Nabil83
Hi allI'm Nabil and I'm new to the forum. I'm planning on moving there in August while working in London for 5 months a year. I had a few questions and I would be grateful for your pearls of wisdom.1.) I was wondering what the price range is in Bali for houses and apartments? Excluding luxury of course.I'd like to buy a house or apartment fairly close to Kuta or Seminyak, as these are the only areas I've seen of Bali so far but I'm open to new places. I can see that there's no point in googling this as it's mostly western estate agents selling places for 200K and up to 2 million USD. I did read that property is up to 86% cheaper then London though :)2.) Does anyone have any success stories of buying a home through a business? The nominee option seems quite tricky. I've been renting for years in the UK and really don't want to continue this after say my first 6 months of living in Bali.3.) Are you expats mostly on these temporary stay visas? I read they can be up to 2 years duration. I only ask as I'm not planning on ever marrying, so obviously this needs to be considered.4.) Do you guys ever experience problems with your visa if you re-enter Indonesia after going on holiday? Being a pasty white Englishman I'd like to check out some other parts of SE Asia while I'm living in Bali :)5.) What do you guys do for healthcare in Bali? It seems the private hospitals (BMI if I remember rightly) are ridiculously expensive. I'm only 30 and was born/raised in England, and have never lived abroad before, so any random hints and tips for prep would be truly appreciated, as I want to be as organised for this as humanly possible. I'm doing hours of research every week.I know you guys have forum categories but as you can see these points are quite random, so I thought a single post would best, and I hope that's ok.Take care and hope to see you all in Bali in August :)Many thanks, and I owe you guys......5 drinks!Nabil
davita
^#1Welcome Nabil83 to the forum. This balipod is very open and you will get a good return on your questions...but, please be British, and maintain a thick skin to some of the responses.The first problem you have is you need more research and less naivity...Indonesia is NOT very welcoming to foreigners, other than tourists. This is indicated by their Immigration Policy AND their Property Ownership Policy. It matters NOT what the value of property is...they will not permit foreigners to have title to land. Still, in Bali, prices have ballooned, and are ridiculously expensive.Visas, even for those here married to locals for years, it is still a perpetual problem...the Indonesian Gov't simply doesn't make it easy. A work permit, without some specialisation skill, is almost impossible. For a 30 year old Brit....come for a holiday and see what is available. But, if you think you can smuggle something in and make a fortune, I can assure it is not viable and will be regretted.
Markit
Oh Christ I hope this fecker owns a Cheddar mine
Nabil83
Hi DavitaThanks for responding and for the welcome, much appreciated.I'm aware of the issues you've set out and picked up on this when I was in Bali - frankly this doesn't really answer my questions. You've just given me some negative generalities about Bali. I'm not sure if you actually read my post, as I know that foreigners cannot buy land except through nominee or via a business. I used to be an immigration lawyer (not a wealthy one but I've got enough experience to know how difficult it is) so I'm not going to be naive about this and just arrive in Bali without planning :)Best of luck with your endeavors.
Nabil83
Looking for constructive advice/tips here buddy. You guys seemed to be helpful with everyone else so far.Oh Christ I hope this fecker owns a Cheddar mine[/QUOTE]
spicyayam
Kind of hard to give a price range for property as the market is kind of out of control right now. The prices people put on their property are definitely in the "hopeful" or wishful thinking category. Most can be negotiated down, but there are people paying top dollar without researching prices. Having said that I don't think you should even consider buying anything before you spend considerable time here.Buying property through a company is done through a foreign investment company or PMA, which if you search in the forum, you will see some previous discussions. I think the consensus is it not a great option. See here for example:[URL]https://balipod.com/forum/threads/buying-land-through-a-pma-company.5167/[/URL]Most people I know are on social, spouse or retirement visas. I know of plenty of people who have lived on social/business visas for years and have never heard of people being denied entry. Of course, I know of some who have been kicked out for working illegally. Sure the private hospitals which cater to tourists are expensive but cheap medical care is available. Any kind of serious illness/operation, people usually fly to Singapore/Australia.
