For most visitors with a motorcycle licence and some experience, hiring a scooter in Bali is allowed, cheap and the most flexible way to get about. For everyone else it is a poor idea, because the paperwork is stricter than many shops let on, the traffic in the south is heavy and travel insurance often will not pay out on the wrong licence. This page sets out the costs, the licence rules, the fines, the insurance catch and the places where riding is hardest. If you would rather not ride, see the getting around Bali overview.
What it costs per day, week and month
A May 2026 guide by the travel site Passport and Stamps lists a standard 110 to 125cc scooter (Honda Beat or Scoopy) at IDR 60,000 to 100,000 per day, and a mid-range 125 to 155cc scooter (Vario or NMAX) at IDR 80,000 to 150,000 per day. For a monthly rental, the same guide says around IDR 1.5 million for a Honda 155cc automatic, which is what its authors paid on their longer stays. Our own regional data agrees with the daily range: the region access data file for Sidemen lists scooter hire at IDR 60,000 to 150,000 per day.
We found no dated source with a fixed weekly price, so ask the shop for a weekly rate and compare it with the daily and monthly figures above. Where you hire matters. The same guide says airport stalls and beachside kiosks often charge up to IDR 150,000 per day for a basic 110cc that costs IDR 70,000 two streets away. A newer, larger bike costs more: the authors paid IDR 200,000 per day for a 2026 Honda ADV 160.
The licence you need
The answer from a July 2026 bali.com guide is direct: Indonesian law requires foreign drivers to carry an International Driving Permit together with their national driving licence. The permit must also cover the vehicle category you are riding. The guide says category A covers scooters and motorbikes, and category B alone does not.
The Indonesian alternative is the SIM C for motorbikes. The same guide says it only makes sense for long-stay residents. It also says the SIM Internasional is not the document a tourist needs, because that is the Indonesian equivalent of the permit for Indonesians travelling abroad.
A car licence alone is the common trap. The bali.com guide says you can rent a scooter on a car licence because most rental services will not care, but it does not legally entitle you to ride a two-wheeler. A 21 November 2025 report in The Nightly says many car licences allow a 50cc moped, while almost all mopeds in Bali are at least 125cc.
We found no source describing a tourist licence scheme, a temporary riding licence or a visitor SIM in 2026, so we do not claim that one exists.
Has Bali banned tourists from renting scooters?
No source we found says so, and the history is easy to misread.
In March 2023 Governor Wayan Koster said he wanted to ban all foreigners from driving in Bali, which would have meant hiring a private driver for all transport. That was a proposal. The Bali Sun reported on 29 May 2023 that, until any further ban is written into legislation, tourists can only hire a motorcycle from a business registered with the relevant trade agencies or the transportation renting association in Bali, not from a guesthouse owner or a friend. The same article says tourists must also have an international licence that covers motorcycles and the relevant insurance documents.
Later reports describe enforcement, not a ban. The Nightly reported on 21 November 2025 that rental outlets are asking tourists for a copy of their international licence in addition to their passport, and may start asking renters to show they can ride safely before signing. The bali.com guide, updated July 2026, says the rule is not new but enforcement changed sharply in 2026. If you read a headline about a ban, check its date and whether it names a regulation. We could not confirm any 2026 regulation that stops tourists renting.
Police checks and fines
Checks are real. An InDaily report of 13 May 2025 says that from 1 to 3 May police seized 56 vehicles and cited 81 drivers, including 30 tourists, with the Badung police chief saying most of the foreigners stopped did not wear helmets or hold a licence. The Passport and Stamps guide says checkpoints increased in 2026, and names the Seminyak junction with Batu Belig and a Canggu junction as consistent spots.
Fines are less consistent. The bali.com guide says missing either the permit or the national licence typically costs IDR 300,000 to 500,000 per document, and that the fines are cumulative. It gives IDR 250,000 for riding without a helmet. The Passport and Stamps guide puts a no-licence fine at IDR 1,000,000, so the two sources differ. Treat the amounts as a working range that varies by officer. The Passport and Stamps guide adds that violations are paid at the police office, not on the spot, and that you should not fall for a request to pay on the roadside.
Insurance and helmets
Insurance is where a small fine becomes a large bill. A 24 July 2025 Compare Club guide lists riding scooters without a licence or helmet among common exclusions, and says scooter or motorcycle riding is an activity that often needs add-on cover. The bali.com guide says that for your medical insurance to cover you, your national licence must actually entitle you to ride a scooter, and that on a car licence alone an accident can void your cover. Insurers differ, so check the wording of your own policy for the licence class, the engine size and any helmet condition before you leave home. Travel insurance for Bali sets four insurers’ scooter wording side by side.
On helmets, the bali.com guide says a helmet is mandatory for driver and passenger, with an IDR 250,000 fine. The InDaily report of 13 May 2025 also says helmets are mandatory for riders and passengers.
Before you hand over money or a passport
Never leave your passport. The Passport and Stamps guide says to leave a cash deposit instead, and says most standard rental agreements include one of IDR 300,000 to 500,000, typically, which the shop can claim against for minor damage. If a shop insists on keeping the passport, find another. Expect the shop to ask for a copy of your international licence as well as your passport: The Nightly reported this in November 2025.
Before you ride away, the same guide recommends filming a slow video of the whole bike to record every existing scratch, dent and crack, because it is protection against being charged for old damage. Ask what is covered if the bike is stolen or damaged, and keep the rental agreement.
Petrol, parking and where riding is hardest
Petrol is cheap and easy. The Passport and Stamps guide says most scooters run on petrol 91, at about IDR 10,000 per litre, with the blue pump costing more at IDR 12,500, and that it spent about IDR 10,000 to 15,000 per day on petrol for typical use. Roadside stalls also sell it in bottles.
Parking is mostly an attendant fee. Our Kelingking Beach page lists parking at Rp 5,000 for a scooter.
Where riding is hardest:
- The south. The Nightly says traffic is worsening, especially in Seminyak and Canggu. The Passport and Stamps guide suggests avoiding peak hours, roughly 8 to 9am and 5 to 7pm, until you find your rhythm.
- The Bukit. Our regional data describes the roads to Uluwatu as steep and winding, with blind bends, and suitable for confident riders. The Uluwatu Temple page puts the temple about an hour by road from the airport.
- Nusa Penida. The Passport and Stamps authors say the hills there basically force you onto a bigger engine. The Broken Beach page says the road to the west coast is paved almost all the way, so read each page for the road you will use.
- Sidemen. The data for Sidemen says the roads are steep, winding and slippery after rain, and not for beginners.
When not to hire one
If you hold no motorcycle licence or have never ridden, skip it. A private driver suits a full day across several sites, and Grab and Gojek cover short trips in the south without a licence question. The getting around Bali page compares all the options. If you do hire, carry your permit and national licence, wear a helmet, keep your passport, and read your insurance wording first.