Can You Live in Bali for 12 Months?

With the right combination of tourist visas, multiple-entry permits, or stay permits (KITAS), you can spend a year in Bali. The key is understanding which options are designed for tourism, which require leaving the country, and which offer true long-term residency.

What a Regular Tourist Visa Actually Gives You

1. Visa on Arrival (VoA / e-VoA)

For most Bali tourists:

• Initial stay: 30 days
• Extension: 1x 30 days → max 60 days per entry
• Single entry: if you leave Indonesia, it’s used up.

This is fine for 1–2 months, but not a 12-month solution. If you try to chain too many VoAs with constant exits and re-entries, immigration might start asking questions about your real intentions.

2. Tourist Visa C1 (previously: B211A)

This is the classic “longer tourist stay” option.

From official immigration + recent visa guides:

• Type: C1 Tourist Visit Visa (single entry)
• First stay: up to 60 days from arrival
• Extensions: typically up to two more 60-day extensions, so max ~180 days (about 6 months) in total.
• Purpose: tourism / visiting family / attending events; no working for an Indonesian company.

So C1/211A is great for 3–6 months, but not enough for 12 months on its own. After ~180 days, you must leave Indonesia and, if allowed, apply again from abroad.

Can You “Hack” 12 Months with Visa Runs?

Yes, many travellers manage to stay in Bali for up to 12 months by using repeated C1/211A Tourist Visa cycles. The C1/211A visa gives you 60 days, and you can extend it twice, reaching a total of 180 days per cycle. After completing the 180-day stay, you leave Indonesia for a short trip (usually 3–7 days to Singapore or Malaysia), then return and apply for a new C1/211A visa and extend again.

Notes:

• Many travellers do a quick Singapore or Kuala Lumpur trip, 3–7 days is usually enough.
• Each C1/211A cycle requires a new application, even if your documents are the same.
• Some nationalities must use a guarantor (sponsor) for every C1 cycle.

If you know you want a full year in Bali, it’s smarter to look at proper long-term visas or stay permits instead of “gaming” tourist visas.

12-Month Multiple-Entry Visit Visas (D1/D2)

Indonesia has Multiple-Entry Visit Visas (Index D) which are valid for 1, 2 or 5 years.

Typical structure (D1/D2: tourism or business):

• Validity: 1, 2, or 5 years (visa “lifetime”)
• Stay per visit: usually up to 60 days each entry
• Depending on the latest rules:
  • Some summaries say 60 days each entry, no extension, you must exit and re-enter.
  • Others (and some regional immigration guidance) indicate they can be extended up to 180 days per visit in certain cases.

Important nuance:

These visas are designed for people who come and go: business travelers, frequent visitors, people with multiple short trips per year. They are not ideal if you want one continuous 12-month stay in Bali, you still need to leave periodically or respect the per-visit max stay.

However, if your pattern is like:

• 2–3 months in Bali
• 1 month away
• Back again several times in a year

…then a multiple-entry D1/D2 visa can effectively support a year of on-and-off living in Bali.

The Pre-Investment Visa D12: The Closest Thing to a “1-Year Stay” Without KITAS

If you’re thinking about starting a business or investing in Indonesia, the D12 Pre-Investment Visa is one of the strongest long-stay tools right now.

From official immigration and multiple specialist firms:

• Type: Multiple-entry Pre-Investment Visa (Index D12 / D212)
• Validity: 1 or 2 years from issuance
• Stay per entry:
  • Up to 180 days (6 months) initially
  • Can often be extended once for another 180 days without leaving Indonesia
• Total continuous stay: up to 360 days (about 12 months) in one go.
• Purpose: exploring investment / starting a business, site visits, feasibility studies, meetings, etc. Not basic tourism and not a work permit.

This is probably the closest “visa only” option to living in Bali for a full year without immediately jumping into a KITAS:

• You are supposed to genuinely be in pre-investment mode, not just “hanging out”.
• You still cannot legally work as an employee in an Indonesian company.

Long-Term Living: ITAS / KITAS (1–2+ Years)

If you truly want to live in Bali for a year or more (not just “stay as a tourist”), Indonesian law expects you to have some form of Limited Stay Permit (ITAS / KITAS).

Common types:

• Investor KITAS (E28 series)
  • For foreigners investing in an Indonesian company.
  • Typically valid 1–2 years, extendable; often leads to long-term residency path and later ITAP (permanent stay).
• Remote Worker “Digital Nomad” KITAS (E33G)
  • A newer visa category for remote workers whose income comes from abroad.
  • Officially a Limited Stay Visa (Visa Tinggal Terbatas) that allows you to live and travel in Indonesia, with multiple entries, for a longer period (sources talk about up to 5 years, depending on sub-type and regulations).
• Retirement KITAS (for 55+)
  • For retirees over a certain age (commonly 55+), with income & accommodation requirements.
  • Often issued for 1 year, extendable annually, and a very popular option for long-term Bali residents.
• Family / Spouse KITAS (E31 series)
  • For foreign spouses or family members of Indonesians or of foreign KITAS/ITAP holders.

All of these:

• Give you legal long-term stay (1–2 years at a time)
• Allow multiple re-entries during the permit validity
• Are much more appropriate if you’re truly relocating rather than “extended holidaying”.

So, How Can You Live in Bali for 12 Months?

Scenario A: You Just Want a Long “Extended Holiday”

You don’t want to work in Indonesia, open a business, or retire yet, you just want to chill, surf, work remotely for foreign clients, etc.

Your main options:

• 6 months: C1 Tourist Visa → 60 days + extensions up to 180 days.
• Up to ~12 months:
  • C1 (up to 6 months) → leave → another visa (e.g. C1 again / VoA) if immigration is okay.
  • Or a D12 pre-investment visa if you’re genuinely exploring business ideas and meet the criteria (gives up to ~12 months continuous stay).

But if you already know you want to be here a year+ and your work is remote, it’s worth seriously looking at remote worker KITAS instead of juggling tourist-type visas.

Scenario B: You Want to Build Something in Bali (Business / Investment)

Then the natural progression is:

• D12 Pre-Investment Visa (1–2 years validity, up to 360 days per stay) to test the waters and do feasibility studies.
• Move to an Investor KITAS once your company / investment structure is ready.

This route allows you to stay well beyond 12 months in a way that matches what you’re actually doing in Indonesia.

Scenario C: You’re Retired or Joining Family

• If you’re 55+ with stable income → look at a Retirement KITAS.
• If you have an Indonesian spouse or family → family KITAS / ITAS is often the most stable path.

Both are built for multi-year living, not short “tourism”.

Practical Tips Before Planning a 12-Month Stay

• Be honest with yourself about your purpose
  • “Tourist” who stays 11-12 months and never leaves looks suspicious.
  • If you’re working online or investing, pick a visa that matches that reality.
• Check rules again right before you apply
  • Indonesia has been actively updating its visa system (new codes like C1, D12, E33G, etc., and Golden Visa categories).
• Keep copies of everything.
  • Passport, visas, entry stamps, extension receipts, sponsor letters, bank statements.
• Never overstay
  • Overstay fines and possible bans will ruin any plan to live in Bali long term.
• When in doubt, talk to a professional
  • Either an official Indonesian embassy/consulate or a licensed, transparent visa agent who can show you their company registration and office address.