Money and banking in Bali for foreigners: cards, Wise, QRIS and local accounts (2026)

Money and banking in Bali for foreigners: cards, Wise, QRIS and local accounts (2026)

Most foreigners in Bali don't need an Indonesian bank account: a multi-currency card, a backup card and rupiah from bank-owned ATMs cover daily life. You generally can't open a bank account in Bali as a foreigner until you hold a KITAS or KITAP, because that's what BCA, Mandiri and CIMB Niaga ask for on their own pages (checked 26 October 2026). QRIS, the national QR code, works for visitors only if their home app is linked to it, which covers six countries so far.

This guide is for anyone running a business from Bali: SaaS and agency founders, ecom operators, freelancers and creators. It isn't financial, tax or legal advice. For the bigger picture, see our first-week checklist, the Bali tax guide and the PT PMA playbook.

The short answer by situation

Your situation	What works
First trip, visit visa	Multi-currency card, backup card, cash from bank ATMs
From Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea or China	All of the above, plus QRIS through your home app
Staying a year on an E33G	As above; a local account may be possible once you have your stay permit card
KITAS or KITAP holder	Local rupiah account at BCA, Mandiri or CIMB Niaga
Hiring locally or invoicing Indonesian clients	PT PMA with a corporate account

Paying day to day: cards, cash and ATMs

Pay in rupiah. Bali's Governor's Circular 7 of 2025 lists transacting in rupiah and paying with the national QR standard among foreign tourists' obligations (Bali government, 24 Mar 2025, checked 26 Oct 2026).

Cards work at larger places. Wise's Indonesia guide says Visa, Mastercard and American Express are widely accepted at hotels, restaurants and department stores in cities and tourist areas, but you'll need cash for smaller businesses and markets (Wise Australia, checked 26 Oct 2026). When a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, say no. That's dynamic currency conversion, and the rate is set by the merchant's bank, not yours.

ATMs are easy to find in the busy areas. Things to know, from Wise's guide to ATMs in Indonesia (checked 26 Oct 2026):

• Indonesian ATMs typically allow IDR 1.25 million to 3 million per withdrawal, depending on the machine and your bank.
• The ATM's owner may charge a fee, shown on screen before you confirm. Bank-owned ATMs are the place to start.
• Machines generally take 6-digit PINs but should accept 4-digit ones.
• Your home bank may charge its own overseas fee too.

Because of the per-withdrawal cap, a fixed per-withdrawal fee from your home bank adds up fast. Check your card's foreign ATM fee before you fly.

QRIS: what it is and whether visitors can use it

QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard) is the national payment QR code standard set by Bank Indonesia. One code at the counter works with any connected bank or wallet app. Bank Indonesia says 96.7% of QRIS merchants are small and micro businesses, and the Love Bali tourist levy accepts it too.

Visitors can pay with QRIS if their home app is linked. Bank Indonesia's cross-border QRIS page and a Bank Indonesia article dated 26 Sep 2026 (both checked 26 Oct 2026) say:

• As of August 2026, cross-border QRIS links six countries: Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and China. Timor-Leste and Hong Kong are in development.
• Those corridors cover about 39.77% of foreign arrivals, so roughly 60%, including Australians, can't use it yet.
• Inbound payments by foreign visitors reached 17.8 million transactions worth IDR 6.2 trillion by August 2026.

Bank Indonesia lists the home-country apps and banks that work for visitors paying in Indonesia, for example:

Home country	Network	Examples Bank Indonesia lists
Malaysia	DuitNow QR	Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, Touch 'n Go eWallet, Boost
Thailand	PromptPay	Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Krungthai, Siam Commercial Bank
Singapore	NETS QR	DBS PayLah, OCBC, UOB
Japan	JPQR Global	Check with your provider
South Korea	Korean QR link	Seoul Pay, Jeju Pay, Kookmin Bank, Woori Card
China	UnionPay and Alipay	Alipay, the UnionPay app and major Chinese banks

To pay, open your app, scan the merchant's QRIS code, enter the amount in rupiah, check the amount in your own currency and confirm with your PIN. Bank Indonesia says merchants pay no extra fee to accept these payments.

