World News
Bali tightens rules and increases deportations amid tensions over foreign remote workers
Indonesian authorities have restricted foreign business ownership and stepped up enforcement following recurring disputes over cultural norms and local economic impacts.
The short version
- Bali authorities have increased enforcement against foreign residents, deporting 342 foreign nationals in the first half of 2026 amid ongoing tensions over rule compliance, cultural clashes, and economic inequality.
- The regional government restricted new foreign investment applications across 18 business sectors in May, including motorcycle rentals, cafes, real estate, and fitness centers.
- Disputes flared in July after a foreign-run running club faced public backlash and immigration scrutiny over alleged local exclusion during an event, leading to reentry bans for two Dutch nationals.
- Despite the regulatory pushback and housing costs that significantly exceed average local wages, legal experts report no drop in demand for Indonesia's remote-worker visas.
Key facts
- Bali immigration authorities deported 342 foreign nationals between January and June 2026, compared to 378 deportations in the first nine months of 2024 and 335 in all of 2023.[Business Insider]
- In May, the Balinese government halted new foreign investment applications across 18 business categories, including fitness centers, cafes, real estate, and motorcycle rentals.[Business Insider]
- The average monthly house rental price in Bali reached roughly 10.8 million rupiah ($690 equivalent contextually) in the third quarter of 2026, while the mean monthly local employee wage was about 4.06 million rupiah ($230) as of February.[Business Insider]
- Immigration authorities barred two Dutch nationals connected to the Entourage Bali run club from re-entering Indonesia on July 24 following public criticism of an event.[Business Insider]
- Bali welcomed nearly 7 million international tourists in 2025 and has a resident population of approximately 4.5 million people.[Business Insider]
What remains uncertain
- The formal status of the immigration investigation into Entourage Bali's organizers and the long-term reentry status of the two barred Dutch nationals remain unannounced.[Business Insider]
- Initial social media reports asserted local applicants were excluded from a running event, but state news agency Antara subsequently reported that Indonesian nationals did participate in the run.[Business Insider]
Sources
- Bali embraced digital nomads. Now it's reckoning with the growing pains.Business Insider metered