Foreign tourists using visitor visas are prohibited from carrying out promotional or commercial content activities, with immigration authorities increasing patrols and monitoring social media for potential violations.
The Directorate General of Immigration is tightening its oversight of foreign nationals in Bali, particularly those working as influencers and content creators on social media. This follows the increase in collaborations between tourism businesses in Bali and foreign content creators who promote hotels, restaurants, villas, and other tourism services on social media in exchange for complimentary amenities.
Immigration officials believe that promotional or endorsement activities carried out on a tourist visa are still considered a breach of the regulations, even if they are undertaken without monetary payment.
“This is not always about cash payments. Immigration authorities will consider the purpose of the foreign national’s stay, the type of activity, and whether there is any economic value behind the activity,” the Directorate General of Immigration wrote in an official statement on Friday, the 3rd of July.
Through this updated regulation, Immigration emphasises that foreign tourists are not permitted to engage in commercial activities while holding a visitor visa, including creating content intended to generate income, secure sponsorships, promote products, or obtain other forms of financial benefit. Furthermore, a violation may still be deemed to have occurred even if the content is uploaded after the tourist has left Indonesia.
In addition to foreigners conducting promotional activities on social media, Immigration is also focusing on foreigners delivering professional services in Bali, such as photography, make-up artistry, and other work that provides economic benefit while using a visitor visa.
To strengthen oversight, Immigration has established a special patrol team known as Dharma Dewata in Bali. The team, comprising 100 personnel, is tasked with monitoring the activities of foreign nationals in tourist areas and taking action against immigration violations.
Tourists planning to visit Bali and create content for business, promotional, or commercial collaboration purposes are therefore advised to obtain the appropriate visa before entering Indonesia. Otherwise, they may face sanctions ranging from fines and deportation to long-term or even lifetime bans on re-entering Indonesia, depending on the nature of the violation.