Before you start

A valid home-country driving licence — and crucially one that already includes the motorcycle category if you intend to ride
For the IDP route: a 1949-Geneva-style International Driving Permit obtained in your home country BEFORE you arrive (you cannot get a foreign IDP in Bali)
For an Indonesian SIM: a valid KITAS/KITAP residence permit and your passport — tourist/VOA holders can no longer apply directly
A helmet for every ride — legally mandatory and the single most-checked item at roadblocks

Step-by-step

1
Arrive with the right IDP, or you're not road-legal on day one
Get an International Driving Permit in your home country before flying out, and check the motorbike box: an IDP only authorises the categories on your underlying licence, so a car-only licence produces a car-only IDP that does NOT let you ride a scooter. Carry the IDP together with your physical home licence at all times — police want to see both.
In personWho: You, before departureIssued same-day to ~1 week by your home auto clubRoughly USD 20-50 in your home country
2
Pass the psychology and health screening (Denpasar)
When you hold a KITAS and ride regularly, get a proper Indonesian SIM. Start at the SIM service area behind Polresta Denpasar. Do the computer-based psychology test (a short screening, available in English) and the health check (blood pressure and eyesight) at the small clinic nearby. Bring photocopies of your passport photo page and KITAS.
In personWho: You, KITAS holderAbout 1 hour for both screeningsPsychology test ~IDR 90k; health check ~IDR 25k
3
Apply, sit the theory test, and collect your SIM the same day
Arrive at the SIM office before noon with your screening slips and copies. You give a photo and fingerprints and sit a ~30-question computer theory test (Indonesian, scenario-based). The practical cone test is officially required but widely reported as not currently enforced for foreigners. Pay the state fee and the card is printed the same day. SIM C covers a standard scooter; SIM A covers cars.
In personWho: You, at the Denpasar SIM office2-3 hours total in one morningSIM C all-in ~IDR 215k (state fee + screenings)
4
Handle checkpoints calmly — and never ride without a helmet
Roadblocks targeting tourists on rental bikes are routine, especially in Canggu, Kuta and Ubud. If you have a valid IDP+home licence or a SIM, plus a helmet, you have nothing to fear. Since 18 October 2022 police are banned from collecting cash fines on the spot — all fines go through the electronic ticket (e-tilang) system. If an officer pushes for a cash 'damai' (peace) settlement, politely ask for an official ticket: this usually ends it, because a real ticket creates a paper trail.
In personWho: You, on the roadOngoingOfficial no-licence fine up to IDR 1,000,000 — but legally NOT payable as roadside cash

Documents you’ll need

Valid home-country driving licence with the motorcycle category if riding — physical card, carried with the IDP
International Driving Permit (IDP) covering motorbikes — obtained abroad — for the non-SIM route
Passport (photo page) plus a valid KITAS/KITAP — required to apply for an Indonesian SIM
Psychology-test slip and health certificate (surat sehat) from the clinics by the SIM office

Things most newcomers don’t know

A scooter accident on a car-only licence makes you both illegal AND uninsured — the single most expensive mistake in Bali.

Travel and health insurers exclude claims from 'illegal' activity. If your home licence/IDP doesn't cover motorbikes, cover is void — riders have been refused treatment until depositing tens of thousands of dollars cash. The licence class must match the bike.

Source: Travel Insurance Direct media release (2023)

Police legally cannot take cash on the spot anymore — asking for an official 'tilang' is your best defence.

A Korlantas POLRI order dated 18 Oct 2022 banned manual roadside ticketing in favour of the electronic e-tilang system. A real ticket names the officer, so requesting one usually deflates a cash 'damai' demand.

Source: APSN / Indonesian National Police, Oct 2022

Your IDP is only as good as the categories on your home licence.

An IDP doesn't grant new privileges — it just translates what you already hold. Tourists routinely ride on a car-only IDP, unaware it's invalid for a scooter, which is exactly what voids insurance and triggers fines.

Source: Celerity Bali driving guide, 2026

Once you have a KITAS, the real SIM is cheaper, faster and more robust than chasing IDP renewals.

A self-service SIM C is about IDR 215k and done in one morning, now valid 5 years. It's the document police most readily accept from residents and removes the annual IDP+foreign-licence juggling act.

Source: A Brother Abroad SIM C walkthrough

Common mistakes to avoid

Riding a scooter on a car-only licence or car-only IDP — illegal, fineable, and it voids your accident insurance.
Assuming you can buy a foreign IDP in Bali — you must obtain it in your home country before arriving.
Paying roadside cash 'damai' to police — it's an illegal bribe; fines must go through the e-tilang system at a bank or app.
Trying to get an Indonesian SIM on a tourist visa — direct applications now require a KITAS/KITAP.