Can I bring my dog or cat to Bali? The rabies ban explained

About this guideEditorial summary of the listed sources.

Quick answer

Key points

Pergub Bali 88/2008 prohibits any person or legal entity from bringing dogs, cats, monkeys or similar animals into Bali or taking them out.
Bali's agriculture and food security agency publishes the regulation on its official website (posted 24 October 2025, updated 14 September 2026), and we found no official source revoking it.
Perda Bali 15/2009 only allows entry for religious ceremonies, state security, science or conservation, with a Governor's recommendation; pets are not included.
Rabies reappeared in Bali in November 2008 and, by the agency's April 2025 count, had killed more than 200 people there; Bali aims to be rabies-free by 2030.
Under Law 21/2019, an animal that fails quarantine requirements can be held, refused or destroyed.
If you are bitten, wash the wound with soap and running water for 15 minutes, then go straight to a health facility.

In this guide (10)

Start with these steps

Do not plan to bring a dog, cat or monkey into Bali, or to take one out.
Arrange care for your pet at home well before you travel.
If your situation is unusual, ask Bali's provincial agriculture and food security agency first on (0361) 228716.
If you live in Bali and want a pet, consider adopting locally and read the adoption guide.
Register your animal and keep its rabies vaccination up to date; the provincial agency vaccinates against rabies free of charge.
If you are bitten or scratched, wash the wound with soap and running water for 15 minutes, then go straight to a puskesmas or hospital.

Can I bring my dog or cat to Bali?

No. Bali Governor Regulation (Pergub) 88/2008 temporarily closes Bali to the movement of rabies-transmitting animals in both directions. Article 1 reads: “Menutup sementara pemasukan dan/atau pengeluaran hewan penular rabies dari dan/atau ke Provinsi Bali” (temporarily closing the entry and/or exit of rabies-transmitting animals from and/or to the Province of Bali). Article 2 says these animals “meliputi Anjing, Kucing, Kera dan Hewan sebangsanya” (include dogs, cats, monkeys and similar animals). Article 3 states: “Setiap orang atau badan hukum dilarang memasukan dan/ atau mengeluarkan hewan penular rabies” (every person or legal entity is prohibited from bringing in and/or taking out rabies-transmitting animals).

The regulation was signed and promulgated in Denpasar on 1 December 2008 and published as Bali Provincial Gazette 2008 No. 88. The ban runs both ways: dogs, cats and monkeys cannot be brought into Bali, and animals from Bali cannot be taken out.

Evidence: Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Provinsi Bali — Peraturan Gubernur Bali Nomor 88 Tahun 2008 (terbit 24 Okt 2025, diperbarui 14 Sep 2026) ↗ · Pemerintah Provinsi Bali — Pergub Bali No. 88 Tahun 2008 tentang Penutupan Sementara Pemasukan dan/atau Pengeluaran Anjing, Kucing, Kera dan Hewan Sebangsanya (PDF) ↗

Is the Bali ban still in force?

Bali's provincial agriculture and food security agency (Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan) lists Pergub 88/2008 on the regulations page of its official website. The page for the regulation was posted on 24 October 2025 and updated on 14 September 2026; we checked it on 2 October 2026. Its title does call the closure “temporary” (penutupan sementara), but we found no official source that revokes it.

On the same page, the agency also lists Bali Provincial Regulation (Perda) 15/2009 on rabies control, enacted on 28 December 2009. This regulation prohibits anyone from bringing rabies-transmitting animals into Bali from outside, except for certain non-commercial purposes.

Evidence: Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Provinsi Bali — Peraturan & Regulasi ↗ · Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Provinsi Bali — Peraturan Gubernur Bali Nomor 88 Tahun 2008 (terbit 24 Okt 2025, diperbarui 14 Sep 2026) ↗ · Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Provinsi Bali — Perda Provinsi Bali Nomor 15 Tahun 2009 tentang Penanggulangan Rabies ↗ · Pemerintah Provinsi Bali — Perda Bali No. 15 Tahun 2009 tentang Penanggulangan Rabies (PDF) ↗

Why does Bali ban dogs, cats and monkeys?

