Good to Know before you Arriving at Denpasar – Airport
Location of Bali Airport, DPS
The airport is located in the south of Bali and very close to most of Bali’s major tourist areas. The international and national terminals are side by side.
North of the airport: Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Kerobokan, Umalas, Canggu, Tanah Lot.
South of the airport: Jimbaran, Nusa Dua, Tanjung Benoa, Pecatu, Uluwatu, Ungasan.
East Of the airport: Ubud, Candi Dasa, Padang Bai Port, Tulamben, Amed
Bali Airport: Valuable Tips On Arrival At Denpasar Airport
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Corona Virus Update: Mandatory Health Statement
We have received a confirmed notice that Bali Airport has implemented a mandatory health form that needs to be completed and submitted before entering the immigrant queue.
The form asks for basic personal information with a health statement and must be given to one of the waiting officials before entering the immigrant queue. So have your passport, boarding pass and identification details ready – bring a pen with you and fill out the form and line up as soon as possible to wait in line for immigration.
The forms are handed out on your plane before landing or are found at temporary tables in the arrival hall in front of the immigration lines.
2. Quickly Go To The Immigration Queue
After landing, your best strategy is to get into the immigration queue as soon as possible. Depending on the time of day, the queues can be long – very long – with waiting times of around 1 hour.
Take a toilet break before arriving on the plane and go to the queues as soon as possible after landing. If you still need a toilet break, do so while waiting for your luggage. It is imperative that you get to the immigration queue as soon as possible.
The arrival hall at Bali Airport is huge. So expect a long walk from your gate to the immigrant queues.
3. Be Prepared for A Long Wait For Your Luggage.
Bali Airport is known for its slow baggage handling. Therefore, it is best to get through immigration as soon as possible and then take a toilet break in the baggage and customs hall.
The checked baggage slowly arrives on the conveyor belts. Painfully slow, with 20 minutes as fast and up to an hour is normal.
Before leaving baggage collection to go through customs controls, you need to have an immigration form, which is sometimes tight. At the other end of the baggage are carousels with some desks with immigration forms. Get there quickly and get an immigration form first. Then take a look at which carousels your luggage will be delivered to.
Now you have enough time to fill out your form as your luggage will not come out so quickly. And instead of waiting at the end of customs and hoping your baggage will be delivered early (how cute and naive you are), the entrance end has the destination boards – which change often – so stay there until you know you have the right one Carousel.
Oversized luggage such as surfboards, mountain bikes, or anything that local luggage guides classify as “heavy” is deposited at the entrance end of the carousels. What can change at any time.
4. Getting Through Customs
Once you have picked up your luggage, go to the customs line where you hand in your arrival form and you will be directed either to the exit or to an X-ray.
Customs often “value” the value as much higher than what you paid. My tip is therefore to take the receipt with you to another location, e.g. B. in your wallet. So if pressure is exerted (figuratively), you can prove this worth.
5. Withdraw Local Currency Or Exchange Cash For Indonesia Rupiah
After leaving customs, one of the newest additions to Bali Airport is a series of ATMs operated by large local banks. These are absolutely safe to use and I strongly recommend that you stop and either withdraw the local currency from the ATM or use the bank branches when they are open to exchange your money for Indonesian rupiah.
I have written extensively about the safe use of ATMs in Bali. Tip number one is to get a local currency while you are in a safe, safe environment at Bali Airport.
In addition to the ATMs, there are now a few reputable money changers at the airport. While I’ve written about safely changing money in Bali, you can use it without the risk of being ripped off as they are absolutely trustworthy. Although the exchange rate in Seminyak is not as competitive as a money changer, it is within 2-3 points, making comfort and security worthwhile, especially for first-time visitors without local currency.
The best option is to change what you need for a few days before changing larger amounts at a money changer elsewhere once you have settled in.
6. Avoid The Taxi Touts And Porters
There are also a large number of porters who want to bring your luggage to your transfer service. They can be quite aggressive even for seasoned travelers and expect a tip – and most will always push you for more than you offer. So I recommend ignoring them.
They are experienced operators who do their best to guide you to “taxi drivers” for your transfer to your destination.
It is far better to have a private transfer to pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel or villa for a smooth experience.
7. Electronic Customs Declaration
Indonesia now supports submitting the required form upon arrival via an online electronic customs declaration. There are two ways to fill out the form.
First, you can complete the Indonesian government’s online electronic customs declaration within two days of your trip to Indonesia, not earlier.
Alternatively, you can fill out the form online at the airport using your smartphone. At Bali airport, you can access the free internet. The WiFi network is called “NgurahRai” and can be accessed without a password.
The electronic customs declaration form can be submitted in Indonesian, English, or Chinese.
At the end of the registration process, you will receive a QR code, which you must present to the customs officials after collecting the luggage and before checking and inspecting customs security.
This is a huge improvement as there are often no more customs declaration forms in the arrival hall (and there are never any pens).
