This guide explains how the Indonesian driving licence, the Surat Izin Mengemudi or SIM, is structured in national regulation, and which parts of the process a foreign resident in Bali needs to confirm locally before applying. It is an orientation guide, not a substitute for the current requirements published by the issuing authority. Anyone who wants case-specific handling can look at Indonesian driving licence assistance in Bali, which is the service page rather than this reference article.
Two documents carry most of the weight here. Law No. 22 of 2009 on Road Traffic and Transport sets the statutory obligation and the licence classes. National Police Regulation No. 5 of 2021 on the Issuance and Marking of Driving Licences, as amended by National Police Regulation No. 2 of 2023, sets the operating detail: classes, ages, documents, health checks, exams and validity. Both are cited at the end of this guide. Where those texts are silent, this guide says so instead of filling the gap.
Start with the licence and stay-status question
Article 77 paragraph (1) of Law No. 22 of 2009 states that every person who drives a motor vehicle on the road must hold a SIM corresponding to the type of vehicle driven. The obligation is written around the driver and the vehicle, not around nationality. Article 87 paragraph (2) assigns issuance to the Indonesian National Police, and Article 88 delegates the procedural detail to police regulation, which is why the 2021 regulation and its 2023 amendment matter as much as the law itself.
Where immigration status enters the picture is in the administrative file, not in a blanket eligibility rule. Article 9 paragraph (1) letter a number 2 of the 2021 regulation requires an Indonesian applicant to present an electronic ID card, and a foreign applicant to present an immigration document instead. Paragraph (2) of the same article then defines what counts as an immigration document, and lists three situations: a passport together with a permanent stay permit card for someone permanently domiciled in Indonesia; a passport, diplomatic visa, diplomatic membership card and other identification for embassy staff or their family; or a passport together with a service visa or a temporary stay permit card for someone working as an expert or studying in Indonesia.
That list is narrower than a general statement like “any KITAS holder qualifies,” and it is also narrower than “only KITAP holders qualify.” It is a document test tied to a described circumstance. There is a further requirement in Article 9 paragraph (1) letter a number 4: a foreign national working in Indonesia must attach a copy of the original work permit issued by the ministry responsible for manpower.
Because the categories in that paragraph are described rather than exhaustively cross-referenced to every current visa index code, an applicant should confirm with the Satpas office handling the application how their specific permit is treated before booking any medical or psychological test. Readers weighing a short-stay permit against a longer residence permit can compare the two paths in tourist visa vs. KITAS driving licence eligibility.
Which Indonesian SIM class matches your vehicle
Licence class has to match the vehicle. Article 3 paragraph (2) of the 2021 regulation, as amended in 2023, groups licences as follows.
For cars and goods vehicles, SIM A covers private passenger cars and private goods vehicles with a permitted total weight of up to 3,500 kg, and SIM A Umum covers the public-transport equivalents at the same weight ceiling. SIM BI and SIM BI Umum cover buses and goods vehicles above 3,500 kg. SIM BII and SIM BII Umum cover heavy equipment, tractor units and vehicles hauling trailers where the permitted trailer weight exceeds 1,000 kg.
For two-wheelers, SIM C covers motorcycles with an engine capacity up to 250 cc. SIM CI covers motorcycles above 250 cc up to 500 cc. SIM CII covers motorcycles above 500 cc. The 2023 amendment added wording that brings equivalent electric vehicles into each of these classes, which is the practical change most riders will notice, given how many electric scooters are now on the road in Bali.
SIM D covers special vehicles for persons with disabilities at a level equivalent to SIM C, and SIM DI at a level equivalent to SIM A.
The higher two-wheeler classes are sequential rather than open. Article 3 paragraph (8) requires an applicant for SIM CI to already hold SIM C and to have held it for twelve months since issuance. Paragraph (9) applies the same twelve-month rule from CI to CII. The same structure applies on the car and bus side, where SIM A Umum requires twelve months of SIM A, and BI requires twelve months of SIM A or SIM A Umum.
Most foreign residents in Bali are looking at SIM C for a standard scooter, and the class question only becomes interesting once the engine crosses 250 cc. The motorcycle-specific route is covered in more depth in the motorcycle licence (SIM C) guide for foreigners.
