Buy a tourist SIM at the operator counters in the arrivals hall at Ngurah Rai airport, or install an eSIM before you fly. Either way you need your passport, and Indonesian Customs says a foreign phone can use a local SIM for up to 90 days without IMEI registration. In 2025 a Telkomsel tourist SIM cost Rp 150,000 for 25 GB and 25 minutes over 30 days; check the price at the counter. Signal is generally good across Bali, but Nusa Penida had gaps in March 2026.
By Alex Moskvin, Founder of SB Excursions · Published 3 November 2026 · Updated 3 November 2026
Tour on this route: Bali Airport Transfer — From $15 per car, depends on hotel area.
How much is a tourist SIM card in Bali?
In 2025 a Telkomsel tourist SIM cost Rp 150,000 for 25 GB of data and 25 minutes of calls over 30 days, according to The Bali Sun and Wise. Operator data packs can be cheaper: Wise listed IM3 packs from Rp 25,000 and XL packs from Rp 46,000 in March 2025. Prices change, so check at the counter.
This guide also answers:
- Can I buy a SIM card at Bali airport?
- Do I need to register my phone's IMEI in Bali?
- Is there a phone signal on Nusa Penida and the Gili Islands?
Top picks from this guide
#1
A travel eSIM before you fly
Global eSIMs are bought online and installed before the flight. In Wise's July 2026 comparison Airalo plans run from about AUD 7 to AUD 100 depending on data, and Holafly's unlimited plans cost about AUD 2.43 to AUD 6 a day. They are data only, so calls and texts still use your home SIM.
#2
A SIM at the airport counters
Telkomsel, XL and Indosat have counters in or near the arrivals hall. Staff scan your passport page and register the phone for you, which takes a few minutes according to The Bali Sun and Indosat. In 2025 the Telkomsel tourist SIM was 25 GB and 25 minutes for 30 days at Rp 150,000.
#3
Nusa Penida
On 24 March 2026 Indonesia's communications minister said some tourist areas of Nusa Penida still had no signal, while Nusa Lembongan was good. A traveller's complaint named Telkomsel, and the minister said the operator had agreed to repair it and expected the fix within two weeks. Download offline maps before you cross.
#4
The Gili Islands
We found no recent coverage data for the Gilis. Wikivoyage's guide says Telkomsel has the strongest coverage there and that towers on Gili Meno also serve the other two islands, but its notes are several years old. Ask your accommodation, and use its Wi-Fi as the backup.
Should I buy a SIM card or an eSIM for Bali?
Both work, and the choice depends on whether you need a local phone number. A physical tourist SIM from the airport counters gives you a number for calls and a data pack. A travel eSIM is installed at home and is usually data only. Roaming on your home plan needs no IMEI registration in Indonesia, according to Indonesian Customs, but it can cost much more: Wise's 2026 guide lists Australian roaming day passes of AUD 5 to AUD 10 a day. Australia is Bali's largest source of visitors, with 802,000 arrivals in the first half of 2026, according to ANTARA.
The prices below come from dated sources, not from the operators' price lists, because Telkomsel's own tourist-card page was not available when we checked on 2 November 2026. Check the price at the counter.
| Option | Example from a dated source | Good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist SIM at the airport | Telkomsel: 25 GB, 25 minutes, 30 days, Rp 150,000 (The Bali Sun and Wise, 2025) | Calls and data, local number | Passport needed; the price and pack may have changed |
| Local operator data pack | XL: 14-700 GB for Rp 46,000-168,000; IM3: 3-40 GB for Rp 25,000-81,000 (Wise, March 2025) | Longer stays | Wise says IM3's main quota can only be used in an allocated area |
| Travel eSIM from a global provider | Airalo: about AUD 7-100; Holafly: AUD 2.43-6 a day (Wise, July 2026) | Data from the moment you land | Data only; check that your phone supports eSIM |
| Home roaming | Telstra AUD 10 a day for 2 GB; Optus AUD 5 per 24 hours for 5 GB (Wise, July 2026) | No setup | Daily fees add up on a long trip |
What do you need to buy a SIM, and what is the IMEI rule?
Bring your passport and an unlocked phone. Registration of every local prepaid SIM and eSIM with a passport and the phone's IMEI number has been compulsory since 2018, according to Wise. Telkomsel's tourist-card page, quoted by The Bali Sun in 2024, asked for a photo of the passport, a screenshot of the IMEI, which you get by dialling *#06#, and a phone that is not locked to one network.
