The Bali exception, in one paragraph
Bali is separate from the rest of Indonesia for pet imports. The island remains under a domestic rabies emergency in force since the 2008 outbreak, which persists despite extensive vaccination campaigns. The Indonesian government's stated policy is that Bali is closed to live-dog and live-cat imports, with very narrow exceptions for animals arriving from a short list of countries Indonesia recognises as rabies-free. Direct international arrivals at Ngurah Rai (DPS) are not permitted. The only legal route is via Jakarta with full Barantin quarantine then a separate inter-area (antar area) movement permit for onward transit to Bali. Smuggling animals across island borders leads to seizure and a documented risk of euthanasia under rabies-control enforcement [1] [2].
Who issues the rules
The Ministry of Agriculture sets national rules and Barantin enforces them. The Bali provincial veterinary office adds a layer of inter-area permitting for any animal moving from another Indonesian province into Bali. The combination is what makes Bali stricter than mainland Indonesia, not the national rules themselves [1] [3].
Species
Dogs and cats only, and only via the indirect Jakarta-then-Bali route. Indonesia is high-risk for canine rabies per the US CDC, but Bali is the specific province under active rabies emergency [4] [2].
Microchip
ISO 11784/11785 compliant 15-digit microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination. Bali inspectors are stricter than mainland Indonesian inspectors and will refuse an animal whose chip cannot be read or whose chip number does not match every certificate exactly [1] [5].
Rabies vaccination
Current rabies vaccination given at least 30 days and not more than 12 months before shipment, on a certificate from a government or licensed veterinarian. Animals must be at least 90 days (3 months) old at shipment and must not be pregnant or lactating. In practice, given the FAVN waiting period below, animals are typically 7 to 8 months old before they can travel [1].
Rabies antibody titer (FAVN/RFFIT)
Required. A FAVN or RFFIT titer drawn at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination, showing at least 0.5 IU/ml, at a WOAH-listed laboratory (Kansas State, Auburn, or one of the EU-approved labs such as ANSES Nancy in France, AHL Weybridge in the UK, IZSVe Padova in Italy). The titer must be in date at arrival. Bali inspectors regularly cross-check the titer date against the rabies vaccination date and reject animals where the 30-day rule was not respected [1] [5].
Other vaccinations
Dogs: give distemper, infectious hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus between 30 days and 12 months before shipment. Cats: give feline viral rhinotracheitis, panleukopenia and feline leukaemia on the same 30-day to 12-month window [1].
Origin country restriction
Indonesia recognises a short list of rabies-free countries from which live-animal imports of dogs and cats are easier in principle: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Malta, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Cyprus, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brunei, Sabah, Sarawak, Fiji, Bermuda, the Turks and Caicos and the United States (with caveats). Animals arriving from non-listed countries (most of continental Europe, much of Asia, all of Africa) face the full FAVN-plus-quarantine chain via Jakarta. Even animals from listed countries cannot bypass the Jakarta quarantine on the way to Bali in current practice [1].
Paperwork
1. Import permit from the Directorate of Animal Health (via Barantin's online portal), specifying Jakarta CGK as the port of entry. You cannot name Bali (DPS) as the port of entry on the import permit [1] [3]. 2. International health certificate / pet passport, issued by an authorised government veterinarian in the origin country within the standard 10-day window, listing microchip number, rabies vaccination date, titer result, additional vaccines and a clinical-examination statement [1]. 3. Inter-area (antar area) movement permit issued by the Bali provincial veterinary authority for the onward leg from Jakarta to Bali. This is a separate filing from the international import permit and is conditional on the Jakarta quarantine clearance certificate [1] [3].
Quarantine
Mandatory 14-day quarantine at the Barantin facility attached to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK, Jakarta) for any animal arriving from a rabies-endemic country. The standard period is 14 days; paperwork issues can extend it. There is no home-quarantine option, and there is no Barantin quarantine facility on Bali itself for animals arriving from overseas [1] [5].
Banned or restricted breeds
The mainland Indonesian rules apply. No published national banned-breeds list, but airline-side IATA CR82 reinforced-container rules apply to fighting breeds (Pit Bull and variants, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa Inu, Perro de Presa Canario, Cane Corso). Some airlines flying into Indonesia refuse these outright [6].
Approved arrival airports
Soekarno-Hatta (CGK, Jakarta) is the only realistic entry point for the international leg. Ngurah Rai (DPS, Bali) does not accept international live-animal arrivals. After the 14-day Jakarta quarantine and issuance of the inter-area permit, the animal flies domestically to DPS with a Barantin-cleared waybill [1].
Estimated cost in EUR
Indicative all-in budget for one medium dog (15 to 25 kg) flown from western Europe to Bali via Jakarta, including IATA crate, EU TRACES export certificate, FAVN titer, international cargo to CGK, 14-day Jakarta Barantin quarantine, inter-area permit, domestic Jakarta-to-Denpasar cargo flight and arrival handling: roughly 3,500 to 5,500 EUR. Cats: 1,500 to 2,800 EUR. The Jakarta quarantine boarding and the second (domestic) cargo movement are what pushes Bali significantly above the mainland Indonesia and Thailand cases [1] [6].
Timing
Minimum 18 to 20 weeks. The chain is unavoidable: microchip (if needed), rabies vaccination, 30-day wait, FAVN blood draw, 1 to 2 weeks of lab turnaround, Indonesian import permit (2 to 3 weeks), schedule the origin-country health certificate within the 10-day window, fly to CGK, complete 14 days of Jakarta quarantine, apply for and receive the inter-area permit, then fly domestically to DPS. Customs routinely refuses or detains pets with any missing link, at the owner's cost, and on Bali specifically there is a documented risk of euthanasia for animals that bypass the official route [1] [5].
A practical warning
The unofficial route some long-term residents have used historically (fly the animal to a neighbouring country, then move it onward by sea or land to Bali) has tightened sharply in recent enforcement cycles. The Bali provincial government has stepped up inspections at private ports and on inbound domestic flights. Settle Asia does not provide guidance on routes that bypass Barantin, because they put the animal at meaningful risk of seizure. Where the FAVN-plus-Jakarta-quarantine route is not viable, the realistic choice is to live in mainland Indonesia (Java) with the pet rather than Bali [1] [3].