overview
Bali is a very diverse island that allows you to do many activities. Whether it's adrenaline-pumping activities like jet skiing or white water rafting, less risky activities like hiking and snorkeling, or just passive sunbathing on the beach, there are always hidden risks. We certainly don't want to bring them up, and we hope your holiday or stay in Bali goes smoothly, but it's better to be safe than sorry. That's why we always advise you to choose good insurance before you travel.
This Guide is divided into the following sections:
Mandatory?
Travel insurance is not currently required when traveling to Bali (the current requirements for entry to Indonesia can be found in the Travel Regulations Guide). However, we still strongly recommend it for all travelers. For example, at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, travel insurance covering treatment for Covid-19 disease was mandatory. In addition, in case of an extended stay abroad (usually more than six months in a row), you may be able to cancel your state health insurance, but we recommend checking the laws of your country.
Coverage
When choosing travel insurance, it is essential to consider what is specifically included in the event of a claim. So always choose your insurance carefully according to what you plan to do. If you are unsure or like to try new things, always select the higher coverage. If you need help understanding the policy terms and conditions, contact the insurance company, they will be happy to explain everything to you before you go. In the examples below, we show you what to look out for.
Example 1: You have never dived, but diving in Bali has always appealed to you, and you might try it. Choose an insurance policy that covers 100 % diving. This way, you won't risk a situation where, for example, your equipment fails, and you have to cover any medical costs yourself.
Example 2: You plan to trek to Agung volcano (3031m) in Bali. The insurance company covers the following: "High altitude hiking and trekking on marked and open to the public paths and trails up to a maximum altitude of 5000 m above sea level." But Mount Agung has no marked trails. Only the local guides know them. Will this coverage be enough for you? Will your insurance pay for any claims? Even a nuance in the word "marked" can be a reason for an insurance company not to pay. And believe me; they love to find such a reason. So always check everything with the insurance company beforehand, and if you deal with them on the phone, we recommend recording any confirmation calls.
Example 3: You like freediving, meaning diving without equipment. Bali is an ideal destination for this, but the insurance company only covers snorkeling in the first sports package and diving with an instructor and breathing apparatus in the second. The detailed terms and conditions then state that freediving is not insurable. However, where is the line between snorkeling and freediving? A depth of 1 meter? Or five? Or up to 10 meters? You will claim you were snorkeling, and the insurance company may argue the opposite. In this case, we recommend trying another insurance company that covers freediving.
Example 4: You have decided to explore the island on a scooter. So you have chosen insurance to cover damage to your scooter if, for example, you damage it. The insurance company's terms and conditions state: "The insurance covers the payment of a deductible for damage caused to a vehicle hired under a written contract." So you will know that you cannot borrow a scooter from someone on the street on a good word or so-called "no paper," but you must always ask for a written contract from the rental company.
We wanted to use these examples to demonstrate how in detail, you need to study the insurance coverage for the specific activities you plan to do. So be sure always to review the entire insurance policy thoroughly. Yes, we are talking about the long paragraphs with the small print, but trust us, you're doing it for yourself.
It's a good idea to research coverage and prices with multiple insurance companies. For example, you may find that your holiday insurance costs USD 200 with insurance company A, while it will be USD 350 with insurance company B. However, if you look at the coverage offered by insurance company A, you will find that after adding in the sports you need, for example, you will get USD 500. In contrast, insurance company B already has them at the basic price. This is a common practice to reduce the cost of insurance seemingly.
What is a good idea to have included in the insurance when traveling to Bali?
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Medical expenses, ideally USD 500,000 or more.
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Liability insurance for damage you might cause to someone else through your fault, for example, when driving a scooter.
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Covid-19 treatment insurance.
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Entitlement to an interpreter in the event of an insured event.
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Insurance and compensation for hospitalization.
Insurance for luggage (usually small limits), sports equipment, flight delays, and other supplementary insurances are optional. We leave it up to you to decide whether to include it in the coverage.
Medical Expenses
Insurance companies usually specify the range of medical expenses for specific insurance policies, and some now offer unlimited limits. It is generally challenging to decide whether a limit of USD 200.000 or USD 500.000 is sufficient for you, especially when you have no idea how much individual procedures cost in a particular destination. We often do not even have such an idea about our own country.
Below you will find the prices of some of the interventions so that you can better decide what coverage is sufficient for your trip.