According to its preamble, Pergub 88/2008 was made to protect the public, prevent the spread of animal disease to people and contain the spread of rabies in Bali, while keeping rabies-free parts of the island free. Bali's provincial health office records that rabies reappeared in Bali on 14 November 2008, about two weeks before the regulation was signed.

Is Bali free of rabies? Not yet. Bali is not among the 12 rabies-free provinces listed in the Ministry of Health's 2025 circular. Bali's agriculture and food security agency says mass rabies vaccination has been held every year since the island became infected in 2008, and, in an April 2025 article, that rabies had killed more than 200 people in Bali, all infected through dog bites. The provincial government aims to make Bali rabies-free by 2030 and set up a Rabies Control Task Force by Governor's Decree 697/03-F/HK/2026.

The same agency asks people not to bring dogs from other areas, especially infected ones, because a dog can already carry rabies without showing signs. The incubation period of rabies in dogs is long, from 5 days to 1 year.

Evidence: Pemerintah Provinsi Bali — Pergub Bali No. 88 Tahun 2008 tentang Penutupan Sementara Pemasukan dan/atau Pengeluaran Anjing, Kucing, Kera dan Hewan Sebangsanya (PDF) ↗ · Dinas Kesehatan Provinsi Bali — Bahaya Penyakit Rabies ↗ · Kemenkes — Surat Edaran HK.02.02/C/508/2025 tentang Kewaspadaan terhadap Kasus Rabies (PDF) ↗ · Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Provinsi Bali — Vaksinasi Rabies Massal 2025 pada Hewan Penular Rabies (HPR) ↗ · Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Provinsi Bali — Stronger Together, Bali Perkuat Kolaborasi Menuju Bebas Rabies (28 September 2026) ↗ · Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Provinsi Bali — Keputusan Gubernur Bali Nomor 697/03-F/HK/2026 tentang Satuan Tugas Pengendalian Rabies ↗ · Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Provinsi Bali — Anjingku Sudah Divaksinasi Rabies, tapi Kok Kena Rabies? (19 Desember 2024) ↗

Is there any exception or permit for bringing a pet to Bali?

Pergub 88/2008 contains no exception: Article 3 applies to every person or legal entity. Perda 15/2009 only allows rabies-transmitting animals to be brought into Bali for the non-commercial purposes listed in its Article 9: religious ceremonies, state security, scientific research and conservation. Each such entry needs a recommendation from the Governor. Keeping a pet is not on that list.

The official sources we checked describe no exception for pets, including assistance or emotional support animals. If your situation is unusual, contact Bali's provincial agriculture and food security agency on (0361) 228716 before making travel plans.

The ban also covers animals leaving Bali. A dog or cat adopted in Bali cannot be taken to another island or abroad.

Evidence: Pemerintah Provinsi Bali — Pergub Bali No. 88 Tahun 2008 tentang Penutupan Sementara Pemasukan dan/atau Pengeluaran Anjing, Kucing, Kera dan Hewan Sebangsanya (PDF) ↗ · Pemerintah Provinsi Bali — Perda Bali No. 15 Tahun 2009 tentang Penanggulangan Rabies (PDF) ↗ · Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Provinsi Bali — Peraturan Gubernur Bali Nomor 88 Tahun 2008 (terbit 24 Okt 2025, diperbarui 14 Sep 2026) ↗

What happens if an animal is brought into Bali illegally?

Quarantine Law 21/2019 requires every animal moved between areas to have a health certificate, to pass through a designated entry and exit point and to be handed to quarantine officers. If documents are incomplete, the animal can be held and the owner has at most three working days to complete them. If the requirements are not met, the animal is refused and must be removed from the destination area within three working days. An animal that is not removed promptly after refusal can be destroyed, with regard for animal welfare principles.

