Russians, Australians apply for the bulk of residency visas in Bali: report

By Hoang Vu January 3, 2023 | 11:38 pm PT

Tourists walk on a beach in Badung, Bali, Indonesia, September 9, 2021. Photo via Reuters

Russian and Australian nationals submitted the most applications for residency visas in Indonesia's famous island of Bali last year, new data shows.

The Ngurah Rai Immigration Office in Bali issued some 71,001 residence permits for foreign nationals in different visa categories in 2022, including visitor stay permits, extension of visas on arrival, and temporary and permanent stay permits, the Indonesian news agency Antara reported.

The office said Russian citizens were the most frequent applicants for residency visa categories on the island with 29,762 people applying, followed by Australians (8,219), Germans (7,434), French (6,547) and British nationals (6,516).

The data indicates the strong level of interest in Bali as a destination for international travelers who want to retire abroad.

Indonesia received 3 million foreign tourists last year.

The region's largest economy, Indonesia expects to receive 7.4 million international arrivals this year.