Documents and checks to confirm before applying
Article 7 of the 2021 regulation sets four requirement categories for issuing a SIM: age, administration, health, and passing the examination. Each is worth reading as a checklist item to confirm locally rather than as a promise about how a given office will process a given file.
On age, Article 8 sets minimums of 17 years for SIM A, SIM C, SIM D and SIM DI; 18 for SIM CI; 19 for SIM CII; 20 for SIM A Umum and SIM BI; 21 for SIM BII; 22 for SIM BI Umum; and 23 for SIM BII Umum.
On administration, Article 9 lists the registration form, the identity or immigration document described earlier, a driving school certificate with the original shown, biometric capture of fingerprints and facial or retinal recognition, and proof of payment of the non-tax state revenue charge. The 2023 amendment inserted two items worth flagging. Number 3a allows an applicant who did not attend formal driver training, or who learned independently, to submit a driving competence verification letter issued by an accredited driving school. Number 5a requires proof of active participation in the national health insurance programme, and Article 9 paragraph (3c) states that where this has not yet been met, the applicant must process that membership before the SIM is handed over. Article 25 paragraph (2) letter d, also amended in 2023, mirrors this at the collection counter.
This guide deliberately does not publish a fee figure, a processing time, an office address, an opening hour, or a same-day claim. Those change at local level, are not fixed in the regulations cited here, and are exactly the kind of detail worth confirming directly with the Satpas handling your application. The 2021 regulation does establish that a Satpas can be a fixed office, an auxiliary Satpas outside police premises, or a mobile Satpas, which is why service availability can differ between locations on the same day.
Health checks and examinations as the regulation sets them out
Article 10 splits the health requirement into physical and mental health. Article 11 defines the physical examination as covering vision, hearing, and limb and other physical condition, carried out by a police doctor or by a general practitioner holding a recommendation from the police medical service. The resulting doctor’s certificate can be used for a maximum of 14 days from issuance, which makes sequencing matter: a certificate obtained too early can lapse before the file is complete.
Article 12 covers mental health through a psychological examination assessing cognitive ability, psychomotor ability and personality. That certificate is valid for a maximum of six months.
Article 13 sets three examination components: a theory test, a skills test by simulator, and a practical test. Where a simulator is not available, paragraph (2) states that passing is assessed on the theory and practical tests alone.
Two details in the examination rules are directly relevant to foreign applicants. Article 14 paragraph (5) states that the pre-test briefing material is provided in two languages, Indonesian for Indonesian citizens and English for foreign nationals. The 2023 amendment then changed paragraph (2) so that the theory test runs on the E-AVIS system, either on a device provided at the Satpas or on the applicant’s own device.
On scoring, Article 15 paragraph (1) sets the theory pass mark at a minimum of 70, with up to two retakes within 14 working days counted from the day after a fail. Article 17 applies the same 70 threshold to the simulator test. Article 19 paragraph (2) is stricter on the practical test: the applicant passes if they make no error on each tested item, with two retakes available within 14 working days. Applicants are given up to two trial runs on the practical course before the graded attempt.
International Driving Permit: what to verify in Bali
Whether an International Driving Permit lets you drive in Bali is a separate question from whether you can obtain an Indonesian SIM, and the regulation treats them separately.
Article 1 number 7 of the 2021 regulation defines the SIM Internasional as a licence given to Indonesian citizens or foreign nationals for driving outside Indonesian territory. Article 3 paragraph (12) then states that an international SIM issued in Indonesia is valid only in the territory of other countries. Paragraph (13) covers the reverse direction: an international licence issued in another country is valid in Indonesia based on the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic or other international agreements. Article 85 paragraph (4) of Law No. 22 of 2009 frames the same point through bilateral or multilateral agreement.
The practical consequence is that recognition depends on the instrument your issuing country is party to and on the terms of that instrument, so a permit is not automatically valid or automatically void. This guide does not state that any particular permit is sufficient on its own, or sufficient for a particular vehicle class, because that determination sits with the convention or agreement in force and with the officer applying it. The dedicated analysis of whether an International Driving Permit is valid in Bali goes into the recognition question in more detail.
