWP) usually isn't needed for a basic savings account, but some branches ask for one [1].

What it costs

Bank	Opening deposit (2026)	Monthly fee (2026)
BCA	IDR 500,000	IDR 14,000–20,000, depending on account level
Mandiri	IDR 500,000	IDR 13,000 plus a debit card fee
BNI	IDR 250,000	IDR 11,000
PermataBank	IDR 100,000	Free above an average balance of IDR 1 million, otherwise IDR 17,500

Source: Statrys research, April 2026 [1]. At about IDR 12,500 to the Australian dollar in November 2026, the monthly fees are around A$1 to A$1.60 [8].

BCA has the biggest ATM network in Bali, while Mandiri and BNI are also widespread [1]. BNI and Mandiri are state-owned, which matters for some visa conditions. Requirements vary by branch, so call ahead or bring every document you have.

Without a KITAS

The same 2026 research found that the major banks decline people on a visa on arrival or tourist visa. Some branches reportedly open accounts for people on longer visit visas, but that's branch discretion, not published policy [1]. Without a KITAS, the practical answer is to use Australian and fintech cards until your stay permit comes through.

Paying by QRIS

QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard) is one QR code that accepts every Indonesian bank app and e-wallet. Bank Indonesia and the payment industry association ASPI launched it in 2019 [4]. A tap-to-pay version, QRIS Tap, followed in March 2025 [4]. You'll see the QRIS sign at supermarkets, cafés, warung and market stalls.

Bali's provincial government wants foreigners using it. Governor's Circular Letter No. 07 of 2025 asks foreign visitors to transact in rupiah, change money only at licensed changers and pay with QRIS [2][3].

Paying QRIS as an Australian

With a local bank app. Easiest. Scan, check the merchant name, enter the amount, approve.
Through a cross-border link. QRIS connects with apps from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan, with more countries planned [4]. Australia isn't on the list, so CommBank, Westpac, ANZ and NAB apps can't scan QRIS [5].
Through an e-wallet. Wise's 2026 guide says visitors can download GoPay or OVO and top up with an international card, though expats are expected to verify with a local number [5].
Through Wise. Wise says its app can pay where an Alipay+ QR is displayed [5]. Not every QRIS sticker supports this, so carry a backup.

ATMs, cards and money changers

Avoiding skimmers

Smartraveller warns that some ATMs in Indonesia have hidden cameras or card skimmers [6]. Its advice:

Use authorised ATMs in safe places like bank branches, shops and shopping centres.
Never let your card out of sight, and cover your PIN.
Check your statements often, and don't bank on public Wi-Fi [6].

Freestanding ATMs on dark streets in Kuta or Legian are the riskiest. Use machines inside a branch or a minimart with staff around, and set up instant transaction alerts in your Australian banking app.

Australian cards

Before you leave, tell your bank you'll be overseas and make sure your phone number works abroad [6]. Compare foreign transaction fees and ATM fees. Local ATMs often add their own withdrawal fee, and some offer to convert into Australian dollars at the machine. Decline that and choose rupiah, because the machine's rate is almost always worse.

Money changers

Unlicensed money changers have scammed tourists in Bali, and Smartraveller says to use only authorised ones. These are listed on the Bali Foreign Exchange website [6]. The governor's circular calls them KUPVA, licensed changers run by banks and non-banks [3]. Count your notes before you hand over your dollars, and don't let the cashier take the pile back below the counter.

Moving money and carrying cash

Transfers from Australia

Most residents send money from an Australian account to their Indonesian account through a bank transfer or a money transfer service. Transfers through a bank or remittance business don't need an AUSTRAC declaration [7]. Our guide to sending money home covers comparing rates and fees in the other direction.

If you keep earning interest in Australia while living in Bali, tell your Australian bank you're a foreign resident and give it your overseas address. Interest paid to foreign residents generally has withholding tax taken out. Without your overseas address, the bank may withhold at the top rate of 47% [9]. The Australia–Indonesia tax treaty may affect the rate. Our keeping Australian accounts guide has the details.

Cash at the border

Rule	Threshold	What happens
Indonesia, arriving or leaving	IDR 100 million or more in any currency or instruments	Declare to customs [6][10]
Indonesia, taking rupiah out	IDR 100 million or more	Bank Indonesia permit needed [10]
Indonesia, failing to declare	Over the threshold	Fine of 10% of the cash, capped at IDR 300 million [10]
Australia, arriving or leaving	A$10,000 or more, combined	Online declaration before customs [7]

IDR 100 million is around A$8,000 at November 2026 rates, so the Indonesian limit bites first [8]. Splitting cash between travelling companions to stay under the Australian threshold is illegal [7].

Your first month, step by step

Land with two cards from different networks, plus a little rupiah for the taxi.
Get your phone working on a local number.
Get your KITAS through your sponsor or agent.
Open an account at a branch near home with your passport, KITAS, lease and phone.
Switch on mobile banking and QRIS, and set up your landlord and staff as saved payees.
Update your Australian bank with your overseas address and residency status.

Stuck on which branch actually opens accounts for foreigners this month? Join Cooee Indonesia, our Facebook group for Australians in Indonesia, and ask people who've just done it.

Banking in Bali: local accounts, QRIS and moving money from Australia