Best and Cheap COVID-19 Travel Insurance for Bali (Indonesia) 2023
Bali is a popular tourism destination in Indonesia among Singaporeans, and with the easing of travel restrictions during this pandemic, more travellers are returning to Bali. Whether you intend to go clubbing at Kuta Beach, cafe-hop in Seminyak, visit the rice fields of Ubud or do sea sports at Nusa Dua, make sure that you purchase travel insurance before you fly. Wondering what is the best travel insurance policy with Covid-19 coverage? Head over to Moneysmart to compare the best travel insurance plans.
COVID-19 Travel Requirements To Enter Bali
Since the launch of VTL flights between Singapore and more than 30 countries (with Indonesia being one of them), there has been changes in requirements for travellers entering Bali, and that includes certified COVID-19 vaccination, the purchase of travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage, the type of certified hotels which you book, mandatory PCR tests, and other procedures which we will cover shortly.
Vaccination and quarantine requirements
Every tourist is required to have a proof (digital/ printed) of COVID-19 Vaccination, with the last dose taken 14 days before travelling to Bali. For those who are travelling with children who are below 18 years old, the children can follow the vaccination status of their parents or guardian.
If you’re fully vaccinated, which means 2 or more doses take, you don’t have to be quarantined and there isn’t a need to take a PCR test upon arrival at the airport too. However, if you’re partially vaccinated with only 1 dose (Johnson & Johnson counts as 2) you won’t be able to skip the quarantine procedure which lasts for 5 consecutive days in a certified hotel (CHSE) and the mandatory 2nd PCR test on day 4 of your quarantine.
If you’re diagnosed with COVID-19 within 30 days before departure to Bali, you just need to show an official letter or recovery certificate to prove that you’re not contagious anymore (recovery certificate). Then, you’ll be exempted to show any vaccination certificate or negative PCR test, but you’ll still need to undergo a PCR test upon arrival at Indonesia airports and, if it happens to turn out positive, you’ll be isolated in a hotel or hospital appointed by the Indonesian government.
VISA application
To travel to Bali as a tourist, you’ll need to apply for an e-Visa on Arrival or B211A e-Visa, unless you’re from one of the 9 countries which are on a Visa-free entry agreement with Indonesia. There are 2 types of Visa application services: Standard (which takes 14 working days to process after payment is received), or Express (which takes 7 working days to process after payment is received).
Visa-free entry
If your country is listed as one of the 9 countries that has the "visa-free" agreement with Indonesia, and you’re staying in Bali for less than 30 days (cannot be extended), you do not need to apply for a visa to enter Bali as a tourist for a single entry. However, you have the option to get a visa on arrival that can be extended once for 30 days or in the event you need to or wish to stay longer than 60 days, you can get a B211A Visa.
The 9 countries include:
- Brunei
- Myanmar
- Cambodia
- Philippines
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Laos
- Thailand
- Vietnam
Visa on Arrival
Visa on Arrival is valid for 40+ nationalities, and tourists from this “Visa on Arrival” list of countries are allowed to stay between 30 and 60 days (more than 30 days requires an extension process, for another 30 days, with the maximum duration of 60 days in total), for a single entry.
If you’re from one of the 40+ nationalities, you can purchase the Visa on Arrival at the arrival hall before queuing at the immigration counters. One thing to remember is that your passport needs to be valid for at least another 6 months before you’re eligible for this Visa on Arrival application.
B211A Visa
You’ll need a B211A Visit Visa if you intend to stay longer than 60 days for business purposes such as meetings and conferences held at Bali.
If your nationality is not mentioned on the 'Visa on Arrival' list, the B211A Visa which we facilitate requires a company or travel agency to "sponsor" the visa.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, travellers from almost any country can apply for a B211A Visa. However, due to the pre-existing travel restrictions, travellers from Afghanistan, Guinea, Israel, Kamerun, Liberia, Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Iraq and Iran are not able to apply for B211A Visa for Indonesia, but have to contact their respective embassies directly.
Staying at certified hotels (CHSE)
You’ll need to serve your quarantine period of 5 days in any of the CHSE hotels in Bali, only if you’re partially vaccinated with 1 dose. CHSE hotels are actually certified by the Indonesian government to accommodate tourists while following the quarantine regulations.
