Moving to Bali
Quit your job, move to Bali, start a new life. Sounds lovely doesn’t it? Doing all that is possible and does not require special skills, connections or a lot of money. However you must get your ‘ducks in a line’ so to speak, to make your move to Bali a success. Even before your new business plan has started to take shape, there are a few things you need to get straightened out first.
• Bali Visas:
You can arrive on a VOA (visa on arrival) which give you 30 days in the country, if you are from one of the 63 countries granted VOA. From there you can contact with an immigration consultant to figure out what visa best fits your situation. A Single Entry Business visa is easy to set up and requires you to pay a fee of several hundred thousand rp to set up, followed by a trip to an overseas Indonesian consulate to process. Many people go to Singapore. A Business Visa does not allow you to work in Bali, just ‘gather information’ for business and attend conferences. To work in Bali you need a KITAS which is slightly more complicated to obtain but isn’t impossible. People over the age of 55 may apply for a Retirement Visa. Although some of the requirements may seem strict (you need to employ 3 locals etc.) in practice they don’t enforce them.
• Immigration Consultants:
Bali Mode
Arjuna Services
Kantor Kita
• Renting a house:
Finding a place to live can be kind of fun, if you have time on your hands. Online villa operators offer luxury accommodation, but these are mostly short term holiday rentals, some going for $100 per day, other several times that. The places to look for long term rentals are warungs and cafes with bulletin boards. These will ordinarily be covered with hand-written ads for villas, cars and motorbikes. The Bali Advertiser is also a good resource for many things. You can also try consulting a land company such as Bali Land & Houses in Kerobokan but there will be an added cost for this, over finding your own place.
There are villas and places for rent that are owned by Balinese people, who for some reason do not advertise, apart from putting a sign up outside. The best way to locate these is by exploring the back lanes and alleys of the town you wish to live in by motorbike. If you don’t know your way around or how to ride a motorbike, hire a local with a bike to drive you.
•Tip:
– Test the plumbing, lights, AC, shower drainage etc. before you sign a lease.
– If the place you intend to rent needs work and the owner agrees to take care of the work AFTER you move in, don’t believe them. Alternatively rent the place for a month and see if the work gets done.
– Sleep in the house for a few nights to check the noise levels. If located next to a Balinese family there might be roosters / dogs, if close to nightclubs there might be loud music.
– Make sure you have a proper rental contract.
•Places with large bulletin boards for villas / rooms:
Global Xtreme
Krakatoa Business Center
Cafe Moka
•Getting home internet access:
Since 2003 ISP’s in Bali your options have increased significantly. As well as the old dial-up, which nobody liked, there is Global, IndoSat, CBN, Blueline, XL offering various solutions that do not require a phone line, and also Telkom (the phone company) which can provide DSL to those phone line subscribers.
•Car and motorbike rental:
Long term car and motorbike rental can be arranged from the same people that the tourists use. Just suggest a rate you are happy with and be prepared to walk away. For a Honda Supra Fit motorbike, 400,000rp per month is a very good deal, 450,000-500,000rp per month is okay.
•Expat Healthcare:
Most Bali expats will visit either BIMC or SOS clinics, both in Kuta, for minor emergencies. Sanglah hospital in Denpasar handles major emergencies. Expats requiring fast surgery will often choose to fly out to Australia, Singapore or other Asian destinations such as Thailand. Be sure to get set up with expat health insurance so you’ll be able to choose what clinic / hospital you can use without worrying about the costs.
When you figure all that stuff out you can get into the important work of compiling your list of Top 5 restaurants, nightspots, beaches, spas, and cafes.