The official rule on the IMEI is in the Customs FAQ. A foreign tourist does not need to register the phone's IMEI if the phone keeps the home SIM on roaming, or if it uses an Indonesian SIM registered at an operator outlet, which gives network access for up to 90 days under the communications ministry's Regulation No. 1 of 2020. Indosat's regional head said in July 2025 that its counters do this registration for 30, 60 or 90 days and that it takes about two minutes.
If you stay longer than 90 days, the phone's IMEI must be registered with Customs. Registration is free, but Customs says import duty and VAT apply to phones brought in as passenger goods, after an allowance of USD 500 per passenger, and that the allowance applies only if you declare the phone when you arrive.
Which operator, and where do you buy?
The Bali Sun wrote in 2025 that most visitors choose Telkomsel, which has a counter in the arrivals hall staffed by English speakers, and that XL is another popular choice. Indosat said it also has outlets in the arrivals area, in Tuban and in central Kuta, and that its Bali coverage is above 97%. That figure is Indosat's own claim. SIMs are also sold at official operator outlets and at Indomaret and Alfamart shops.
In November 2025 Bank Indonesia and Telkomsel opened an Indonesia Tourist Travel Pack desk at the tourist information centre at the airport. It bundles a Telkomsel starter pack with an e-wallet balance for QRIS payments, according to ANTARA, which gave no price. Our money guide explains QRIS and ATMs. If you book a transfer before you fly, a driver is waiting at arrivals with a name board, so you can queue at the counter without hurry; our airport transfer is from $15 per car, and our airport transfer guide has the times to each area.
Is there a phone signal on Nusa Penida and the Gilis?
Across Bali the average internet speed from 13 to 24 March 2026 was 105 Mbps, above the national speed, ANTARA reported. On Nusa Penida the picture is mixed. Indonesia's minister for communications and digital affairs said at Ngurah Rai airport on 24 March 2026 that some tourist areas of Nusa Penida still had no signal and that Nusa Lembongan was good. The complaint the minister heard concerned Telkomsel, and the minister said the operator had agreed to repair it and expected the fix within two weeks. We do not know whether it was fixed, so do not depend on one SIM for navigation on a day trip. Earlier reports from 2023 and 2024 describe patches of weak signal on the island too. On a set route with a driver, such as our Nusa Penida West tour from $49 per car, you do not need data to find the way, but download offline maps first. Our Nusa Penida guide covers the island.
For the Gili Islands we found no current coverage figures. Wikivoyage's Gili Islands guide says Telkomsel's SIM has the strongest and most reliable coverage there, and its Gili Meno page says towers on Meno cover Air and Trawangan too, but both notes are old. Ask your accommodation which network works at its door. Our Gili fast boat guide covers the crossing.
What happens to your mobile data on Nyepi?
Plan for no mobile data on Nyepi, Monday 8 March 2027, because a SIM and an eSIM both go quiet. Our Nyepi guide explains that in 2026 a communications ministry circular switched off mobile data, television and radio, while fixed-line internet, Wi-Fi over fibre, SMS and voice calls stayed on, and that the shutdown was incomplete in practice. The instructions for each year come out only days before the festival, so we cannot confirm the 2027 rules yet. Download maps, boarding passes and your tourist levy voucher the day before. The levy QR code may be asked for, as our tourist levy guide explains, and the All Indonesia arrival form can be filled in from three days before landing, as our visa guide explains.
