Healthcare and health insurance in Bali: hospitals, clinics, emergencies and cover for long stays

This guide is for expats, digital nomads and long-stay travellers who want to understand how healthcare works in Bali before they need it. It was checked against government travel advice and health pages on 14 October 2026. Three recent points: the US CDC issued a Level 2 Zika travel notice for Bali on 7 August 2026, the UK Foreign Office updated its Indonesia advice on 18 September 2026, and the official immigration pages checked for this guide do not list health insurance as a requirement. Rules and health advice change often, so confirm details with the relevant authority or a licensed professional. This is general information, not medical, legal or insurance advice. In an emergency, call 112 or go straight to the nearest hospital emergency department.

Emergency numbers

Sources overlap and do not agree on every detail, so it helps to save more than one number.

• 112: the national emergency number. The Bali provincial government website shows it as its emergency link, and an Indonesian reference source describes it as the integrated call service that the other numbers feed into.
• 110: police.
• 118: ambulance, per the UK Foreign Office and Dutch advice. The Bali provincial government lists "118 or 119".
• 113: fire brigade, per Dutch advice. The UK Foreign Office lists fire as 112.
• 115: Basarnas, the national search and rescue agency, which also offers a WhatsApp rescue channel on its website.

Official advice adds a second habit: call the hospital directly. Canadian advice tells travellers to carry the contact details of local medical facilities, and UK advice says to contact the insurer quickly if you are referred to a facility. Keep three things in the phone: the number of the nearest 24-hour emergency department, the insurer's emergency line and a map pin of your address. Canadian advice notes that most medical staff do not speak English or French.

How healthcare in Bali is organised

Public hospitals and puskesmas

• RSUP Prof. dr. I.G.N.G. Ngoerah (long known as Sanglah) in Denpasar is a type A teaching hospital owned by the national Ministry of Health and linked to Udayana University's medical faculty. A reference source says it became a referral hospital for Bali and neighbouring provinces in 1978.
• RSUD means regional public hospital, run by a regency or city government. News reports mention public hospitals in places such as Karangasem and Klungkung.
• Provincial hospitals run by the Bali government include the Bali Mandara hospital, an eye hospital and a psychiatric hospital.
• Puskesmas are subdistrict health centres under the district health office. They mainly provide outpatient care, and some offer inpatient or emergency services. Under the national insurance scheme they are first-level facilities.

The public system is built around the national insurance scheme, BPJS Kesehatan. Official advice on standards is cautious: the UK says local care can be poor and some tests cannot be done reliably, Canada calls health care inadequate, and Dutch advice says care is limited outside the big cities and serious cases may be moved to Singapore, Malaysia or Thailand.

Private hospitals, clinics and international-style facilities

Private providers charge for care and are the usual choice for insured foreigners. The main types are private general hospitals with 24-hour emergency departments, specialist hospitals and centres (eyes, maternity, orthopaedics, imaging), and clinics (klinik) and doctors' practices for minor illness, vaccines and repeat prescriptions. Opening hours and capabilities vary, so check whether a clinic is open at night. Private facilities tend to cluster where visitors and residents live: Denpasar, Sanur, Kuta, Nusa Dua and Jimbaran in the south, and around Ubud and Canggu. Options thin out in the north, east and west. A larger hospital aimed at medical tourists was reported in April 2025 for the Sanur special economic zone, with plans to admit privately paying patients from June 2025.

The UK Foreign Office publishes a list of English-speaking medical providers in Indonesia, updated on 9 July 2026. It says the list is not exhaustive, can change at any time and is not an endorsement.

Type	What it is	Points to know
RSUP, RSUD	Public hospitals run by the ministry or regional governments	Built around BPJS; English often limited; standards vary
Puskesmas	Subdistrict health centres	Mostly outpatient, first level of care
Private hospitals	Paid care with emergency departments and specialists	Payment or an insurer guarantee usually comes first
Clinics and GPs	Walk-in doctors and small practices	Suited to minor problems; check hours

What a hospital visit usually involves

• Payment first. Canadian advice says you may have to pay in cash, in advance. A 2023 report in The Bali Sun described an insured tourist treated for suspected food poisoning who paid up front and claimed back later. That single bill was Rp 6.75 million, roughly AUD 700 then. It is an example, not a price list, and no current prices were found.
• Call the insurer early. Whether a hospital bills the insurer directly, or accepts a guarantee of payment, depends on the insurer and the hospital. Ask before treatment where the situation allows. UK guidance recommends carrying the policy number and the insurer's emergency number and sharing both with companions and family.
• Ambulances can be billed separately, according to the same UK guidance. A 2025 report on one new Bali hospital described an emergency department ambulance service for paying patients, so some providers have their own.
• Bring documents. Passport copy, insurance details, a list of medicines (generic names) and allergies in English.
• Keep paperwork. Insurers usually want itemised invoices, a medical report and proof of payment.

