Bali guide › Organise your stay
Do I need travel insurance for Bali?
Indonesia does not require travel insurance to enter, but you should have it. Your home health cover mostly does not apply in Bali, private hospitals often expect payment or a guarantee from your insurer up front, and a medical evacuation home can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
What your existing cover does and does not do:
- Public health schemes: Australian Medicare gives no cover in Indonesia, the UK GHIC does not apply there, and US Medicare and most US health plans do not cover care abroad. Check your own scheme.
- Credit card insurance: it can be enough, but read the conditions: you often must have paid the trip with that card, and limits, exclusions, age caps and activity rules vary.
What to check in a policy:
- Medical expenses and evacuation: high or unlimited cover, plus repatriation (the flight home).
- Activities: surfing, snorkelling, diving, volcano treks and canyoning may need an add-on.
- Scooters: insurers usually pay only if you hold a licence valid for the bike in Indonesia, and wear a helmet. Check what licence Indonesia expects (usually your motorbike licence plus an international driving permit). This matches the advice in "How do I get around Bali?".
- Cancellation, baggage and excess: see what is covered, and declare pre-existing conditions.
Buy it when you book the trip, as cancellation cover only starts from purchase, and in any case before you leave. If something happens, contact your insurer's assistance line before paying for non-emergency treatment, and keep every invoice and report. This is general information, not advice from a doctor or insurer. The Australian government's Smartraveller and the UK FCDO both recommend holding insurance.
Verdict: take a comprehensive policy with very high medical and evacuation cover. Add scooter or adventure cover only if you will ride or dive, and rely on a card's insurance only after you have read its limits.
Tip: read the exclusions on scooters before you buy, not after a fall: a missing licence or helmet is the classic reason a claim is refused, and a hospital stay in Bali is expensive.
Checked in October 2026. Policy terms and official advice change: check your insurer, Smartraveller, the FCDO or travel.state.gov.