Hundreds of miles away from the Middle East conflict, its impact is now being felt in Bali. Foreign tourists who suddenly found themselves unable to fly home due to the Iran–US–Israel war are being granted emergency stay permits by Indonesian Immigration authorities.
The Class I Special Immigration Office at Ngurah Rai International Airport has begun issuing Emergency Stay Permits, known as Izin Tinggal Keadaan Terpaksa (ITKT), to foreign nationals affected by flight cancellations linked to the conflict. In addition, Immigration has introduced a zero-rupiah overstay penalty policy for those who exceed their permitted stay because their flights were canceled.
The policy refers to Circular Letter of the Directorate General of Immigration No. IMI-590.GR.01.01 of 2025, according to Felucia Sengky Ratna, Head of the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration. She described the move as a response to a global force majeure situation that has disrupted travel plans for tourists in Bali.
“The ITKT policy and overstay fine exemption are forms of our empathy and commitment to maintaining Indonesia’s tourism image. We want to ensure that tourists do not feel burdened by circumstances beyond their control,” Sengky said in a written statement on Tuesday (3/3/2026).
To support implementation, immigration officers have been deployed to handle applications directly at the airport. Head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, Bugie Kurniawan, said responsive service mechanisms are already in place.
“We guarantee that the issuance of the ITKT will be completed on the same day (same-day service). Our officers are on standby to handle this emergency situation so that foreign nationals do not need to worry about their immigration status while waiting for new flight schedules,” Bugie explained.
Applicants must present their original passport, a flight cancellation letter from the airline, and proof of the canceled ticket when applying for the ITKT.
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As of March 2, 2026, 35 foreigners had applied for ITKT extensions at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office. By March 3, an additional 44 applications were recorded. In total, approximately 79 ITKT applications had been submitted due to flight delays as of that date.
For those unable to process their extension at the immigration office, authorities have also prepared an alternative. Overstay fines will be waived at the Immigration Checkpoint at Ngurah Rai Airport, provided travelers can show an official letter from the airport authority or their airline.
Some affected foreigners have chosen a different path. Instead of extending their stay, they opted to leave Indonesia by rerouting their flights to safer destination countries.
To assist travelers, Ngurah Rai Immigration has opened helpdesks on the second floor of the International Departure Terminal and at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office in Jimbaran. These desks provide information and facilitate data collection for affected passengers requiring immigration assistance.
“Ngurah Rai Immigration is also ready to provide proactive outreach services to hotels where affected foreign nationals are staying,” he added.
The broader disruption stems from airspace closures in several countries following the escalation of the Middle East conflict. At Ngurah Rai Airport alone, 15 international flights were canceled, consisting of 8 departures and 7 arrivals, according to Gede Eka Sandi Asmadi, Head of Communication and Legal Division of PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia at the airport.
Airline data show that 3,197 prospective departing passengers at Ngurah Rai Airport were affected by these cancellations.
As the geopolitical situation continues to evolve, Bali’s immigration authorities are working to ensure that stranded tourists can maintain legal status through emergency stay permits while waiting for alternative travel arrangements.
