Riding a scooter in Bali: licences and insurance

Short answer: to ride legally in Bali you need a licence that covers motorbikes, not just cars, and if you don't have one, a crash can cost you far more than a fine.

The short version

Smartraveller is blunt: your Australian driver licence isn't enough. You need an Indonesian licence or an International Driving Permit, and it must cover the vehicle you ride [1].
An IDP only shows the classes on your Australian licence. If you hold a car licence only, your IDP won't cover a scooter [3].
Police run regular checks in Canggu, Seminyak, Uluwatu, Kuta and Ubud. Fines for missing licences and helmets add up [3][4].
In a motorbike crash, foreigners are often assumed to be at fault and may have to compensate everyone involved [1].
In April 2026 Bali's government said it was preparing a regulation that could restrict or ban foreign tourists renting motorbikes. It's proposed, not law [5].

Why your Australian licence isn't enough

At home, plenty of people ride a 125cc scooter on a car licence for a weekend at the coast and never think twice. In Indonesia it doesn't work that way.

Smartraveller says you need an Indonesian licence or an International Driving Permit (IDP), that your Australian licence on its own isn't enough, and that you should check your licence or permit covers motorbikes and mopeds [1]. The IDP is just a translation of your Australian licence. It carries the same classes. Category A covers motorcycles, Category B covers cars, and a B-only IDP doesn't cover a typical 125cc Bali scooter [3].

What you hold	Can you ride a scooter legally in Bali?
Australian car licence only	No
Australian car licence plus IDP (car only)	No
Australian motorcycle licence, no IDP	Not on its own, per Smartraveller [1]
Australian motorcycle licence plus IDP	Yes, as a visitor
Indonesian SIM C	Yes, while it's valid

Getting an IDP before you leave

Get it in Australia, through your state motoring club. The NRMA charges A$55 plus postage and the permit lasts 12 months or until your Australian licence expires, whichever comes first [2]. If you're riding on it for months, keep an eye on that expiry date. You can order one from overseas, but the NRMA says posting it abroad takes 10 or more working days [2], so sort it before you fly.

If you don't have a motorbike licence in Australia, getting one means doing your state's rider training and test. That's worth thinking about before a long Bali stay, especially if your plan relies on two wheels.

The Indonesian SIM C for long-stayers

Once you live in Bali on an ITAS (KITAS) or ITAP (KITAP), you can apply for a local motorbike licence, the SIM C. A 2026 guide to the process sets it out like this [6]:

Who: ITAS and ITAP holders, aged 17 or over. Visitors can get only a short temporary licence, and only at selected offices, Bali included.
Documents: passport with visa and entry stamp, your ITAS or ITAP, your local registration documents, a copy of your foreign licence if you have one, and a medical certificate (often issued on site).
Tests: a theory test in Indonesian (you can bring a translator) and a riding test covering balance, slow zig-zags and braking. Holders of a foreign licence may be excused the practical test after passing the theory.
Cost: the official fee for a new SIM C is IDR 100,000, plus small extras such as the medical check.
Validity: tied to your stay permit. Around one year on an ITAS, up to five years on an ITAP.

In Bali, licences are issued by the provincial police through their licensing offices (Satpas). You can start the process online through the national police licensing site, then go in person. Expect a morning of queues and take photocopies of everything.

Step by step: from tourist to legal local rider

Before you leave Australia, get an IDP that shows your motorcycle class [2].
When you arrive, ride on the IDP plus your Australian licence while your stay permit is sorted.
Once you have your ITAS, gather your passport, permit, local address documents and photocopies.
Pre-register online with the national police licensing system.
Go to the Satpas office early on a weekday, do the health check, sit the theory test and the riding test if required.
Pay the fee at the bank counter on site and collect your SIM C.
Diarise the renewal against your ITAS expiry. An expired SIM can mean starting from scratch.

Police checks and fines

Bali police run regular operations, often in the morning at busy junctions in Canggu, Seminyak, Uluwatu, Kuta and Ubud [3]. In one three-day operation in May 2025, police impounded 56 vehicles and cited 81 riders, 30 of them foreigners. The Badung police chief said most foreigners pulled over had no helmet and no licence [4].

Typical on-the-spot fines reported in 2026 [3]:

Offence	Reported fine
No IDP, no licence, or no vehicle registration (STNK)	IDR 300,000–500,000 each
No helmet, rider or passenger	IDR 250,000
Riding shirtless	IDR 250,000
Loud or modified exhaust	up to IDR 1,000,000

Fines stack, and the bigger cost is often your bike being held. Always carry the scooter's registration paper (STNK); a decent rental place gives it to you with the keys. Ask for a receipt for any fine, and if something feels off, call the Bali Tourist Police on (0361) 759 687 [1].

Helmets, crashes and the insurance trap

Helmets are compulsory for rider and passenger [3], and Smartraveller says to always wear one [1]. Buy your own if you're staying. Rental helmets are often thin, loose or missing a clip.

Smartraveller warns that motorcycle and moped accidents have killed and injured Australians, naming Bali, Lombok and the Gilis as higher-risk areas. It also says that in a motorbike accident you'll often be assumed to be at fault and may have to compensate all parties, and that traffic incidents can turn into violent disputes quickly [1].

Now the money part. Travel insurers commonly exclude claims if you ride without a licence valid for that vehicle, without a helmet, or after drinking, and many charge extra for motorcycling [1][4]. A medical evacuation from Bali to Australia can run into tens of thousands of dollars. If your licence didn't cover the bike, you may be paying that yourself.

Before you ride, check three things in your policy:

Is motorcycling covered at all, or is it an add-on?
Does it require a licence valid in Australia for that class, as well as locally?
Is there an engine size limit?

Living in Bali long term? Travel insurance often stops working once you're no longer "travelling". Look at expat health insurance, and read our hospitals and medical evacuation guide.

The proposed rental ban

Bali has talked about banning tourists from renting motorbikes before, notably in 2023, without following through. On 24 April 2026, Governor Wayan Koster, speaking through Vice-Governor I Nyoman Giri Prasta at the provincial parliament, outlined a regulation being prepared that could restrict or fully ban foreign tourists from renting motorbikes and scooters, with tourists pushed towards cars and licensed transport instead [5]. As of the latest reports we found, no effective date had been set.

What it might mean for you:

Tourists and visitors are the stated target. If it passes, short-stay visitors may lose the option entirely.
ITAS holders with a SIM C are better placed. Having a local licence is your best protection against whatever comes next.
Watch the detail. The final rules may treat renting, owning and riding differently. Don't rely on social media summaries; look for official announcements and Smartraveller updates.

If something goes wrong

Crash or injury: call 112 for emergencies, or 110 for police [1]. Get a police report; your insurer will want it.
Arrested or detained: ask for the Australian Consulate-General in Renon, Denpasar, on +62 361 2000 100. After hours, press 4 then 6 to reach the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra [7].
Dispute at the roadside: stay calm, don't argue in public, and move to a safe place. Smartraveller notes these can escalate fast [1].

Looking for a rider training tip or a decent helmet shop? Ask in Cooee Indonesia, our Facebook group for Australians in Indonesia.

Riding a scooter in Bali: the licence, the police checks and the insurance trap