Scooter licence in Bali: IDP, helmet and insurance rules

To ride a scooter legally in Bali as a visitor, you need a valid licence that covers motorcycles: in practice, your national licence with the motorcycle category plus an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued in your home country, carried together. Residents with an Indonesian stay permit can apply for an Indonesian licence instead. Every rider must wear a helmet. If your licence at home only covers cars, an IDP does not change that — take a driver instead.

What Bali's rules say

Bali's provincial government sets out what it expects of foreign visitors in a circular from the Governor, presented by the province's tourism office. On the road, tourists must:

• hold a valid international or national driver's licence
• wear a helmet when riding a motorbike
• follow traffic signs and not overload vehicles
• not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• use only licensed vehicle rentals and transport services

The tourism office of Badung regency puts it more bluntly in its guide for foreign tourists: motorcycle riding is prohibited for foreigners without a proper licence.

Traffic in Indonesia drives on the left.

The International Driving Permit

An IDP is not a licence on its own. It accompanies your national licence and is valid only together with it.

It must cover motorcycles. An IDP only allows the vehicle classes that your home licence allows. The Canadian government gives the plainest example: you cannot use an IDP to ride a motorbike if you are only licensed to drive cars. The same logic applies whatever your nationality: check that the motorcycle category appears on your licence and on the permit.

Get it before you leave. An IDP is issued in the country that issued your licence, so it cannot be arranged once you are in Bali. The British government's IDP table lists which permit type Indonesia accepts, and Indonesia's own traffic police issue international permits under the UN Vienna Convention on Road Traffic to Indonesian licence holders.

Carry both. The Canadian government's advice is to carry the IDP with your national licence, and notes that the local authorities may ask to approve a permit obtained outside Indonesia.

Living in Bali. If you hold a stay permit, the British government notes that you can apply for an Indonesian licence, known as a SIM; the category must match the vehicle.

Helmets

The Governor's circular requires a helmet on a motorbike, and the British government advises one "in good condition". Wear it fastened, on every ride, however short — and make sure anyone on the back has one too.

Insurance

This is where the licence matters most. The British and New Zealand governments both tell travellers to check with their insurer that the policy covers riding a scooter or motorbike, and New Zealand advises cover for medical evacuation and high-risk activities. Read your policy's conditions on licences before you ride, not after an accident.

The Canadian government adds a less obvious risk: rental motorcycles are often stolen, and you may have to pay the replacement cost. Lock the bike and keep the keys on you.

If there is an accident. The British government says you must wait for the police at the scene; Canada advises stopping, exchanging information and helping the other people involved. In an emergency, call 112.

Is a scooter right for you?

Governments are unusually direct about this. Canada says motorcycle and scooter accidents are the main cause of death and serious injury among foreigners in many parts of Indonesia, including Bali. The UK reports a large increase in moped and motorbike accidents in Bali, some fatal, and warns that foreigners involved in even minor traffic incidents may be vulnerable to extortion.

A scooter makes sense if you already ride at home, hold the licence for it, and keep to daylight and roads you know. It does not make sense:

• if you have never ridden — Bali is not where to learn
• after drinking, which the circular forbids anyway
• for a night out in another area, or a dinner on the cliffs
• with luggage, children or a group

The British government's own suggestion is to consider a private driver or a car with a driver. Getting around Bali compares the options.

Scooters and drivers from FirstBali

FirstBali's fleet includes scooters — the Yamaha NMAX, the Yamaha XMAX, the Yamaha TMAX and the Honda X-ADV — which can be requested from the transport page. Have your licence and IDP ready when you ask, and tell us the dates and where you are staying.

For everything a scooter does badly, there are cars with a driver: an MPV for the family, a Toyota Alphard for comfort, a minibus for a group, and limousines on request. The private driver guide explains which car for which day, and the Alphard with driver guide covers it in detail. You can also do both: the scooter for the beach in daylight, the driver for the evening.

Ask the concierge and it checks the vehicle for your dates; it is yours once it has been secured.

Read next: getting around Bali, private driver in Bali, landing in Bali and staying safe on a night out.