Requirements for Air Travel to Bali
Travelling by air to Bali includes several requirements that include:
- A valid negative PCR test result (The test must be taken within 48 hours before your departure (airport where you board your flight to Bali)
- Submission of personal information via the PeduliLindungi App and fill in the e-Hac international form in that app, (for you to provide your flight and other relevant information about where you stay etc.)
- Purchase of Visa on Arrival sticker if necessary
- Fill in the E-CD (Electronic Custom Declaration) to show to the immigration counters
- Mandatory wearing of masks in public areas (shops, beaches, malls, to enter restaurants (not at the table), on the scooter, while walking on the streets)
- Approved Visa on Arrival or B211A Visa if necessary
- Medical insurance that covers COVID-19 related medical and evacuation expenses
- If your personal medical or travel insurance does not cover this for Indonesia, you can purchase a local insurance Jagawisata, which costs IDR 500,000 and covers medical costs of up to IDR 500,000,000 for 30 days
How To Choose Travel Insurance With COVID-19 Coverage For Bali?
There are actually more factors to consider when picking travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage for your Bali trip as it’s different from the usual coverage. If you’ve yet to get a travel insurance plan with COVID-19 coverage, you can choose to buy COVID-19 coverage either as an add-on benefit or as part of an existing plan which you already have.
Here are 6 steps to help you get started.
Check your latest vaccination status
You’ll need to take your booster dose even if you’re fully vaccinated with the previous 2 or more doses, so as to retain your fully vaccinated status. Your last dose must also be taken 14 days before travelling to Bali. It’ll be worth the effort to ensure you’re fully vaccinated so that you can skip the quarantine process and to the PCR test upon arrival at the airport.
However, if you’re partially vaccinated with only 1 dose, you’ll need to go through the quarantine procedure which lasts for 5 consecutive days in a certified hotel (CHSE). Do check whether your vaccination doses are by AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech or Johnson & Johnson as the doses by different manufacturers have different requirements, for e.g. 1 dose of Johnson & Johnson counts as 2 doses, vice versa.
Ensure overall coverage including COVID-19 extension
Price is important when considering a COVID-19 travel insurance plan, but you should also compare the benefits and reimbursement limits for claims like COVID-19 related medical expenses, trip cancellations, flight delays and baggage theft and/or damage.
Consider any pre-existing conditions
COVID-19 related situations may impact whatever pre-existing condition you and your family members may have, and only a couple of travel insurers will cover you for claims relating to your pre-existing medical conditions such as pregnancy, injuries or illnesses sustained during the trip if you’re diagnosed with COVID-19.
It’s best to look for a travel insurance plan with COVID-19 coverage which will give you in-patient hospitalisation expenses overseas coverage that allows you to claim for medical, surgical, nursing or hospital charges, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation coverage.
Compare policy premiums
How much your travel insurance costs depends on your destination and length of stay. Most travel insurance companies have 2 to 3 tiers of plans at different price points, with varying comprehensiveness and reimbursement limits.
Consider special activities coverage
Bali is a great place for many activities including water sports and extreme sports, but the breadth of coverage needed largely depends on your Bali itinerary. For instance, if you’re planning to go skydiving over Kuta Beach, make sure you get a policy that covers aerial sports like MSIG’s TravelEasy® Standard, Elite and Premier plans.
Think about cover for trip cancellation, flight delay and damage/loss of baggage
While Bali is very tourist-friendly, snatch thefts are not uncommon in crowded tourist spots. Given that Bali is prone to earthquakes, coverage of damage or loss of belongings as well as trip cancellation or postponement and flight delay due to natural disasters are also important.
Best Bali Travel Insurance With COVID-19 Coverage
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Best Bali Travel Insurance Benefits Coverage
Some insurance plans come with affordable premiums, while others are known for their pre-existing conditions coverage or even having the highest overseas medical coverage in the market. Let’s take a look at what’s available for specific types of coverage, which can be useful as you decide on a suitable plan for your Bali trip.
*The estimated premium rates in the table below are based on a 4D3N single trip plan to Bali.
