Bali eSIM: What Indonesia's New 2026 SIM Rule Actually Changes

The rule is Ministerial Regulation No. 7/2026 from Indonesia's Digital Ministry (Komdigi), known locally as SEMANTIK. Per the ministry's own announcement, citizens register with their national ID number (NIK) plus a live facial scan, foreign nationals with a passport. The stated reason is fraud, plain and simple.

It rolled out in two stages: Biometric Update reported a six-month pilot from 1 January 2026 with free choice between NIK and biometrics, then the scan became mandatory from 1 July 2026.

Not a paper announcement, either. Days before the deadline the operators' association pushed back on the Rp 3,000 (roughly US$0.17) per-check fee, arguing it should be scrapped.

For anyone with an existing number: re-registering is voluntary for now. The scan is only compulsory on newly issued cards.

This is where most coverage falls apart. Indonesia has run a second, entirely separate rule for years.

It covers the device, not the card: since April 2020, a phone brought from abroad must have its IMEI registered with customs (Bea Cukai) once it stays over 90 days on a local SIM. That rule is free under US$500, involves no biometrics, and was untouched in 2026.

Two rules, two triggers:

• SIM registration (new, since 1 July 2026): covers every SIM card, applies to every purchase, scan at the point of sale.

• IMEI registration (old, since April 2020): covers the handset, only bites after 90 days, handled by customs.

A headline about new SIM registration doesn't mean the 90-day rule moved. Even Indojunkie still describes only the old IMEI process as of June 2026.

Short version: as things stand, no, provided your Bali eSIM is an international travel one.

The regulation governs how an Indonesian subscriber identity gets opened: a local number with an Indonesian carrier, that's where the face scan sits. A travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly, Saily or Nomad is provisioned digitally before you fly, data only, never that counter. mybestsim.com agrees: travel eSIMs generally sit outside that loop.

Honestly, no government body has ever spelled this out. There is no statement anywhere saying eSIMs are exempt. The conclusion follows from the regulation's scope, not an explicit carve-out. If certainty matters, ask your provider before departure.

If you want the mechanics of how an eSIM works and how it differs from a plastic card, that is covered in our guide to using an eSIM abroad.

The exception: local eSIMs from Telkomsel and friends

And here's the part people miss: what matters isn't the form factor, it's who registers you. Buy an eSIM directly from an Indonesian carrier like Telkomsel, and it's a local subscription like any physical prepaid card, same identity checks.

For a two-week Bali trip on a travel eSIM, nothing changes under the current rule. No customs desk, no counter.

Want a local number anyway, maybe for Grab or Gojek? Bring your passport, expect the face scan, and buy from an official store rather than a street stall. A passport is typically enough for short-stay visitors. Longer stays bring residence permits like KITAS into play.

Indonesia isn't doing this alone: Thailand moved the same way in 2026, covered in our post on Thailand's SIM card registration. Moving on afterward? Which eSIM provider is worth it for Thailand is a separate comparison we've already done.

Bottom line for your Bali eSIM trip: book ahead once, and the counter stops being your problem. More than three seconds in front of a camera? Probably not. The annoying part is only finding out at the counter.