Transferring money to Indonesia for a property, and bringing the rent home

Bank Indonesia regulation 17/3/PBI/2015 requires rupiah for every cash and non-cash payment inside the country and for every price quote. So does any contract between two parties in Indonesia. A price list in another currency is a reference, and the PPJB and the deed carry a rupiah figure.

Settle in another currency and the fine is 1% of the transaction, up to Rp 1,000,000,000. Law 7/2011 adds up to a year's detention and a Rp 200,000,000 fine for refusing rupiah. So agree the rupiah price before you sign, and decide who carries the exchange-rate risk between stages.

Source: PBI 17/3/PBI/2015; Law 7/2011 on currency, Article 33; Bank Indonesia briefing on the rupiah obligation; Hukumonline

A Bali purchase rarely goes in one wire. You pay a reservation deposit, then the balance in stages under the PPJB, and on an off-plan villa those stages follow the build. Send each payment when that stage is due, with the contract number and stage in the payment reference.

The deposit usually goes to the notary rather than the seller. It's common practice on the island, but it isn't a statutory escrow. Indonesia's notary law neither grants that power nor forbids a notary from holding funds on trust (Hukumonline). A bank escrow account is the regulated alternative when the sum is large.

1. 01
   Confirm the recipient

   Notary, seller or developer company, by name and account.

2. 02
   Ask their bank what it needs

   Usually the contract and proof of where your money came from.

3. 03
   Prepare the documents early

   Contract, ID and source of funds.

4. 04
   Send stage by stage

   Allow one to five working days for each.

Source: Rise Real Bali deal practice, 2023–2026; Hukumonline, Klinik, on notaries holding funds; ILA Global Consulting

An international SWIFT transfer passes through your bank, one or more correspondent banks and the Indonesian bank that receives it. Each can take a fee. BCA's inward fee is Rp 35,000 on a rupiah transfer, and correspondents typically take a flat charge on top. The bigger cost is usually the exchange margin, often 1–3% at a high-street bank.

Money transfer services price that margin more tightly. Wise sends rupiah to both personal and business accounts in Indonesia, up to Rp 10,000,000,000 per transfer. A developer's company account qualifies, and the conversion takes up to two working days.

Big incoming wires aren't a problem, but they're visible. Indonesian banks report every cross-border transfer to the financial intelligence unit, PPATK, whatever the amount. Expect the receiving bank to ask for the contract behind a large payment.

Source: BCA, inward remittance fees; Wise Help Centre, guide to rupiah transfers; PPATK, cross-border transfer reporting (LTKL); cost ranges are our estimate

Anyone entering or leaving Indonesia with Rp 100,000,000 or more in cash, or the equivalent in foreign currency, must declare it to customs. The fine for not declaring is 10% of the whole amount, up to Rp 300,000,000, and customs collects it on the spot (PMK 157/2017 as amended by PMK 100/2018).

Foreign banknotes worth Rp 1,000,000,000 or more can't cross the border in private hands at all. Only licensed banks and money changers may move them, with Bank Indonesia's approval. Cash is fine for pocket money and a poor way to buy a villa.

Source: Law 8/2010; PP 99/2016; PMK 157/2017 as amended by PMK 100/2018; PBI 20/2/PBI/2018; DDTC; Kontan

Indonesia runs a free foreign-exchange regime under Law 24/1999. There's no cap on money leaving and no tax clearance certificate for sending it. What changed in 2026 is the paperwork. Banks may not send rupiah abroad to a non-resident, so your rent gets converted into foreign currency first.

From July 1, 2026, Bank Indonesia's PADG 15/2026 caps foreign-currency purchases without supporting documents at about Rp 179,000,000 a month per customer. PADG 13/2026 asks for documents on any outgoing transfer worth more than about Rp 447,000,000. Both limits are set in foreign currency, and we've converted them at Bank Indonesia's reference rate of Rp 17,883 on September 23, 2026.

For rent, the underlying document is your lease or management agreement plus the withholding slips that show the 20% tax was paid. For a sale, it's the deed and the seller's tax receipt. Keep them in one file and you can answer the bank's questions in a single email.

Source: Law 24/1999; PBI 24/7/PBI/2022; PADG 13/2026; PADG 15/2026; bi.go.id; CNBC Indonesia, June 3, 2026; periskop.id, July 2, 2026

You can't open an Indonesian account on a tourist visa. Bank Mandiri's online account for foreigners needs a KITAS, a KITAP or a Golden Visa, a passport valid for six more months and a Rp 100,000 opening deposit. It's useful once you live here part of the year, and the rent can land there directly.

Day to day, Bali pays by QRIS, the national QR code. Cross-border QRIS works with apps from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and China. Banking apps from the US, UK, EU, Canada and Australia aren't on the network, so you'll pay by card or cash.

At an ATM, a foreign card draws Rp 1,250,000 to Rp 3,000,000 per withdrawal and usually Rp 6,000,000 to Rp 10,000,000 a day. Always pick rupiah when the screen offers to charge you in your own currency. That conversion costs 3–7% more. Bank Indonesia counts 601 licensed money changers in Bali, and each shows its license with a QR code you can check.

• Agree the rupiah price in the contract
• Get the recipient's account details from the notary in writing
• Put the contract number in every payment reference
• Keep lease, withholding slips and deed in one file for the way out
• Decline the ATM's offer to convert to your currency

Source: Bank Mandiri, Livin' for foreign nationals; Bank Indonesia, QRIS cross-border; Detik, September 5, 2026; BaliZero, February 17, 2026; Bisnis Bali, March 6, 2026; Bali Post, March 10, 2026

The payment schedule, the currency and the documents for the way out are easier to settle before the deposit than after. How to buy property in Bali walks through each stage, and the notary guide explains who holds what. Tax on the rent you bring home is in the rental income tax guide.

Choose a villa from the catalog or look at the areas first. We'll map each payment to its contract stage and tell you which documents your bank will want.

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