Best Travel Insurance Plans For Bali 2023
| Best for | Travel insurance plan | Estimated premium rate |
|---|---|---|
| COVID-19 coverage | Allianz Travel Comprehensive plans, Starr TraveLead Comprehensive plans | $64 - $95 (Allianz’s plans inclusive of COVID-19 coverage), $25 - $42 (Starr’s plans inclusive of COVID-19 coverage) |
| Budget travel | FWD Premium, Sompo Travel Essential | $18 (FWD Premium), $49 (Sompo Essential) |
| Overall good value | Bubblegum Travel Insurance | $23 |
| Extreme sports | MSIG TravelEasy® plans | $37 - $71 |
| Pre-existing conditions | Tiq Pre-Ex Entry, Savvy and Luxury plans | $93 - $147 |
| Highest overseas medical coverage | AIG Travel Guard® plans | $30 - $54 |
| Travelling while pregnant | MSIG TravelEasy® Standard Pre-Ex, Elite Pre-Ex, Premier Pre-Ex plans | $45 - $79 |
| Family | FWD First Family Plan | $42 |
| Elderly | MSIG TravelEasy® Standard Pre-Ex, Elite Pre-Ex, Premier Pre-Ex plans | $45 - $79 |
| Flight diversion/cancellation/postponement | FWD Premium Plan | $18 |
What Do Bali COVID-19 Travel Insurance Plans Cover And Not Cover?
The COVID-19 coverage benefits may vary from insurer to insurer, but the key aspects of coverage are often similar. As for the general exclusions, most are quite similar to plans without COVID-19 coverage prior to the pandemic.
Usually include:
- Overseas COVID-19 diagnosis quarantine allowance
- Overseas hospital cash due to COVID-19
- Medical coverage due to COVID-19
- Coverage for trip cancellation/postponement due to COVID-19
- Emergency medical evacuation & repatriation
Usually exclude:
- Pre-Existing conditions
- Replacement of traveler or employee
- Extreme sports / sports played in a professional or competitive capacity
- Any travel against prohibitions/acts/travel alerts/bulletins by any government or public authority (except for specific COVID-19 situations)
- Illegal activities resulting in a conviction
What Is The Average Cost Of A COVID-19 Travel Insurance To Bali?
With so many travel insurance plans that offer COVID-19 coverage benefits, it can get a little daunting trying to decide on one, considering the wide variety at different price points.
To get you started, let’s use an example to illustrate (with our round-up of the 6 best travel insurance plans with COVID-19 coverage in Singapore). Assuming that you’re planning to go for a 4D3N trip to Bali with your friends, and you’re getting a single trip insurance plan for yourself.
| Travel insurance provider | Medical expenses due to COVID-19 coverage | Overseas quarantine allowance due to COVID-19 | Overseas hospital cash due to COVID-19 | Trip cancellation due to COVID-19 | Total premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Up to $150,000 | $100 per day | $100 per day | Up to $5,000 | $23 |
| FWD | Up to $100,000 | N.A. | $200 per day | Up to $1,000 | $18 |
| AIG | Up to $100,000 | $1,400 total cap | N.A. | Up to $1,000 | $30 - $54 |
| Allianz | Up to $1,000,000 | N.A. | N.A. | Up to $15,000 | $64 - $95 |
| Starr | Up to $1,000,000 | N.A. | $200 per day | Up to $15,000 | $25 - $42 |
| Singlife | Up to $5,000,000 | $500 total cap | $200 per day | Up to $20,000 | $32 - $63 |
As you compare across the 6 travel insurers’ benefits and premiums, the average cost of a travel insurance plan with COVID-19 coverage for a 4D3N Bali trip is about $32, assuming that we take the most basic plan offered by each travel insurance provider.
Estimated average cost of a travel insurance plan:
$23 + $18 + $30 + $64 + $25 + $32 = $192
$192 ÷ 6 = $32
FWD, Starr and AIG may be more suitable if you’re looking at more cost-efficient options. Moreover, the medical expenses coverage by Starr and Allianz is quite extensive with a hefty maximum limit of $1,000,000, which are among the higher ones in these 6 travel insurances. If you’re looking for even more comprehensive coverage for medical expenses in the situation that you get diagnosed with COVID-19, Singlife’s Prestige plan has the highest coverage limit of $5,000,000.
As for claiming benefits for trip cancellation if you’re down with COVID-19, Singlife, Starr and Allianz will provide higher coverage of up to $20,000 and $15,000 respectively for you.