A person who moves an animal between areas without a health certificate, or without reporting it to quarantine officers, faces up to two years in prison and/or a fine of up to category III under Law 21/2019 as adjusted by Law 1/2026. Bali's Perda 15/2009 also sets administrative sanctions for breaking its rules on moving rabies-transmitting animals, from a written warning to an administrative fine.

Evidence: JDIH BPK — UU No. 21 Tahun 2019 tentang Karantina Hewan, Ikan, dan Tumbuhan ↗ · JDIH BPK — UU No. 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana (lampiran: UU 21/2019 Pasal 86–88) ↗ · Pemerintah Provinsi Bali — Perda Bali No. 15 Tahun 2009 tentang Penanggulangan Rabies (PDF) ↗

What can travellers and residents do instead?

If you are visiting or moving to Bali, plan early who will look after your pet at home. If you live in Bali and want a dog or cat, consider adopting an animal that is already on the island. Bali's Perda 15/2009 even provides for seized animals to be adopted once they are declared free of rabies. Read the PanduanHewan adoption guide before you decide.

Owners of rabies-transmitting animals in Bali must hold a registration card, vaccinate the animal regularly, keep a vaccination card, keep the animal inside the house or yard, and cage or tie it so it does not roam. When it is taken outside the yard, it must wear a safety restraint. According to Bali's agriculture and food security agency in 2025, it offers rabies vaccination every working day, and all its rabies vaccinations for these animals are free of charge.

Evidence: Pemerintah Provinsi Bali — Perda Bali No. 15 Tahun 2009 tentang Penanggulangan Rabies (PDF) ↗ · Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Provinsi Bali — Vaksinasi Rabies Massal 2025 pada Hewan Penular Rabies (HPR) ↗

What should you do if a dog, cat or monkey bites you in Bali?

WHO advises that a bite or scratch from an animal that may have rabies should be washed straight away with water and soap for at least 15 minutes, followed by medical attention. Indonesia's Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture's animal health directorate give the same message: wash the wound with soap and running water for 15 minutes, then go directly to a community health centre (puskesmas), hospital or other health facility. Do not delay because the wound looks small or because the animal is a pet.

To prevent rabies, avoid being bitten by dogs and other rabies-transmitting animals. Bali's Perda 15/2009 also requires everyone to report a rabies-transmitting animal showing clinical signs of rabies to the district or city agency.

Evidence: WHO — Rabies fact sheet ↗ · Kemenkes — Surat Edaran HK.02.02/C/508/2025 tentang Kewaspadaan terhadap Kasus Rabies (PDF) ↗ · Ditjen PKH Kementan — World Rabies Day 2026: Jangan Abaikan Gigitan, Segera Cuci Luka Selama 15 Menit ↗ · Dinas Pertanian dan Ketahanan Pangan Provinsi Bali — Anjingku Sudah Divaksinasi Rabies, tapi Kok Kena Rabies? (19 Desember 2024) ↗ · Pemerintah Provinsi Bali — Perda Bali No. 15 Tahun 2009 tentang Penanggulangan Rabies (PDF) ↗

Sources & references

References can change. Check dates and context in the original source.

Cite this page

PanduanHewan. (2026, 1 October). Can I bring my dog or cat to Bali? The rabies ban explained. PanduanHewan.org. https://panduanhewan.org/en/guides/can-i-bring-my-dog-to-bali/

Can I bring my dog or cat to Bali? The rabies ban explained

Key points

Start with these steps

Can I bring my dog or cat to Bali?

Is the Bali ban still in force?

Why does Bali ban dogs, cats and monkeys?

Is there any exception or permit for bringing a pet to Bali?

What happens if an animal is brought into Bali illegally?

What can travellers and residents do instead?

What should you do if a dog, cat or monkey bites you in Bali?

Sources & references

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