What about everyone else? In 2026 Bank Indonesia launched the Indonesia Travel Pack, a digital gateway with payment and SIM information that it calls a stopgap for visitors from countries not yet linked. Its first phase covers Jakarta and Banten, not Bali (same article). Indonesian e-wallets such as GoPay, DANA and ShopeePay take QRIS too, but we couldn't confirm on 26 Oct 2026 what each asks a foreigner for to sign up, so we've left that out.

Wise and other multi-currency cards

A multi-currency card is the simplest setup for most newcomers. Wise, for example, says its card converts at the mid-market rate with a small conversion fee when you pay or withdraw in rupiah (Wise). Two things to check:

• The free ATM allowance depends on where your account is. On 26 Oct 2026, Wise Australia's card fees page said withdrawals are free up to AUD 400 a month, then 2.69% of the amount over that. Other countries have different limits.
• The ATM owner's fee still applies, whatever card you use.

Carry a second card on a different network (for example, one Visa and one Mastercard) from a different provider, in case one is blocked or swallowed by a machine. Tell your banks you're travelling.

For holding money in several currencies as a business, see the Remote Builders guide to business accounts for remote founders.

Can a foreigner open a bank account in Indonesia?

Yes, but usually only once you hold a stay permit. Here's what each bank's own page asked foreigners for on 26 Oct 2026:

Bank and product	What foreigners need	Source
BCA Tahapan (rupiah savings)	Passport, plus KITAS or KITAP if you live in Indonesia; foreigners not living in Indonesia may be asked for "other documents" under anti-money-laundering rules. IDR 500,000 opening deposit	BCA
Mandiri Tabungan Rupiah	Passport plus KITAS, KITAP or Golden Visa. IDR 500,000 opening deposit	Mandiri
Mandiri Livin' app, passport sign-up	Foreigners living in Indonesia with a passport (6+ months left) and ITAS, ITAP or Golden Visa	Mandiri Livin' WNA
CIMB Niaga XTRA Savers	Passport, KITAS or KITAP, a copy of your NPWP (tax number), FATCA and CRS declaration	CIMB Niaga product sheet, June 2026
Jenius	Indonesian citizens with a KTP only	Jenius registration FAQ

What that means in practice:

• On a visit visa, plan on not having a local account. BCA's wording leaves a door open for foreigners who don't live in Indonesia, but we couldn't confirm what "other documents" a branch would accept, so ask at a branch before you count on it.
• On an E33G, the eVisa site says the remote worker visa comes with a limited stay permit (ITAS), and that a physical card is available from the immigration office (official eVisa page, checked 26 Oct 2026). That card is the kind of document the banks ask for, but we couldn't confirm on 26 Oct 2026 that each bank accepts E33G holders. Ask the branch.
• Some products also want an NPWP, Indonesia's tax number. Getting one ties into your tax position, so read the tax guide first.
• Bring originals to the branch. Mandiri's Livin' page lists passport sign-up steps for foreigners, but also showed a "Seamless Registration Available soon" banner when we checked, so the app route may not be open to you yet.

Sending money in and out

• Into Indonesia: if you don't have a local account, you mostly don't need to send money in at all; you pay with your card and withdraw cash. Once you have one, compare the total cost of a transfer, exchange rate included, on each provider's own quote screen before you send.
• Out of Indonesia: Indonesian banks can ask for documents showing what a large foreign-exchange transaction is for (Bank Indonesia calls these underlying documents). The thresholds are set in Bank Indonesia regulations and have changed over time, and we couldn't open the current regulation text on 26 Oct 2026, so ask your bank before you move a large amount.
• Rent and deposits: landlords and villa managers set their own terms. Get a receipt for every payment.

