Before you go · your phone
eSIM or SIM card in Bali: staying connected, and the 90-day phone rule
The SAS Bali Tour team
Published Sep 2026
5 min read
Short answer
For most visitors, a travel eSIM installed at home is easiest: it works the moment you land, needs no registration and keeps your home number in the phone. A local tourist SIM from Telkomsel, XL or Indosat gives more data and a local number; it registers your phone for up to 90 days. Telkomsel has the best coverage in the hills and the north.
Why you want data from the moment you land
In Bali, almost everything runs through your phone. Your driver messages you on WhatsApp when he is at arrivals. Grab and Gojek need data to book a ride. Maps get you out of the lanes in Ubud. Our pickup details, the tickets on your phone and the Bali tourist levy QR code all live there too. Hotel Wi-Fi is good; you still want the phone working in the car park at arrivals.
Your three options
| Option | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Travel eSIM, installed at home | Most visitors: works the moment you land, no counter, no registration | Your phone must be unlocked and eSIM-capable; data only, usually no local number |
| Local tourist SIM or eSIM (Telkomsel, XL, Indosat) | Longer stays, heavy data use, a local number | Airport counters cost more than shops in town; the phone is registered to your passport for up to 90 days |
| Roaming on your home SIM | A few days, a generous home plan | Check the daily price before you fly — it adds up |
Travel eSIMs
A travel eSIM is a data plan you buy in an app or on a website before you leave, install with a QR code at home, and switch on after landing. It rides on one of the Indonesian networks, so coverage is the same as a local SIM. There is nothing to register and nothing to queue for. Your home SIM stays in the phone, so bank text messages still arrive — just turn off data roaming on it.
Before you buy, check two things in your phone's settings: that it supports eSIM, and that it is not locked to your home network.
Local SIMs, and the 90-day rule
An Indonesian SIM or eSIM gives you a local number and usually the most data for the money. Indonesia registers every phone that uses a local SIM by its IMEI number. For visitors this is handled when you buy a tourist SIM with your passport: the phone is registered for up to 90 days. After that, it stops working on Indonesian networks and runs on Wi-Fi only — a new SIM won't fix it, because the block is on the phone, not the number.
- Staying less than 90 days? Nothing to do beyond showing your passport when you buy.
- Staying longer? Declare the phone at customs when you arrive. Phones above a certain value can carry import duty; check the current rules before you fly.
- Buying at the airport is the easiest, and the staff set it up for you. Shops in town are cheaper for the same packs.
Where the signal drops
The south, Ubud and the main roads are well covered with 4G, and 5G in parts of the south. Telkomsel has the widest coverage in the hills and the far north and east. Expect weak or no signal in deep valleys and at a few of the places our routes go: the bottom of the Sekumpul gorge, the Menjangan reef, parts of the mountain roads above Munduk and around Lempuyang. Tell someone your plans; your driver waits where the signal is.
How much data you need
Maps, WhatsApp, ride apps and a few photos sent home use less than people expect: a gigabyte or two a day is plenty for most. Video calls and uploading video are what eat a plan. Hotel and café Wi-Fi is good almost everywhere, so a mid-sized plan is usually enough.
One day without mobile data
On Nyepi, the Day of Silence, mobile data has been switched off across the island in recent years; hotel Wi-Fi keeps working. Our Nyepi guide has the dates.
Sources
- IMEI registration and the 90-day limit: Indonesian operator and customs guidance for visitors, checked September 2026.
- Coverage: our drivers' experience on the routes we drive.
Questions people ask us
Does WhatsApp work with a travel eSIM?
Yes. WhatsApp stays linked to your home number; the eSIM only provides the data. Your driver can reach you on the same number as before.
Can I buy a SIM card at Bali airport?
Yes, at the counters after customs. Staff register the phone with your passport and set it up. It costs more than the same pack in town, but it is ready before you leave the terminal.
What happens to my phone after 90 days?
A phone registered as a visitor stops working on Indonesian networks after 90 days and runs on Wi-Fi only. If you are staying longer, declare the phone at customs when you arrive.
Where to go from here
These are the pages we'd send someone who asked this question.