What the law does state plainly is the documentary duty at a roadside check. Article 106 paragraph (5) of Law No. 22 of 2009 requires a driver, when a vehicle inspection takes place on the road, to produce the vehicle registration document, the driving licence, proof of passing periodic testing, and other valid evidence as applicable. Article 106 paragraph (8) separately requires both rider and passenger on a motorcycle to wear a helmet meeting the Indonesian national standard. Article 281 sets the penalty for driving without a SIM at up to four months of detention or a fine of up to Rp1,000,000.
Renewing an Indonesian SIM
Renewal is a different transaction from a first application, and the timing rule is the part most worth getting right.
Article 85 paragraph (2) of Law No. 22 of 2009 sets a five-year validity period with the possibility of renewal. Article 4 of the 2021 regulation restates this for individual and public vehicle licences, five years from the date of issuance, renewable before validity expires, and sets the international SIM at three years. Paragraph (3) is the consequential sentence: where a licence has passed its validity period, a new SIM must be applied for. Paragraph (4) provides a narrow exception where the lapse was caused by force majeure, in which case a renewal may proceed on the basis of a decision by the Head of the Traffic Corps following a report from the regional police traffic directorate.
So the meaningful distinction is renewal before expiry versus a fresh application after expiry, and the regulation cited here does not fix a specific number of days before expiry as the earliest renewal date. Treat any figure of that kind as something to confirm locally rather than as a national rule. Article 5 adds that a licence ceases to be valid when its validity ends or when the issuing Satpas revokes it, with revocation grounds including damaged or unreadable data, unlawful issuance, a court decision, or a medical or psychological recommendation that the holder can no longer drive.
The 2023 amendment also inserted two document requirements that matter at this stage: Article 9 paragraph (3) letter e requires the old licence for a renewal, and letter f requires the old licence when a new SIM is issued because the previous one expired. Practical handling of the renewal route is covered in renewing an Indonesian driving licence (SIM) in Bali.
When to get help with a Bali driving licence
The parts of this process that tend to cost people time are document sequencing and the local variation between offices. A physical health certificate that expires after 14 days, a psychological certificate that runs for six months, a national health insurance membership that has to be active before the licence is handed over, and an immigration document that has to fit one of the described categories all have to line up in the same window.
Royal Visa can help clarify which document set applies to your permit type, what to confirm with the Satpas before you commit to test dates, and how the class you need maps to the vehicle you actually ride. What we will not do is predict an approval, a fee, or a turnaround time, because none of those are ours to guarantee. If you want that read on your own situation, contact Royal Visa’s Bali team with your permit details and the vehicle class you have in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The obligation in Article 77 paragraph (1) of Law No. 22 of 2009 applies to every person driving a motor vehicle on the road, and Article 9 of National Police Regulation No. 5 of 2021 provides for foreign applicants by requiring an immigration document in place of an Indonesian electronic ID card. Paragraph (2) of that article describes which document combinations qualify, so whether your specific permit fits should be confirmed with the Satpas handling your application.
The regulation does not answer that with a yes or no. An international licence issued abroad is valid in Indonesia based on the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic or other international agreements, under Article 3 paragraph (13) of the 2021 regulation, so recognition depends on the instrument in force for your issuing country. Separately, an international SIM issued in Indonesia is valid only outside Indonesia.
Article 14 paragraph (5) states that the briefing material is provided in Indonesian for Indonesian citizens and in English for foreign nationals. Since the 2023 amendment, the theory test itself runs on the E-AVIS system, either on a device at the Satpas or on the applicant's own device.
Article 4 paragraph (3) of the 2021 regulation states that where a licence has passed its validity period, a new SIM must be applied for. A narrow force majeure exception exists under paragraph (4), decided by the Head of the Traffic Corps on the basis of a regional police report.
Sources and references
- Law No. 22 of 2009 on Road Traffic and Transport, full text via the Indonesian Supreme Audit Board regulation database
- National Police Regulation No. 5 of 2021 on the Issuance and Marking of Driving Licences
- National Police Regulation No. 2 of 2023 amending National Police Regulation No. 5 of 2021
- Directorate General of Immigration, Ministry of Law
- Indonesian eVisa portal, Directorate General of Immigration
- Digital Korlantas, National Police Traffic Corps digital services portal
