International Driving Permit Rules for Riding a Scooter in Bali

To ride a scooter or motorbike in Bali, you need both a valid licence from your home country and a matching International Driving Permit (IDP) that specifically covers motorcycles — usually listed as Category A. A car-only IDP does not cover a motorbike, and vice versa, so it's worth double-checking the categories printed on your permit before you fly. The IDP has to be arranged before you leave your home country — it cannot be issued locally in Indonesia. Most countries issue them through their national motoring association, and the process is usually quick, but it can't be done at the last minute from Bali itself. A digital copy (a photo or PDF on your phone) is useful as a backup, but police at checkpoints and insurance providers will often still ask to see the physical document. Carry both if you can, along with your original home-country licence — the IDP is only valid alongside it, not as a standalone replacement. Enforcement has become noticeably stricter in recent years, with dedicated traffic task forces focusing on foreign riders' documentation. Fines for missing or incorrect paperwork typically run from a few hundred thousand up to around one million rupiah per offence, and travel insurers can refuse to pay out on a claim if you were riding without the correct licence category at the time. It's a small amount of admin before your trip that avoids a genuinely expensive problem if something goes wrong.