About Bali in Indonesia
Bali is a popular tourist destination just 2 hours and 40 minutes away from Singapore. Aside from temple-hopping, cafe-hopping and bar-hopping, Bali offers opportunities to do sea sports, hike on a volcano or take part in a spur-of-the-moment yoga class.
The island is along the Ring of Fire, so when visiting Bali, you may encounter earthquakes and on rare occasions, tsunamis. This does not mean you should avoid travelling to Bali at all costs. The reality is that every travel destination bears some risk. What you could do is to read up on what to do when an earthquake strikes and purchase a comprehensive travel insurance plan that covers situations when you need to postpone, cancel or shorten your trip.
Getting around Bali is relatively safe and trouble free. Some tourists like to rent a scooter (sometimes illegally) to get around places, but take note that you have to bear the risk if you do that, as no travel insurance plan covers accidents that happen when the insured person is not licensed for the mode of travel. The safer way might be to take legitimate Bluebird taxis that ply the roads in Bali.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does insurance cover Bali volcano?
- If your travel insurance states that it covers trip cancellation and shortening of trip due to natural disasters, then yes, you are covered for any contingencies that arise due to Bali volcanic eruptions. Take note that all insurers will require that you bought the insurance policy before a warning was issued through a relevant authority or a media publication. So, don’t wait until you’re about to board the flight to buy travel insurance in a hurry. Do it as soon as you have confirmed your flight and accommodation!
Do you need travel insurance for Bali?
- Travel insurance acts as a safeguard against any flight delays, injury, death, sickness, loss of personal belongings when you are travelling. You should get travel insurance whenever you travel, but especially if you are flying on a budget airline or going to a natural disaster prone area like Bali.
Is it dangerous to travel to Bali now?
- Not exactly. Bali is very tourist-friendly and it's summer all-year. There is no danger of travelling to Bali at the moment. To be extra cautious, look out for Bali news closer to your travel date.
What is the best time to go to Bali?
- Bali is sunny all year round, but the island does have wet and dry seasons. The best time to visit Bali would be between the months of April to October, when there is low humidity and little rain. That said, even during the wet season you may find that the rain provides some cool respite from the heat. There isn't really a bad time to go to Bali.
Does travel insurance cover PCR tests?
It really depends on the travel insurance provider you pick. For example, insurers like AXA and AIG do not cover expenses incurred for mandatory COVID-19 diagnostic tests or any pre-departure or post-departure testing.
However, there are a few insurers like MSIG that offer free PCR test coverage for some of their plans i.e. Annual Trip plans. Others like Income travel insurance offer COVID-19 (PCR) swab tests at $124.2 along with a series of other types of pre-departure tests.
Is having travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage better for travelling?
WIth the current pandemic situation, yes. Every country has its own prevailing entry requirements including required vaccination status, serving quarantine measures/Stay-Home Notice (SHN), undergoing a COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test or Antigen Rapid Test (ART) and other related procedures to ensure a safe entry for travellers.
By having COVID-19 coverage in your travel insurance plan, it can provide you claim benefits for overseas medical expenses due to COVID-19, emergency medical evacuation & repatriation, overseas COVID-19 diagnosis quarantine allowance, overseas hospital cash due to COVID-19, trip cancellation/postponement/curtailment/disruption coverage due to COVID-19, and more.
How do I get COVID-19 coverage for my travel insurance?
- There are many ways you can get COVID-19 coverage for your travel insurance. You may either get COVID-19 coverage as an add-on benefit or as part of an existing insurance plan, through your preferred travel insurance mobile app, website or insurance agent. Some travel insurance companies offer COVID-19 coverage as an add-on benefit to an existing plan, while others include COVID-19 coverage benefits in their range of travel insurance plans.
Will my quarantine stays be covered by travel insurance?
- Most insurers do provide overseas quarantine allowance in the COVID-19 travel insurance plans that they offer.
If I rent a scooter in Bali, will it be covered?
- Yes and no. It depends on the type of travel insurance plan that you’ve purchased and the add-ons that you got for your plan. Most travel insurance plans only provide car rental excess cover for vehicle rental coverage.
Is Bali safe to visit?
- Yes and no. Travelling to and within every travel destination will involve some risks. As Bali is situated along the Ring of Fire, earthquakes are quite common and on rare occasions, tsunamis do take place. Despite these natural disasters, Bali is a popular tourist destination.