Without a prescription you may carry up to 30 tablets, capsules or pills of each product into Indonesia, or up to 3 tubes, bottles or inhalers. With a doctor's prescription you may carry what you need for up to 90 days, or 60 days for psychotropic medicines, and narcotics are not permitted, according to the drug authority BPOM. Customs can inspect medicines, so declare them on the All Indonesia form and keep them in original packaging with the prescription. Buy any medicine you need in Bali only from a licensed pharmacy, and take antibiotics only on a doctor's advice.
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 many tablets can I bring to Bali without a prescription?
Up to 30 tablets, capsules or pills of each product, and up to 3 tubes, bottles or inhalers of each product, according to BPOM Regulation No. 28 of 2023. With a doctor's prescription you may bring what you need for up to 90 days of treatment.
This guide also answers:
- Can I bring prescription medicine to Bali?
- Can I buy antibiotics in a Bali pharmacy without a prescription?
- Which hospital should tourists use in Bali?
Top picks from this guide
#1
What you may carry in
BPOM's rules for passengers allow up to 30 tablets, capsules or pills of one product without a prescription, and up to 3 tubes, bottles or inhalers of one product. With a doctor's prescription you may carry what you need for up to 90 days. Narcotics are not permitted.
#2
Papers and the declaration
Fill in the All Indonesia form, which includes the customs declaration, and declare your medicines. Keep them in original pharmacy packaging with a copy of the prescription and a letter from the prescriber that names the medicines by their generic names, as TravelHealthPro advises. Customs may ask BPOM for a recommendation.
#3
A small travel kit
The US CDC's packing list for Indonesia suggests diarrhoea medicine such as loperamide, pain and fever medicine, an antihistamine, motion sickness tablets, insect repellent, sunscreen and hand sanitiser. Stay within the BPOM limits, and carry medicines in hand luggage with a little extra in the hold.
#4
Bali belly
Travellers' diarrhoea most often starts in the first week and usually passes in three to four days, says TravelHealthPro. Drink oral rehydration solution, and use loperamide for no more than two days if you are an adult with no fever or blood in the stool. See a doctor if it has not improved within three days.
How much medicine can you bring into Bali?
The Indonesian drug authority BPOM publishes an English leaflet on personal medicines carried by passengers, based on BPOM Regulation No. 28 of 2023. It says that personal medicines enter Indonesia through a special access scheme, that they are strictly for personal use and that they may not be sold. The limits for medicines in your baggage are in the table.
| Type of medicine | Without a prescription | With a doctor's prescription |
|---|---|---|
| Tablets, capsules, pills | Up to 30 pieces of each product | As needed, up to 90 days of treatment |
| Creams, syrups, inhalers and sprays | Up to 3 pieces of each product | As needed, up to 90 days of treatment |
| Psychotropic medicines | A prescription is mandatory | As needed, up to 60 days of treatment |
| Narcotics | Not permitted | Not permitted |
Source: BPOM leaflet How to Send or Bring Personal Medicines from Abroad to Indonesia, based on BPOM Regulation No. 28 of 2023. A piece is the smallest unit: one tablet, one tube, one bottle or one inhaler.
If you bring more than 30 of any one product, carry the prescription. The leaflet does not list which medicines count as narcotics or psychotropics, so if one of yours might, ask BPOM before you fly. The leaflet gives link.pom.go.id/link/YourMedsToID and the email address was.sas.bbo@pom.go.id for questions.
What papers do you need, and what happens at Customs?
Every passenger arriving by air completes the digital customs declaration inside the All Indonesia form, which can be filled in from three days before landing, according to Indonesian Customs. Customs lists medicines, together with narcotics, psychotropics and precursors, among the goods that can send a passenger to the red channel for a physical check. The BPOM leaflet describes the steps: Customs inspects the medicines, you complete a special form and hand in supporting documents such as the prescription, and if needed Customs asks BPOM for a recommendation. The result is full release, partial release or complete detention.
