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Legal mistakes foreigners make in Indonesia

Visa overstays, drug possession, property scams, illegal work, and the other ways tourists and expats end up in serious trouble.

4 min read

Indonesia is generally tolerant of tourists but its legal system enforces certain rules with severity that catches foreigners by surprise. The most serious mistakes — drug possession, visa overstays at scale, illegal work, and property scams — can mean deportation, multi-year sentences or in the extreme case death (drug trafficking). This page covers the practical ones that bite.

Drugs — the absolute red line

Indonesia has some of the world's strictest drug laws.

  • Possession of even small amounts of cannabis, MDMA, cocaine and harder substances can mean years in prison
  • Trafficking (defined loosely; substantial amounts) carries a possible death penalty — sentences are sometimes carried out
  • Tourist exception: there is no tourist exception. Foreigners receive long sentences regularly.
  • Magic mushrooms, ketamine, kratom: all illegal
  • Vape carts containing THC: illegal
  • CBD products: technically illegal in commercial form (small grey market)

Practical rule: do not bring any controlled substance into Indonesia, do not accept anything from new acquaintances, do not assume "the locals do it" means it's safe. The Kerobokan and Cipinang prisons hold dozens of foreigners on drug charges.

Visa overstay

  • Day rate fine: IDR 1,000,000 per day (~USD 65) overstay
  • 30+ days overstay: deportation, ban from re-entry (5+ years typical)
  • 6+ months overstay: criminal charges possible
  • Mistakenly extending past the eligible date for VOA conversion: technical overstay even if you're at the office

Rule: set calendar reminders 14 and 7 days before any visa expiry. Use an agent for extensions if uncertain.

Working without authorisation

  • Tourist visa holders working — illegal, including online income (technically), Bali bar shifts, English teaching gigs, "volunteering" at a yoga retreat
  • Recent enforcement: occasional crackdowns on influencer income, English teachers, dive instructors
  • Penalties: deportation, fine, re-entry ban
  • Rule: have the right visa (KITAS, E33G) before earning any Indonesian income or doing any local services

Property scams (foreigner-specific)

  • Buying in an Indonesian friend's name — illegal under the 1960 Agrarian Law; the friend is the legal owner regardless of who paid
  • "Cooperative" PT PMA structures designed only to hold residential property — typically not properly structured
  • Off-plan villa fraud — paying for villas that aren't built or are built on contested land
  • Hak Milik sale to foreigner — null and void; you receive nothing for your money
  • Buying land without a notary — never valid in Indonesia

Rule: any property transaction needs an independent Indonesian-licensed notary. The cost (a few hundred USD) saves a fortune in legal exposure.

Photography restrictions

  • Military bases and police installations — strictly off-limits
  • Some religious sites during ceremonies — ask first
  • Drone restrictions — registration with the Ministry of Communications required for commercial; some areas (around airports, military) prohibited
  • People without permission in rural areas can cause offence

Customs and importation

  • Major electronics — laptop and one phone are fine; multiple new sealed phones can attract questions
  • Drone import — limited; check current rules
  • Alcohol allowance — 1L per adult
  • Cigarettes — 200 cigarettes per adult
  • Currency — declarations required for amounts over IDR 100m equivalent

Public behaviour

  • Public drunkenness — usually tolerated in Bali but can attract fines or detention
  • Cohabitation outside marriage (UU KUHP Article 411) — technically illegal since 2026, but enforcement against tourists in Bali has not materialised. Watch the news for changes.
  • Public displays of affection beyond hand-holding — can attract attention in conservative areas
  • Topless / nude beach — illegal
  • Insulting religion — UU ITE blasphemy provisions are real; avoid social media posts touching on Islam in particular
  • Public protests as a foreigner — visa-implications risk

What to do if arrested or detained

  1. Don't sign anything in Bahasa you can't read
  2. Don't pay informal "fines" without a receipt
  3. Contact your embassy immediately — they can recommend lawyers and monitor wellbeing
  4. Get a lawyer specialising in foreign cases (Bali has several with strong reputation)
  5. Stay polite and quiet — aggression makes things worse
  6. Tell family as soon as practical

Common mistakes

  • Bringing a small amount of cannabis "for personal use" assuming it's like Thailand
  • Overstaying a tourist visa by "just a few days" without going to the office
  • Doing online work from a tourist visa for years without considering tax/work-visa risks
  • Buying a Bali villa in your Indonesian girlfriend's name
  • Posting drunken or insulting content on social media from Indonesia

Verify before acting

For any serious legal matter, retain an Indonesian-licensed lawyer. Embassy consular services can recommend lawyers but don't typically pay for them. See disclaimer.

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