Where these facts come from
- Indonesian Customs: FAQ on IMEI registration — tourists need no IMEI registration on roaming or on a registered local SIM for up to 90 days, duty after the USD 500 allowance, retrieved 2 November 2026
- Indonesian Customs: IMEI registration — registration of phones brought from abroad, fee and duty note, retrieved 2 November 2026
- The Bali Sun, 30 March 2025: Getting a local SIM card in Bali — airport counters, passport scan, Telkomsel 25 GB for Rp 150,000, retrieved 2 November 2026
- The Bali Sun, 19 March 2024: Best mobile network for Bali tourists — Telkomsel's requirements quoted: unlocked phone, passport photo, IMEI screenshot, retrieved 2 November 2026
- The Bali Sun, 9 July 2025: Mobile providers offer tourists a 24/7 connection — Indosat outlets, 30-60-90 day registration, coverage claim, retrieved 2 November 2026
- Wise: Best Indonesia SIM card for tourists — 11 March 2025; operator and eSIM prices, registration since 2018, retrieved 2 November 2026
- Wise: Best eSIM for Bali — 23 July 2026; eSIM and roaming prices for Australians, retrieved 2 November 2026
- ANTARA, 24 March 2026: Minister says some tourist areas in Bali have no signal — Nusa Penida signal, Nusa Lembongan good, Telkomsel repair, average Bali speed of 105 Mbps, retrieved 2 November 2026
- The Bali Sun, 6 December 2023: Connectivity issue in Nusa Penida and 15 January 2024: Officials commit to improving Wi-Fi in Nusa Penida — earlier signal gaps, retrieved 2 November 2026
- Wikivoyage: Gili Islands and Gili Meno — Telkomsel coverage and towers on Meno; the notes are dated, retrieved 2 November 2026
- ANTARA Bali, 11 November 2025: BI starts a payment travel pack for visitors and BCA Sekuritas (IQPlus/ANTARA), 14 November 2025: Telkomsel and BI Tourist Travel Pack — SIM and e-wallet bundle at the airport, retrieved 2 November 2026
- ANTARA Bali, 8 August 2026: QRIS adds value to Bali tourism — 802,000 Australian arrivals in the first half of 2026, retrieved 2 November 2026
- Our own Nyepi guide — the 2026 mobile data rule and the 2027 date
- Tour prices from SB Excursions tour pages, November 2026
FAQ
How much is a tourist SIM card in Bali?
In 2025 a Telkomsel tourist SIM cost Rp 150,000 for 25 GB of data and 25 minutes of calls over 30 days, according to The Bali Sun and Wise. Operator data packs can be cheaper: Wise listed IM3 packs from Rp 25,000 and XL packs from Rp 46,000 in March 2025. Prices change, so check at the counter.
Can I buy a SIM card at Bali airport?
Yes. Telkomsel, XL and Indosat have counters in or near the arrivals hall at Ngurah Rai airport. Staff scan your passport page and register the phone, which takes a few minutes. The Bali Sun reported in 2024 that Telkomsel's offers are the same at the airport as elsewhere, so waiting does not save money.
Do I need to register my phone's IMEI in Bali?
Not for a short trip. Indonesian Customs says a foreign tourist's phone needs no IMEI registration if it keeps its home SIM on roaming, or if it uses a local SIM registered at an operator outlet, for up to 90 days. After 90 days the IMEI must be registered with Customs, and duty and VAT may apply.
Is an eSIM better than a SIM card in Bali?
An eSIM is better if you want data the moment you land and have a phone that supports it. A physical SIM is better if you need a local number for calls, because travel eSIMs are usually data only. Phones locked to one network may not take either, so unlock yours before you fly.
Is there a phone signal on Nusa Penida and the Gili Islands?
On Nusa Penida the communications minister said on 24 March 2026 that some tourist areas still had no signal, and Telkomsel had agreed to repairs. For the Gilis we found no current coverage data; an older Wikivoyage note says Telkomsel is strongest. Ask your accommodation and download offline maps.
Does my mobile data work on Nyepi in Bali?
Not on Nyepi. In 2026 a ministry circular switched off mobile data across Bali for the 24 hours of the festival, while Wi-Fi over fibre, SMS and calls stayed on. Nyepi 2027 is Monday 8 March, and the 2027 rules are published only days before, so download maps and tickets the day before.
Recommended Bali tours for this guide
Bali Airport Transfer
Airport transfers are not glamorous, but they have an outsized impact on how the trip starts. A clean pickup, clear driver coordination, and direct route to the hotel make a huge difference after a long flight.
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Nusa Penida West Tour
If your priority is bold scenery over snorkeling, the west route is the cleanest and most iconic Penida choice: one car, one driver and the island's four most photographed stops in a single day. It is especially strong for couples and first-time visitors who want the headline views with transport handled professionally.
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Gili Islands Getaway from Bali
The Gili trip is perfect for travelers who want to connect Bali with a slower island stay or a big sea-focused day. Timing, departure ports, and luggage flow matter here, so setup support adds real value.
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