Don't get scammed: the $204 Bali entry trap every Aussie traveller needs to avoid

How to avoid the 'free' paperwork mistake costing tourists.

Tourists in Bali, Indonesia. Picture from Unsplash/Sophie Peng

By Sarah Falson

Updated May 12 2026 - 10:27am, first published 8:00am

In this article

Travellers are being scammed into paying up to $204 for paperwork to enter Bali when they don't have to.

Several fake websites are currently targeting travellers who are filling out their Indonesia Arrival Card.

The Australian Government's Smartraveller website is warning Aussies to beware of fake websites charging a fee to submit their Arrival Card, when it should be free.

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What is the Arrival Card?

The Arrival Card is a new mandatory entry requirement all holidaymakers must comply with before entering Indonesia.

Announced in the second half of 2025, the Arrival Card has now been phased in at all international entry points.

Before entering Indonesia by plane or boat, travellers must fill out the Arrival Card online within 72 hours of travel.

Travellers may be asked to show proof of submission before they can proceed through Indonesian immigration, Smartraveller says.

Travellers must also fill out either the e-Visa on Arrival (e-VOA) or the Visa on Arrival (VOA).

The Arrival Card and the e-VOA can be filled out on the All Indonesia website.

For those who don't fill out the e-VOA, the VOA can still be applied for at certain international airports, seaports and land crossings in Indonesia.

Beware of scammers

Travellers filling out their Arrival Card - which has now been phased in at all entry points - have become the target of scammers.

The Arrival Card is free, but dodgy websites are asking travellers to pay a "processing" fee.

A beach in Bali, Indonesia. Picture from Unsplash/Corey Serravite

One traveller on Reddit reported being paying $148 on a scam website for what they thought was an Arrival Card.

If the scam website was charging US dollars, the traveller would have been scammed up to $204 in Australian dollars.

"Beware of fake websites charging a fee to submit the arrival card," Smartraveller warns.

"Only use official government sites, which will include 'go.id' in the website's address."

The official websites are evisa.imigrasi.go.id/ and allindonesia.imigrasi.go.id/

Words bySarah Falson

Sarah is Explore's Digital News Editor. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!. My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me. Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life. My top travel tip is … Don’t plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what’s within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.