Before You Fly

The checklist

1. Get a card with no foreign transaction fees Most standard Aussie debit and credit cards add a foreign fee to every purchase overseas. Cards from Wise, Revolut, Macquarie, Ubank and ING are the usual picks for skipping it, but each has conditions. Compare them.
2. Order it now, not the week before Physical cards take time to post. Order at least two weeks out, and add it to Apple Pay or Google Pay as a backup in case the plastic gets eaten by an ATM.
3. Tell your bank you're travelling (and check your SMS codes) Your bank will text a code to your Aussie number for big transfers or new logins. If your Aussie SIM is in a drawer at home, you're locked out. How to keep your number alive.
4. Pay the Bali tourist levy: Rp 150,000 per person It's once per trip, paid online at the official Love Bali site by card, bank transfer, virtual account or QRIS. You get a voucher with a QR code by email; screenshot it. (Love Bali FAQ, checked 2026-10-25)
5. Apply for your e-VOA (visa on arrival) Rp 500,000, through the official evisa.imigrasi.go.id portal. In August 2026 Immigration proposed raising it to Rp 750,000 online and Rp 1 million at the airport, but it hadn't been approved in the latest reports. (Executive Traveller, checked 2026-10-25)
6. Sort travel insurance, and read the scooter bit Many policies only cover scooter riding if you hold the right Aussie licence and wear a helmet, and some exclude bikes over 200cc. (InDaily, checked 2026-10-25) What Aussies get wrong.
7. Get an eSIM loaded before you leave You want data the second you land, for Grab, Gojek and bank codes. eSIM vs local SIM.
8. Bring a little cash, not a lot A few hundred thousand rupiah gets you through arrival. Skip buying a pile of rupiah at an Aussie airport; you'll usually do better at a Bali ATM with the right card.