How Much Cash Can You Bring to Bali?

There is no upper limit on how much cash you can bring to Bali. What exists is a duty to declare: cash of IDR 100 million or more, or foreign currency worth that much (roughly USD 6,000, depending on the day's rate), must be declared to Customs both when you enter and when you leave Indonesia. The legal basis is Finance Minister Regulation (PMK) 157/PMK.04/2017 as amended by PMK 100/PMK.04/2018, implementing Government Regulation 99/2016. Rules checked in September 2026 against the PMK text on the Finance Ministry's legal database and Bank Indonesia regulations.

The IDR 100 million threshold is also mentioned briefly in the alcohol and tobacco allowance article. Here it is laid out step by step, including two exceptions that rarely get covered.

Before you fly

• Count every form of money, not just dollars. What counts: rupiah notes and coins, foreign notes and coins, and "other payment instruments" such as cheques, traveller's cheques, bilyet giro, promissory notes, and certificates of deposit. Debit cards, credit cards, and e-wallet balances do not count.
• Add up all currencies. USD 3,000 plus SGD 2,000 plus leftover rupiah from your last trip can pass IDR 100 million even if each pile looks small.
• Do not split money across your group just to avoid declaring. The regulation also sets out "suspicious indicators", and cash-carrying reports are passed on to PPATK, Indonesia's financial intelligence unit. Carrying a lot of money is not illegal; hiding it is the problem.
• Have an answer ready about where the money comes from and what it is for. The cash-carrying form asks for your identity, purpose of travel, purpose of carrying the cash, source of funds, and the beneficial owner if the money is not yours.

When filling in the declaration

• Since 1 October 2025 the Customs e-CD has been part of All Indonesia, the combined arrival card for immigration, customs, and health. You can fill it in up to three days before arrival; the steps are in how to fill in the All Indonesia Arrival Card.
• In the customs section, answer yes to the question about cash of IDR 100 million or more.
• After landing at Ngurah Rai, go to a Customs officer instead of the green lane. You will be asked to complete the cash-carrying form, and the amount may be recounted.
• A correct declaration ends there: the officer approves it and the money stays yours, with no tax or duty.

If you do not declare, or get the amount wrong

This is an administrative penalty, not a criminal one, but it is expensive:

• No declaration at all: a fine of 10% of the entire amount carried, up to IDR 300 million. Example: carrying the equivalent of IDR 200 million undeclared means a fine of IDR 20 million.
• Declared, but less than you carry: a fine of 10% of the difference, up to IDR 300 million.
• The money can only be taken in or out after the fine is paid.

Two exceptions few people know

• Foreign banknotes worth IDR 1 billion or more: individuals are not allowed to carry them. Only licensed companies, meaning banks and money changers, may do so with Bank Indonesia approval (Bank Indonesia Regulation 19/7/PBI/2017 as amended by 20/2/PBI/2018). Violators pay an additional 10% fine, capped at IDR 300 million.
• IDR 100 million or more in rupiah leaving Indonesia: besides declaring, you need Bank Indonesia permission before departure (Regulation 4/8/PBI/2002, referenced in Article 7 of PMK 100/2018). The permit is handled at a Bank Indonesia office with documents supporting the purpose of the trip.

When you leave Bali

• The IDR 100 million declaration applies on departure too. Under the regulation, you must declare before immigration stamps you out, so find the Customs officer in the departure area before queueing for immigration.
• Large amounts of leftover rupiah are easier to exchange at a licensed money changer than to get a Bank Indonesia permit for.
• Your destination has its own rules. Australia, for example, requires a declaration from AUD 10,000.

Do you need that much cash at all?

Almost never. ATMs are everywhere in the tourist areas, cards and QRIS payments are widely accepted, and transactions in Indonesia must be in rupiah. Paying a hotel or villa with a stack of dollars actually breaks the rupiah rule; the summary is in can you pay in dollars or crypto in Bali.

If you really must carry a large sum, for example to pay for a wedding ceremony or a renovation, keep the bank withdrawal slip from your home country. That document answers the "where did this money come from" question at the Customs desk faster than anything else.