Living or staying long in Bali means finding reliable local services: a visa agent, a scooter, a villa for several months, cleaning and laundry, a handyman, a doctor or a babysitter. This page groups 21 categories of services for travellers and expats, from SIM cards and coworking to private chefs, photographers, DJs, movers, company set-up, lawyers, accountants and insurance. Each listing shows the areas covered, and our local agent can recommend trusted providers when you cannot find what you need.
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Most visitors enter on a 30-day visa on arrival, which can be bought online in advance on the official e-visa site and extended once. The All Indonesia arrival card replaces the old paper forms and is filled in online within 72 hours before landing, and a tourism levy of IDR 150,000 is paid once per trip. Tourist SIM cards and eSIMs are easy to get; phones used with a local SIM for more than 90 days need IMEI registration. To ride a scooter, carry your licence and an International Driving Permit covering motorcycles.
For long stays, a villa rented by the month or the year is often better value than nightly rentals, but contracts, deposits and maintenance need care. Many residents use pick-up laundry services, such as Bayuh Express Laundry, which covers Canggu, Pererenan, Cemagi and Munggu. For repairs, Monty's Handyman works from Canggu to Sanur. Pool and garden maintenance, regular cleaning and movers complete the list of services you will need once settled.
International clinics in the south of the island handle most needs, and some doctors visit villas and hotels. Families can find babysitters and nannies, often booked by the evening or the week. Pet owners will find veterinarians in the main residential areas. Whatever your stay, check that your travel or expat insurance covers medical evacuation and scooter accidents, which many policies limit or exclude when the rider has no valid licence.
Bali is a popular place for weddings, birthdays and retreats, and a whole network of providers supports them: wedding planners, photographers, private chefs, home massage therapists and DJs such as Alwi Muhammad, who plays villas and events across the island. For work, coworking spaces are found in Canggu, Ubud and Uluwatu, and Indonesian lessons make daily life easier. If you plan to do business, company set-up agents, lawyers and accountants explain the options, including foreign-owned PMA companies.
Many nationalities, including the French, can use the visa on arrival, valid 30 days and extendable once by 30 days. It costs IDR 500,000 and can be bought online on the official e-visa site, evisa.imigrasi.go.id, or at the airport. For longer stays or remote work, other visas exist; a visa agent can advise on the right one.
Rental shops often do, but it is not legal. Foreign riders must carry their national licence and an International Driving Permit that covers motorcycles. Police checks are frequent in Canggu, Seminyak, Uluwatu, Kuta and Ubud, with fines for each missing document, and your insurance may refuse to cover an accident if you are not properly licensed.
Tourist SIM cards are sold at the airport and in phone shops, and registered with your passport. eSIMs can be installed before you leave. A local SIM in a foreign phone works for 90 days; beyond that, the phone's IMEI must be registered with customs, which may involve duty for high-value phones.
Monthly and yearly rentals are found through local agents, community groups and direct contacts with owners. Visit before paying, ask what is included (cleaning, pool, internet, electricity) and get a written contract with the deposit terms. Prices vary widely by area and season, with Canggu and Uluwatu generally higher than inland areas.
Yes, the south of the island has several international clinics with English-speaking doctors, and some offer home or hotel visits. For serious cases, check that your insurance covers hospitalisation and medical evacuation. Keep your insurer's assistance number at hand and ask our local agent if you need a recommendation.
Yes, foreigners usually set up a PMA, a foreign-owned limited company, which can then sponsor work permits. The process involves minimum investment rules, licences and ongoing tax reporting, so most people work with a company set-up agent, a lawyer and an accountant. Rules change regularly, so check the current requirements before committing.
Coworking spaces are concentrated in Canggu, Pererenan, Ubud and Uluwatu, with day, week and month passes. Many cafés also welcome laptop workers, such as Urban 12 in Canggu. Bali Reply readers can get a discount on passes at Setter Coworking.