Getting paid by overseas clients and customers while in Bali

Start with what your visa allows. The visa on arrival, the C1 visit visa and the E33G remote worker visa pages all say holders can't take pay from people or companies in Indonesia (B1, C1, E33G, checked 26 Oct 2026). So the usual setup is an overseas company or sole-trader structure, paid into an overseas business account, with clients outside Indonesia. Whether that's right for you depends on your tax residency; see the Remote Builders guide to tax residency for remote founders.

The how-to lives on Remote Builders, because it's the same wherever you live:

• A business account that works from anywhere: business accounts for remote founders.
• Card payments when Stripe doesn't support your country: Stripe not available in my country.
• Selling software or digital products globally without handling sales tax yourself: merchant of record vs Stripe.
• Choosing a company jurisdiction: where to incorporate as a remote founder and the US LLC for non-US founders guide.

Agency owners and ecom operators have their own wrinkles (client contracts, supplier payments, marketplace payouts). See running an agency from Bali and running an ecommerce business from Bali.

Scams and staying safe with money

From the UK government's Indonesia safety advice (updated 18 Sep 2026) and Bali's 2025 circular, both checked 26 Oct 2026:

• Card fraud is common. Don't let your card out of sight when paying.
• Fake help numbers on ATMs. Criminals sometimes stick a fake phone number on an ATM, then ask for your card details when you call. Use your bank's number from its app or the back of your card.
• Money changers. Unlicensed changers may short-change you. Licensed ones show a Bank Indonesia logo with a permit number and a QR code; the UK advice says to open the code and check the business name and licence.
• Bag snatching. The UK advice says there are often reports of bag snatching in Bali. Carry one card and the cash you need, and leave the backup card somewhere else.

Practical habits that help: use ATMs inside banks or malls in daylight, cover the keypad, count cash at the counter before you leave, and turn on transaction alerts in your banking apps.

When you need a local company account

You need an Indonesian company, and its bank account, when you want to hire Indonesian staff, invoice Indonesian clients or sponsor your own KITAS. For foreigners that usually means a PT PMA. Our PT PMA playbook covers the setup, costs and the corporate bank account step, which it warns takes several branch visits. If you're selling overseas and staying under your visa's terms, an overseas company is usually simpler; Remote Builders compares the options in where to incorporate.

Not sure which applies to you? Ask in the community chat: sign up here and you'll find people who've done the bank visits recently.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreigner open a bank account in Bali?

Usually only once you hold a stay permit. On 26 October 2026, Mandiri's and CIMB Niaga's own pages asked foreigners for a passport plus a KITAS or KITAP (Mandiri also accepts a Golden Visa), and BCA asks foreigners living in Indonesia for a KITAS or KITAP. Jenius only accepts Indonesian citizens with a KTP.

Can tourists use QRIS in Bali?

Yes, if your home banking or wallet app is linked to QRIS. Bank Indonesia lists links with Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and China as of August 2026. You scan the QRIS code, enter the amount in rupiah and confirm it in your own currency. Visitors from other countries, including Australia, can't yet.

What's the best card to use in Bali?

A card that charges little or nothing for foreign transactions and ATM withdrawals, plus a backup on a different network. Multi-currency cards like Wise convert at the mid-market rate, but their free ATM allowance depends on your country; Wise Australia's was AUD 400 a month on 26 October 2026.

How much can I withdraw from an ATM in Bali?

It depends on the machine and your bank. Wise's guide says Indonesian ATMs typically allow between IDR 1.25 million and 3 million per withdrawal. The ATM's owner may add a fee, which shows on screen before you confirm, and your home bank may charge too.

Are money changers in Bali safe?

Use only licensed ones. Bali's 2025 rules for tourists and the UK government both say licensed money changers display a Bank Indonesia logo with a permit number and a QR code. Unlicensed changers may short-change you.

Can I get paid by Indonesian clients while I'm in Bali?

Not on a visit visa or the E33G remote worker visa: Indonesia's immigration pages say holders can't take pay from people or companies in Indonesia. Working for Indonesian clients generally means a different stay permit, often through your own PT PMA. Get advice from a licensed adviser.

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