Common health problems

Dengue and Zika

Dengue spreads through bites from Aedes mosquitoes, which are active during the day, says the WHO. Symptoms start 4 to 10 days after infection and last 2 to 7 days: high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting and rash. There is no specific treatment. The WHO names paracetamol for pain and fever and advises avoiding ibuprofen and aspirin because they can raise bleeding risk. Seek care at once for severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing or bleeding from the gums or nose, which often appear after the fever has gone. The CDC lists no vaccine for dengue in travellers. TravelHealthPro says a dengue vaccine can be considered only for people aged 4 and over who have had dengue before and travel to risk areas, on expert advice.

On 7 August 2026 the CDC issued a Level 2 notice ("practice enhanced precautions") for Indonesia, citing Zika cases in travellers returning from Bali. It advises pregnant women to avoid travel to Bali and everyone to prevent mosquito bites and sexual transmission during and after the trip. TravelHealthPro reported four Zika cases linked to Indonesia in the UK in 2026 (as of 14 July) and 11 travel-associated cases in France between July 2025 and March 2026, most linked to Bali and neighbouring islands. The sources conflict on local cases: on 23 August 2026 the Bali provincial health office was quoted as saying no Zika infections had been detected or reported in Bali. The practical advice is the same on all sides: avoid mosquito bites, and see a doctor for fever, rash, headache, joint or muscle pain or red eyes during or after travel.

Rabies and animal bites

The UK Foreign Office says street dogs are common in Bali and monkeys live around temples and tourist areas. The CDC says infected dogs are commonly found in Indonesia and that post-exposure vaccines are typically available in most of the country. The Bali government publishes rabies handling information (a page dated 9 February 2026), and a July 2026 report in The Bali Sun cited rabies deaths in Bali the previous year, including a four-year-old child.

After any bite, scratch or saliva contact from a dog, monkey, cat or bat:

1. Wash the wound with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes (WHO advice; Canadian advice gives about the same).
2. Go to a hospital emergency department the same day. Do not wait to see whether the animal seems healthy.
3. Treatment may include a course of rabies vaccine and, for severe exposures, rabies immunoglobulin or monoclonal antibodies injected into the wound, per the WHO.

The WHO states rabies is fatal in 100 percent of cases once symptoms appear, so treatment is started after exposure. None of the sources opened lists which Bali facilities stock immunoglobulin, so call a hospital emergency department and ask whether it holds both vaccine and immunoglobulin. Pre-exposure vaccination does not remove the need for treatment after a bite, the WHO notes. TravelHealthPro recommends it for stays longer than one month and for limited access to treatment.

Traveller's stomach (Bali belly)

The CDC Yellow Book says bacteria cause roughly 75 to 90 percent of travellers' diarrhoea. UK advice says tap water in Indonesia is not safe to drink. The CDC food and water guidance: eat food that is cooked and served hot, avoid raw or cut fruit and salad unless you prepare it with safe water, avoid ice where water quality is uncertain, and wash hands or use sanitiser with at least 60 percent alcohol.

Treatment is mainly fluids. Oral rehydration solution is made with boiled or treated water, and the CDC advises avoiding overly sweet drinks. Loperamide can ease symptoms but is not recommended alone for bloody diarrhoea or diarrhoea with fever. See a doctor for blood in the stool, fever, severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, dehydration or illness that stops you functioning. Resistance to fluoroquinolone antibiotics limits their use in parts of Asia, so let a doctor choose any antibiotic.

