Passports and Stay Permits Right on the Beach: Bali Tests a New Format for Government Services
Immigration officials at a desk on the sand, next to surf instructors and coconut vendors — an unusual sight even for Bali. That's exactly what Kuta looked like this past weekend, as the island tried out a pop-up format for government agencies for the first time.
Why a "Beach Office" Was Needed
The event was called Bazar Pelayanan Publik — the Public Services Fair. It was organized by the Bali High Prosecutor's Office together with the Badung Regency administration. While the agency desks were open, volunteers were also cleaning up the shoreline and releasing baby turtles into the ocean.
The head of the Bali High Prosecutor's Office, Setiawan Budi Cahyono, explained the thinking behind the project: instead of making people travel to different offices, the agencies come to where residents and tourists already are and work from a single spot.
The Numbers From Immigration
The Ngurah Rai immigration office set up its own mobile station. The result of a single day's work: 31 applications for Indonesian passports and two more for stay permits. At the same time, staff advised visitors on the office's current procedures.
Bali Governor Wayan Koster opened the event in person. He stressed that how conveniently the immigration service works directly affects Bali's image as a travel destination. His argument: the flow of foreign tourists is approaching the 7 million mark, which means the island's immigration offices carry one of the heaviest workloads in the country.
Who Else Received Visitors
Several services set up their own desks at the fair:
police;
the medical service;
BPJS — the national health insurance system;
banks;
lawyers;
a separate point for paying traffic fines.
The Format Is Set to Return
According to the organizers, this won't be a one-off: they plan to make these pop-up points regular and gradually expand beyond the beaches to other parts of the island. The immigration service already has a similar practice — service desks in shopping malls, where you can extend a visa without visiting a separate office.
If you have a visa application or extension, a stay permit, or another immigration matter coming up in Bali, our team can take the hassle off your hands. Get in touch for a consultation.
