Can You Fly Home from Bali with Bullet Souvenirs or Replica Guns?

Do not carry real bullets in any form, including ones turned into keyrings or pendants: Article 306 of Indonesia's new Criminal Code carries up to 15 years in prison for anyone who, without authority, carries ammunition or takes it out of the country. Replica guns, pistol-shaped lighters and realistic toy guns are not allowed in the cabin either.

This matters most for travellers from the United States and Australia who use the same bag for the range or for hunting. Two cases at Ngurah Rai show why. All rules were checked on 1 November 2026.

Cases at Ngurah Rai so far

• 20 June 2026, 23:28 local time: aviation security (Avsec) spotted something on the X-ray while screening the backpack of a 47-year-old Portuguese woman flying to Abu Dhabi. Inside were 50 rounds of .22 Long Rifle ammunition in a box wrapped in tissue. She said she belonged to a shooting federation in Portugal and did not realise the rounds were still in her training bag. Airport police charged her under Article 306 of the new Criminal Code (ANTARA Bali, 24 June 2026; The Jakarta Post, 28 June 2026).
• 25 March 2019: a Mexican passenger bound for Singapore was found with 10 bullets in his suitcase. He said the case belonged to his father (The Jakarta Post, 26 March 2019).

Same pattern: the owner said they forgot. That did not stop the process. As of 1 November 2026 no verdict in the Portuguese case had been reported.

Before you head to the airport, check for these

• Live rounds or leftover ammo in old bags. Empty every pocket of backpacks, camera bags and hunting vests before you leave home. Article 306 covers bringing ammunition in as well as taking it out.
• Bullet keyrings, pendants or bottle openers. We found no rule that separates decorative bullets from ammunition. On the X-ray they look like rounds, so Avsec will hold the bag for a search. If powder or a primer remains, it is treated like live ammunition. Safer to leave it.
• Empty casings. Without powder a casing is technically not ammunition, but it still triggers a search and the officer decides. If you cannot show where it came from, do not pack it.
• Replica pistols, grenade or gun-shaped lighters, realistic toy guns. Katadata (17 September 2024) summarises aviation rules: replicas or toys resembling firearms are not allowed because they can cause panic. For checked baggage, ask your airline first.
• Airsoft guns and gel blasters. According to Hukumonline (8 February 2023), police regulation Perpol 1/2022 classes airsoft guns as replica weapons usable only at training grounds, with a one-year permit from the regional police chief. Tourists without that permit should not buy or carry one.
• Kris daggers, knives and multitools. These fall under Article 307, with an exemption for heirlooms; details are in kris and souvenir knives and folding knives and multitools.

How heavy is the penalty? Sources disagree

The text of Law 1/2023 on Wikisource: Article 306 sets a maximum of 15 years for unauthorised firearms, ammunition and explosives. Article 622 of the new code repeals Articles 1 and 2 of Emergency Law 12/1951, which used to allow death or life imprisonment. Yet The Portugal Post (24 June 2026) still cited the Emergency Law and a possible life sentence for the Portuguese woman. According to ANTARA, police used Article 306, so 15 years is the more accurate figure for cases after 2 January 2026.

Back home, your own country's rules apply too

Australia restricts imports of imitation firearms, and the Australian Border Force has seized gel blasters as imitation guns (a Northern Territory case release). Before buying any gun-shaped souvenir, read Bali souvenirs seized at Australian airports and check the Australian Border Force website.

If Avsec finds something in your bag

Do not argue and do not try to get rid of the item. Answer honestly, ask officers to contact your consulate if you are taken to the airport police station, and read your rights if detained by police. Other bans are summarised in Bali rules for visitors.

FAQ

Can I buy bullet crafts at an art market and only use them in Bali?
Article 306 also covers "possessing" and "carrying", so holding live rounds in Bali is risky too. We found no source saying powder-free decorative bullets are legally safe.

I am a licensed sport shooter at home. Is that enough?
No. The Portuguese case shows a foreign licence does not count; you need documents from the Indonesian government.

Can a pistol-shaped lighter go in checked baggage?
Lighters are already restricted on flights, and the gun shape adds trouble. Leave it in Bali.