Methanol in alcohol

The UK Foreign Office, Canada and the Netherlands all warn of deaths and serious illness from alcohol containing methanol. The UK says this has happened with drinks from licensed bars, shops and hotels in tourist areas, and that methanol cannot be identified by taste or smell. Dutch advice names arak and oplosan (locally mixed drinks) as the main risk, particularly on Bali, Lombok, the Gili Islands and Sumatra, and advises not accepting drinks from strangers, not buying locally made alcohol on the street, and buying only from licensed shops or supermarkets or drinking at licensed venues. Seek urgent medical help for anyone with signs of poisoning after drinking, and tell the doctor what was drunk. The UK also reports drink spiking in Bali, so watch drinks being prepared.

Motorbike injuries

The UK Foreign Office says moped and motorbike accidents have risen sharply in Bali, some fatal, and Canada calls accidents a leading cause of death and serious injury among foreigners in many parts of Indonesia, including Bali.

• Wear a helmet in good condition.
• A UK licence is not valid in Indonesia, but a UK-issued international driving permit can be used. With a temporary or permanent stay permit, an Indonesian licence (SIM) can be applied for through the national police.
• After an accident, UK advice says to stay at the scene until police arrive, and Canada suggests staying in the vehicle after a serious-injury accident because of possible crowd anger.
• UK guidance says standard travel insurance does not usually cover use or hire of mopeds.

Heat, water and air

The WHO advises drinking regularly (at least 2 to 3 litres a day), avoiding strenuous activity in the hottest hours and spending part of the day somewhere cool. Heatstroke is a medical emergency. The UK notes that volcanic ash can affect people with respiratory conditions, and that wildfire haze from May to November mainly affects Sumatra, Kalimantan and the Riau Islands.

Vaccines and malaria

A yellow fever certificate is required only for travellers arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission risk. Nothing else is mandatory for most arrivals. Recommendations from two official health pages:

Vaccine	TravelHealthPro (UK)	CDC (US)
Hepatitis A	All unvaccinated travellers	Unvaccinated travellers aged 1 and over
Typhoid	Most travellers	Most travellers
Tetanus	Booster if last dose over 10 years ago	Not checked for this guide
Hepatitis B	Consider for all	Not checked for this guide
Japanese encephalitis	Consider for stays of a month or more	Moving there or staying a month or more; consider for higher-risk activities; not for short urban trips
Rabies (before travel)	Occupational risk, limited access to treatment, higher-risk activities, or stays over one month	May be recommended depending on activities and access to treatment
Measles (MMR)	Be up to date	Not checked for this guide

TravelHealthPro also reported a national chikungunya outbreak: 3,608 confirmed cases in 19 provinces as of 31 July 2025, up from 1,399 a year earlier. UK advice suggests checking vaccine recommendations at least 8 weeks before travel. On malaria, the CDC states there is no transmission in the resort areas of Bali or Java and lists Ubud as having none. It does not address non-resort parts of Bali separately, and tablets are not specifically recommended for Bali.

Medical evacuation

For serious illness or injury, treatment can mean transfer to a better-equipped hospital, possibly abroad. Dutch advice names Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The UK says medical evacuation can cost tens of thousands of pounds, and Canada calls it very expensive. The CDC's Zika notice for Bali recommends considering insurance that includes health and medical evacuation. Check that a policy covers evacuation and repatriation, what the limit is and who decides that evacuation is needed, and call the insurer's assistance line as early as possible.

Insurance for long stays

Three kinds of cover

Kind	What it generally is	What to check
Travel insurance	Short-trip cover for medical costs, evacuation and trip problems	Maximum trip length, pre-existing conditions, activities, motorbikes
International private medical insurance (IPMI)	Annual health policy for people living abroad	Where it covers, direct billing, evacuation, chronic conditions, waiting periods
Local Indonesian insurance	Policies sold by Indonesian insurers	Policy language, which hospitals accept it, cover outside Indonesia

UK guidance says insurance is available from both Indonesian and international providers, and that Indonesia has no reciprocal health agreement with the UK. Dutch advice warns that basic health insurance from home may not fully cover hospital stays and repatriation. Ordinary travel insurance is built for trips rather than residence; this describes how the products are generally sold, not an official finding, so read the wording.

