The Class II Singaraja Immigration Office deported three foreign nationals who entered Indonesia on visitor permits but engaged in unauthorized work, according to reports from the Bali daily NusaBali and the New York Post. The individuals identified by their initials in line with local practice include AKG, a 48-year-old Indian citizen; RN, a 44-year-old Singaporean; and ST, a 34-year-old Chinese national.
Unauthorized Work Uncovered Across Bali Regions
Immigration officers found AKG and RN running yoga sessions at a villa in Buleleng Regency on Bali’s northern coast, where investigators concluded the two were not only organizing the classes but teaching them, as reported by the New York Post. Meanwhile, officers discovered ST at a factory in Karangasem Regency in the eastern part of the island, installing production machinery and training company staff to operate it.
All three men entered the country on visitor permits. AKG and ST used visas on arrival, while RN entered under the visa-free facility that Indonesia extends to citizens of fellow ASEAN member states, including Singapore. Anak Agung Gde Kusuma Putra, who heads the Singaraja office, stated in a written release on July 15 that neither permit covers work or any activity outside the specific purpose stated on entry. The Singaraja office jurisdiction covers Buleleng, Jembrana, and Karangasem, which sit well outside the major tourist belt of Kuta, Seminyak, and Canggu.
Immigration Enforcement and Re-Entry Restrictions
Following the investigations, the immigration office deported the three men under the 2011 Immigration Law and recommended all of them for Indonesia’s re-entry deterrence list for a set period. Anak Agung Gde Kusuma Putra emphasized the strict approach in his July 15 statement, noting that every foreign national in Indonesia must comply with applicable immigration regulations and that oversight of foreigners would keep tightening as a matter of law enforcement.
The re-entry deterrence list does not function as a lifetime ban. Under the immigration law as amended in 2024, a bar on re-entry runs for a maximum of 10 years and can be extended once by the same term. Permanent exclusion remains reserved exclusively for foreigners whom the state judges to be a threat to security and public order.
Broader Crackdowns on Visa Violations in Bali
When Singaraja immigration reported its 2024 deportations totaling 30 cases, the office listed teaching yoga alongside running spas, managing accommodation, and guiding dives among the unauthorized activities foreigners carried out on visitor permits, according to the Jakarta Globe.
On a provincial level, Felucia Sengky Ratna, head of the Directorate General of Immigration’s Bali regional office, announced on July 3 that 342 foreign nationals had been deported from Bali in the first six months of 2026, with the majority penalized for stay-permit misuse and overstaying. To bolster enforcement, the directorate established a dedicated patrol unit in April named Dharma Dewata, which assigned about 100 officers to the island.
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