TravelHealthPro, the UK's travel health service (NaTHNaC), gives rules that work anywhere: original pharmacy packaging, a copy of the prescription, a letter from the prescriber that names the medicines by their generic names, and a note on letterhead for controlled substances and injections. Carry medicines in hand luggage with a little extra in the hold. The US CDC adds that needles and syringes, for example for diabetes, need a doctor's letter on letterhead. An inspection can add time at arrivals, and a driver booked in advance waits for you; our airport transfer is from $15 per car. Our visa and entry guide covers the other arrival steps.
Cannabis products are illegal in Indonesia in every form. The British FCDO says this includes medicinal cannabis, cannabis oils and creams, CBD, THC, hemp products and edibles, in a bottle, a vape or any other form, and that Indonesia has a zero-tolerance policy on illegal drugs. TravelHealthPro names diazepam, codeine, fentanyl, methadone, morphine, pethidine, Ritalin and temazepam as examples of drugs that are controlled in the UK. Indonesia keeps its own lists, so check any medicine of this kind with BPOM or an Indonesian embassy before you fly.
Where do you buy medicine in Bali?
Pharmacies are called apotek. Kimia Farma and K-24 are two chains with outlets across Indonesia, and the online arm of K-24, K24Klik, says it connects to more than 850 K-24 pharmacies. Opening hours differ by outlet, so check the one you plan to use on a map app.
Be careful with antibiotics. Indonesia's Ministry of Health said in November 2024 that, in a national survey, 41% of people who used oral antibiotics got them without a prescription, including from small shops and online sellers, and the ministry treats this as a cause of antibiotic resistance. TravelHealthPro adds that fake medicines are a real risk. It cites a 2017 estimate by the World Health Organization that 1 in 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries failed quality tests, and it advises getting the medicines you need before you travel. Buy from a licensed pharmacy, ask the pharmacist, and take antibiotics only on a doctor's advice.
Which clinics and hospitals can tourists use?
BIMC Hospital has sites in Kuta, Nusa Dua and Ubud. Its website lists 24/7 emergency care and an ambulance, and says it bills many insurers directly where a guarantee of payment allows. The national ambulance number is 118, according to the British FCDO. Wikivoyage's Bali guide warns that clinics and hospitals may require payment in advance or in stages, even when you have insurance, so keep a card or cash for a deposit. The FCDO says good medical care can be expensive and that a medical evacuation can cost tens of thousands of pounds, so travel with insurance that covers evacuation.
Go to a clinic quickly after a bite or scratch from a monkey or a dog. The FCDO says that rabies exists in wild and domestic animals in Bali and that you should seek immediate medical help. On 7 August 2026 the US CDC issued a Level 2 notice about Zika cases in travellers returning from Bali and advised all travellers to Bali to prevent mosquito bites, so pack repellent. Our safety and health guide covers the rest of the health risks.
What helps with Bali belly?
TravelHealthPro says that travellers' diarrhoea affects more than 20% of travellers to high-risk destinations, a group that includes most of Asia. It usually starts in the first week and lasts three to four days. Rehydration is the main treatment: use an oral rehydration solution mixed with clean water, or, if you have none, six level teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt in one litre of safe water.
Adults can use loperamide or bismuth subsalicylate for mild to moderate diarrhoea for a maximum of two days, but not with blood or mucus in the stool, a high fever or severe stomach pain. See a doctor if there is no improvement within three days, and go at once with a fever of 38°C or more, blood or mucus in the stool, severe stomach pain, confusion, yellow skin or eyes, or a rash. A standby antibiotic is a decision for your doctor before you fly: TravelHealthPro names azithromycin as the first choice and says fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin are no longer recommended for standby use. Our food guide explains where to eat with care.
What should go in a small travel kit?
The US CDC's packing list for Indonesia works as a checklist, and the items below come from it, with oral rehydration salts from TravelHealthPro. Our packing list covers the rest of your bag.