What to check in any policy

• Pre-existing conditions. UK guidance says to declare existing conditions or pending treatment, because failing to declare can invalidate the policy.
• Activities. Check diving, surfing and volcano hikes. Some activities need an add-on.
• Motorbikes. Standard policies do not usually cover them. Many that do also require a licence valid for that vehicle class, and riding without one can lead to a refused claim. That last point reflects common policy wording rather than an official source.
• Evacuation and repatriation: limit and conditions.
• Direct billing: which Bali hospitals the insurer pays directly.
• Prescribed medicines. TravelHealthPro recommends cover for pre-existing conditions, prescribed medicines and planned activities.
• Long-stay limits: the maximum length of each trip, and whether it resets on re-entry.

Does immigration require health insurance?

None of the official immigration visa pages checked for this guide list health insurance as a requirement: the C1 tourist visa, the remote worker second home visa (E33G), the second home visa with a funds guarantee (E33), the one-year second home visa for older applicants (E33F), the working holiday visa (E35) and the stay permit FAQ. The UK entry requirements page does not list insurance either. Other permit types, work permits and sponsors may have different requirements, so ask immigration or your sponsor. Every government travel advisory cited here still recommends cover.

BPJS Kesehatan and foreigners

BPJS Kesehatan is the national health insurance scheme. Article 14 of the 2011 BPJS law (Law 24 of 2011) says every person, including foreigners who work in Indonesia for at least six months, must join the social security programmes. The BPJS pages that could be opened did not explain how this applies to, for example, a retiree, an investor or a remote worker with a foreign employer, and no source opened confirmed premiums for foreigners. Treat the question as open: ask a BPJS Kesehatan office, and if you hold a work permit, ask your employer how enrolment is handled. A BPJS card does not replace private cover for evacuation.

Pharmacies and medicines

Buying medicines

Pharmacies are called apotek. Over-the-counter medicines carry a green circle (free sale) or a blue circle (limited free sale, with a warning). Dutch advice says prescription medicines need a valid Indonesian prescription and that buying prescription medicine online or without one is prohibited. Falsified medicines are a risk, per TravelHealthPro, and the food and drug authority BPOM offers a CekBPOM app showing products allowed for sale after pre-market evaluation. For repeat prescriptions, see a local doctor.

Bringing medicines and prescriptions

• Carry a letter and original packs. TravelHealthPro advises a prescription copy plus a doctor's letter listing each medicine by generic name, in labelled pharmacy packaging, most of it in hand luggage.
• Some medicines are controlled. Canadian advice says medicines containing morphine or codeine are controlled in Indonesia and bringing them in without prior permission is illegal, with possible confiscation, fines and imprisonment. Dutch advice says some medicines are banned even with a prescription from home.
• Other categories need checking. Stimulants used for ADHD and sleeping tablets can fall under narcotic or psychotropic rules in many countries. The sources opened name only morphine and codeine, so confirm with the Indonesian embassy or consulate before travelling and get any permission in writing.
• Export rules apply. TravelHealthPro notes some controlled drugs may need an export licence from the home country, usually for three months' supply or more.
• Customs may inspect. Customs lists medicines among goods that can trigger physical inspection, and import permits for medicines come from BPOM. No personal-use quantity was found on the pages opened. Dutch advice suggests bringing extra days of supply.

Drug laws are strict: Canadian advice says penalties are severe and police have arrested tourists after random drug testing.

Dental and mental health

Dental treatment is usually provided by private dental clinics and paid out of pocket. That is a general point, not an official finding, so ask for a written treatment plan and price first. For mental health, UK advice says psychological and psychiatric services in Indonesia are limited, and the UK Foreign Office and TravelHealthPro publish guidance on travel and mental health. The Bali government lists a provincial psychiatric hospital. If you take regular medication for a mental health condition, plan supply and paperwork before arriving and check that insurance covers mental health care.

Where to get it done

• Emergencies: a hospital emergency department, or call 112 or 118.
• Animal bites: a hospital emergency department the same day, after washing the wound for at least 15 minutes.
• Travel vaccines and rabies pre-exposure shots: a travel clinic or doctor, ideally 8 weeks or more before departure.
• Everyday illness and repeat prescriptions: a private clinic or general practitioner, with a pharmacy (apotek) nearby.
• Insurance and BPJS questions: a licensed insurance broker or the insurer's assistance line; the local BPJS Kesehatan office.
• Permit questions: the immigration office (kantor imigrasi) for your address.
• Medicine import questions: the Indonesian embassy or consulate in your country, and the customs authority (Bea Cukai).
• Dental and mental health: a dental clinic, or a psychiatrist or psychologist at a hospital or private practice.