The Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration has launched a new reporting service for all accommodation providers in the country, including in Bali.
The system is known as the Foreigner Supervision Application (APOA) and is designed to ‘optimize the surveillance’ of foreigners in the country.
In a media statement, the Director of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement, Yuldi Yusman, explained that the application and reporting system are designed to make it easier for hosts and accommodation providers to report the presence of foreign guests on their premises.
Yusman shared “Immigration has the authority to request foreign data from hotels or other places that function as accommodation in this case we use APOA as the platform. The owner or manager of the inn just needs to register guests through this application, then the data can be accessed by the Immigration officer for surveillance purposes.”
It has always been the case that accommodation providers must keep a register of their guests, however, the implementation of the Foreigner Supervision Application is based on Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration and its updated changes in Law Number 63 of 2024.
This new law change and the launch of the Foreigner Supervision Application have a twofold impact. One is that Indonesian Immigration has the right to request information regarding any guests at any premises, and owners or managers of said premises must provide it.
The other is that the policy changes help the Immigration Department and the Bali Provincial Government crack down on tourists and foreigners who stay in villas and other accommodations that are operating illegally.
Bali is in the midst of a crackdown on accommodation businesses that are operating without the correct permits, and license and are not paying their Hotel and Restaurant Tax contributions.
For accommodation providers who do not comply with the new rules, there is a risk of criminal liability. If found guilty, accommodation providers could face fines of up to IDR 25 million or 3 months in prison.
All accommodation providers must now register their guests at check-in, request a passport from the foreign guests, upload a copy of the front page to the Foreigner Supervision Application, or take a photo of the passport ID page. Additional data may be requested. The check-out report of all foreign guests will be stored in the system and become part of the surveillance record for Indonesia Immigration.
While for many hotels, resorts, guesthouses, and villas it has long been standard practice to keep a register of guests, over the years many have not. It is not known how many accommodation providers have not been registering their guests with the Foreigner Supervision Application, at the local police station, or in some cases even keeping a record of their guests.
According to the Immigration database as of 24th March 2025, the total data of foreign guests who were registered as staying throughout Indonesia as recorded in APOA was 78,077 people.
This is drastically less than the actual number of international tourists who visited the country in the first three months of the year.
Yusman concluded, “With more structured reporting, the opportunity to detect illegal activities that can threaten public order and national sovereignty becomes greater.”
Speaking separately, the Director General of Immigration, Saffar Muhammad Godam, told reporters, “With the APOA application and support from various parties, it is hoped that the supervision of foreigners in Indonesia can be more optimal.”
“The use of technology in this immigration system is a step forward in maintaining the security and sovereignty of the country.”
The Head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, Winarko, confirmed that he and his teams will work to ensure that all accommodation providers in Bali, including hotels and private villas, use the Foreigner Supervision Application to formally check in and check out their guests.
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