- Your own prescription medicines, within the BPOM limits above
- Oral rehydration salts, and loperamide or bismuth subsalicylate for diarrhoea
- Medicine for pain and fever, such as paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen
- An antihistamine and motion sickness tablets
- Insect repellent, sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher, and hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol
- Spare glasses or contact lenses
Where these facts come from
- BPOM leaflet: How to Send or Bring Personal Medicines from Abroad to Indonesia — limits per type of medicine, prescription and days of treatment, narcotics not permitted, customs steps, contact details; based on BPOM Regulation No. 28 of 2023, retrieved 2 November 2026
- Indonesian Customs: passenger goods and electronic customs declaration — medicines among goods that can be physically checked, All Indonesia declaration from three days before arrival, retrieved 2 November 2026
- GOV.UK, Indonesia travel advice: safety and security — cannabis and CBD illegal in every form, zero tolerance on drugs, page updated 18 September 2026, retrieved 2 November 2026
- GOV.UK, Indonesia travel advice: health — ambulance 118, cost of care and evacuation, rabies and bites, retrieved 2 November 2026
- TravelHealthPro: Medicines and travel — packaging, prescription copy, prescriber letter, hand luggage, controlled drugs, fake medicines, retrieved 2 November 2026
- TravelHealthPro: Travellers' diarrhoea — how common it is, rehydration, loperamide, when to seek care, standby antibiotics, retrieved 2 November 2026
- US CDC: Indonesia, traveler view — Zika notice for Bali dated 7 August 2026, and the packing list — suggested medicines and supplies, retrieved 2 November 2026
- ANTARA, 21 November 2024: Ministry of Health says 41 percent of oral antibiotic users get them without a prescription — survey figures and the ministry's concern, retrieved 2 November 2026
- BIMC Hospital Bali — sites in Kuta, Nusa Dua and Ubud, 24/7 emergency and ambulance, direct billing with insurers, retrieved 2 November 2026
- Wikivoyage: Bali — hospitals ask for payment in advance, retrieved 2 November 2026
- K24Klik — more than 850 K-24 pharmacies, and Kimia Farma — a pharmacy chain with outlets across Indonesia, retrieved 2 November 2026
- Tour prices from SB Excursions tour pages, November 2026
FAQ
How many tablets can I bring to Bali without a prescription?
Up to 30 tablets, capsules or pills of each product, and up to 3 tubes, bottles or inhalers of each product, according to BPOM Regulation No. 28 of 2023. With a doctor's prescription you may bring what you need for up to 90 days of treatment.
Can I bring prescription medicine to Bali?
Yes, within limits. A prescription lets you carry what you need for up to 90 days, or up to 60 days for psychotropic medicines, which need a prescription. Narcotics are not permitted. Keep the original packaging, a copy of the prescription and a doctor's letter, and declare the medicines.
Which medicines are banned in Bali?
Narcotics are not permitted, and cannabis products of any kind, including CBD and medicinal cannabis, are illegal. Which of your medicines count as narcotics or psychotropics follows Indonesian lists, so ask BPOM through the contact route in its leaflet before you fly.
Do I have to declare medicine at Bali airport?
Yes. Every arriving passenger completes the customs declaration inside the All Indonesia form, and Indonesian Customs lists medicines among the goods that can lead to a physical check. Declare them and have the prescription ready.
Can I buy antibiotics in a Bali pharmacy without a prescription?
Do not count on it, and do not buy them from small shops or online. Indonesia's Ministry of Health said in November 2024 that 41% of oral antibiotic users in a national survey had no prescription, and it treats this as a health problem. Take antibiotics only on a doctor's advice.
Which hospital should tourists use in Bali?
BIMC Hospital has sites in Kuta, Nusa Dua and Ubud with 24/7 emergency care and an ambulance, according to its website. The national ambulance number is 118. Expect to pay a deposit, and travel with insurance that covers evacuation.
What should I do about Bali belly?
Drink oral rehydration solution. Adults can use loperamide for up to two days if there is no fever or blood. See a doctor if there is no improvement within three days, and go at once with a fever of 38°C or more, blood in the stool or severe stomach pain.
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