Opening a bank account in Bali as a foreigner

What you need for a standard account

The standard route, at almost every major Indonesian bank, is a valid KITAS or KITAP, a passport with at least six months of remaining validity, proof of a local address — a rental contract or a domicile letter is usually enough — and a local phone number. Expect an initial deposit requirement of roughly IDR 500,000 to 1,000,000, depending on the bank and account type. There is no way to do this remotely: you go to a branch, in person, with the originals.

Do I need a KITAS to open a bank account in Bali?

Formally, yes, at most banks. A small number of specific branches — OCBC NISP and some Bali branches of PermataBank are the ones that come up repeatedly — are reported to open accounts for foreigners without one, but sources describe this as inconsistent and branch-by-branch rather than a documented bank-wide policy, and at least one source flags it as an outlier claim rather than a confirmed rule. Do not plan a trip around it; call the specific branch first, or arrive with your KITAS application already lodged.

Some banks also offer a 'Rekening Turis' (tourist account) aimed at short-term visitors, opened on a passport alone without a KITAS — reported to carry a balance cap of roughly USD 50,000 and a minimum opening deposit around USD 2,000. This comes from a single source checked for this article, so confirm the current terms directly with the bank rather than treating those figures as fixed.

Best bank for foreigners in Bali: which one should I use?

BCA is the bank most consistently recommended for foreigners in Bali, largely because its branches in Canggu, Seminyak and Ubud process foreign applications routinely and staff are used to the paperwork. That is a practical recommendation based on repeated mentions across several 2026 guides, not a claim that BCA has materially different formal requirements from its competitors — the KITAS-and-deposit rule above still applies.

Bank account for NPWP Bali: what this has to do with buying property

A local bank account is not, by itself, a requirement for buying property in Bali — the purchase runs through the notary. Where it matters is everything downstream: paying PBB, receiving rental income if you let the property, and holding funds for a Second Home Visa if that is your residency route, which specifically requires an IDR 2 billion deposit in an Indonesian state bank — Mandiri, BNI, BRI or BTN — not any bank you choose. An NPWP, the Indonesian tax number, is a separate document from a bank account, though you will likely want both around the same time if you are buying.

What to use before you have a local account

A multi-currency service such as Wise can hold and convert Indonesian rupiah and pay a local biller or landlord in the meantime, which covers a lot of the gap while a KITAS application is in progress. It is not a substitute for a resident account: Wise stated in May 2024 that it could no longer let Indonesian residents hold a rupiah balance in their account because of local regulation, so treat it as a bridge for sending money in and converting currency, not as somewhere to keep your Indonesian savings once you are actually resident.

Common questions