Nabil83
Hi SpicyThanks so much for this. It's really helpful to see your insight on this.I hadn't actually come across the PMA/foreign investor requirement point, so I'll definitely look into this.Yes I find the whole property issue quite strange and volatile. Many people in Bali say I can afford to buy based on my budget (once past the rules of course) whereas others seem to just mock me, as you've seen from the posts above hehe. Thanks nonetheless for the tips. My plan is to rent for 6 months, explore Bali a bit more and see how it goes and I totally agree that it's best to look around first.Everyone in Bali said the medical care was expensive universally, so thank you SO much for flagging up the cheaper options. I'll look into this :)What's your story?
Natasha
Everyone in Bali said the medical care was expensive universally, so thank you SO much for flagging up the cheaper options. I'll look into this :)[/QUOTE]I don't think the medical care is expensive in Bali, even the private medical care at an international hospital. I think most can agree that medical care all over the world is expensive and if you compare prices between Bali and other western countries, it's a real discount here! Your first year here you can always get cheap travel insurance which usually includes emergency medical insurance, and after that you can get expat/international medical insurance-- you are still young and if you are healthy than it might not cost too much (and worth the peace of mind that you are covered).
davita
My first response to your post was in a general introduction. I was not aware you had some familiarity with Indonesia so did not answer you in any specific way.1. The question as to what the property price range is nebulous. A quick google search for 'Bali property for sale' will indicate a multitude of Realtors with property on their books. There are very few apartments in Bali as it has a height restriction on buildings...supposed to be 'no higher than a coconut tree' but that seems a little random. There are many condo-hotels available where an owner can stay for a few weeks a year. 2. The only way to acquire freehold property is using an Indonesian nominee...this demands exceptional trust as the title is always in the nominee's name. There are some who use strategic tactics to circumvent the law but I'm not sure if they are totally legal.Lease title is available to foreigners and can be for anything up to 25 years....or more...depending on the way the lease is formatted. Many will say it is extendable but no-one readily admits to the cost of these so-called extensions. A lease can be bought and sold but the price will, naturally, depend on the tenure of the lease.A PT PMA is like a Ltd Co for foreign investment and not only expensive to set-up, it is expensive to maintain. Also, PMA's cannot own freehold land anyway. It can, however, be used to acquire ways to obviate the other issues of visa and work permits.3. The visas readily available for you are:a. Visa on Arrival (VOA) which costs US$25 and lasts 30 days. It is extendable within the Republic of Indonesia (RI) for a further 30 days for another US$25.b. A Tourist Visa is available from the UK RI Embassy and lasts 60 days but is not supposed to be extendable...but I know some who have had it extended in Bali.c. A Social Budaya (Sosbud) is also available from the UK RI Embassy, but it needs a sponsor letter from an Indonesian submitting they will be responsible for your affairs in RI. It lasts 60 days but is extendable within Indonesia monthly....up to 6 months.None of the above permit leaving Indonesia and returning...that will require another visa. It is worth saying however that many stay in Indonesia and go to Singapore/KL etc on visa runs. Airline tickets are relatively cheap a la RyanAir. There are other longer term visas available but are more complex to attain and outside of this post's scope. 4. In reality there is limited public health care in Indonesia and not suitable for a foreigner anyway. You will have to pay at the door or have International Health Care Insurance. Simple ailments requiring a Doctor are cheap, as is dental care, but for serious medical problems most expats go back to their own country or to Singapore/Malaysia/Thailand for that level of care.IMO your best choice would be to apply for the tourist visa in London...you then have 90 days to arrive in RI. After arrival you have 60 days to explore Indonesia and suss everything out. A trip to S'pore/Malaysia /Thailand and return on a VOA or otherwise, or continue back to UK, will give you a better insight to your future needs.Good luck
Gozer
Hello Nabil83, I am worse than useless when it comes to property law here. Every time I have had it explained to me I walk away with more questions than answers. However, my wife worked with a property agency and has all of the answers. She still has quite a few contacts with different realtors, notaries, and some very reliable nominees. By reliable I mean I have lent them money and been paid back :) She also occasionally serves as an advocate for one party or the other to make sure they are not being taken advantage of. If you would like I can put you in contact with her.
Nabil83
Hi allThanks so much for this, very helpful. All nuggets of experience and wisdom for me!Take care