Approximate Prices of Surgeries in Bali
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Essential examination by a general practitioner: approx. IDR 500,000 (USD 35)
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Medical examination after insect bite + medication: approx. IDR 750,000 (USD 50)
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Dental filling white: approx. IDR 2,000,000 (USD 35)
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Hospitalization in hospital for one day: approx. IDR 500,000 - 2,000,000 (USD 35 - 135)
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Minor surgery: approx. IDR 10,000,000 - 50,000,000 (USD 670 - 3,350)
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Major surgery: approx. IDR 70,000,000 - 150,000,000 (USD 4,680 - 10,000)
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Kidney transplantation (recipient): approx. IDR 700,000,000 (USD 47,000)
Length of Stay
The choice of an insurance company and travel insurance also depends on how long you plan to stay in Bali. In many countries, most insurance companies have no problem with stays of up to 90 days. For up to 90 days away from your home country, the travel insurance offered with credit cards will also suffice. We recommend you read their coverage and limits in detail.
Sometimes the problem can occur with stays over 90 days. Although most insurance companies offer annual insurance, for example, it only covers you for 90 days, and then you have to go back. So they will only insure you for 90 days at a time.
💡 Tip: If you're traveling for more than 90 days, you can still use your credit card insurance for the first 90 days of your trip. After that, you can arrange other insurance online the day before it expires or even before you travel from when your 90 days pass.
So for long-term holidays or living abroad, you must find an insurance company to insure you for as long as possible. These include, for example, William Russell's foreign travel insurance or SafetyWing, which focuses on digital nomads. You can find other companies in your home country.
Prices
Insurance prices vary widely, depending on the insurance company, the period and additional insurance chosen, and the insured person's age. For example, the credit card's short-term insurance for up to 90 days can cost about USD 3/month and often covers a child or a family member traveling with you.
Standard basic travel insurance from commercial insurers is around USD 2 per person daily. So if you plan to go for 20 days, you can expect to pay approximately 2 x 20 = USD 40 per person for the whole stay. Most insurance companies allow you to arrange insurance online at a reduced price. This way, you can see an online estimate of how much travel insurance in Bali will cost you before you confirm your order. Insurance prices may vary depending on your country.
Our ApproacH
We prefer to communicate with insurance companies in our native language. We speak English quite well, but in case of an accident, we want to communicate in our native language. We, therefore, use long-term travel insurance from the insurance company in our country. We always arrange it online for the next six months (the price is about USD 60/month). Before this period expires, we will arrange new insurance for the next six months.
Why don't we have insurance for one year? Because it costs the same per month and we never know when we will want or need to move elsewhere, so we don't pay unnecessarily for something we won't use. Plus, this had worked for us before, specifically during a pandemic when our current insurance didn't cover Covid treatment. If we had had a one-year contract, we would not have had Covid insurance for another six months.
But in the new agreement, we made after six months, the medical expenses with Covid were already included. Our state health insurance was canceled.
In Case Of an Accident
We are sure nobody wants to deal with this kind of thing, but it is better to be prepared. If something happens to you and you know the insurance company covers you in that case, it depends on the case:
If it's something small, such as a minor treatment at the doctor's, you can pay cash on the spot and then claim the cost from the insurance company with the receipt and medical report. The insurance claim can usually be reported online; in our case, they always pay the cost within 2 to 3 days of dispatch.
In the event of a significant complication, such as a scooter accident, you or a passenger/friend can report the incident to the insurance company and ask for details on how to proceed. If you are already in the hospital, you can say you have travel insurance and pass the contact details to the insurance company.
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In the best-case scenario, they will get together directly, the insurance company will confirm your insurance and guarantee to cover the cost of your treatment, and no one will ask you to pay anything (this is our experience).
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The worst-case scenario is, in critical cases, the hospital may refuse to treat you until you pay for the necessary treatment on the spot with cash or a card. Often this can be in the hundreds and thousands of USD, sometimes more. We recommend having a financial reserve in your account for this eventuality. If you refuse or cannot pay the amount, you will have to wait for your insurance company to guarantee for you, but in many cases, this is not possible due to the severity of the injury. For example, it happened to one of our friends that he requested to be transferred to another hospital, and due to the time delay, he had to wait 8 hours with an acute injury before a competent manager came to work in his home country and made a decision on whether it was possible under the insurance or not.
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