Is Vaping Legal in Indonesia?

Yes — vaping is legal in Indonesia, and Bali is no exception. Indonesia is actually one of Southeast Asia’s more permissive countries when it comes to e-cigarettes. Unlike Thailand, where importing or selling e-cigarettes can result in arrest and a fine of up to 30,000 Thai Baht, Indonesia has not banned the devices themselves.

Government Regulation No. 109/2012 on Tobacco Products governs e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). The regulation treats e-cigarettes much like conventional tobacco and subjects them to age limits, advertising rules, and smoke-free zone regulations, but it does not prohibit them.

Indonesia also imposes an excise tax on e-cigarette liquids. Since 2023, e-liquid produced in Indonesia carries excise tax under the same framework that taxes cigarettes. This is why locally produced e-liquids are cheaper than imported brands in some cases — local producers absorb the tax in their pricing, while grey-market imports sidestep it. As a tourist, this excise context matters because it affects what you can legally bring in without paying import duties.

The minimum age to purchase nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, is 18. In practice, this is not consistently enforced, but it is the legal standard.

Customs Import Allowances: Devices and Liquids

When you land at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesian Customs (Bea Cukai) applies specific rules to e-cigarettes and vaping equipment. These fall under the general personal effects allowance framework, with specific guidance on electronic tobacco products.

What You Can Bring Duty-Free

The 40 ml Liquid Rule: What It Means in Practice

Forty millilitres is a meaningful restriction if you vape heavily or plan a long stay. A standard 30 ml bottle of e-liquid used at a moderate rate lasts most vapers around 5–10 days. If you are visiting Bali for two weeks and vape regularly, 40 ml may not last your entire trip — which is actually fine, because you can buy e-liquid locally once in Bali.

The 40 ml is a combined total, not a per-bottle limit. So two 20 ml bottles, one 30 ml and one 10 ml bottle, or any other combination that totals 40 ml or under is within the limit. One 50 ml bottle exceeds it.

What Happens If You Exceed the Allowance

Bringing more than the duty-free allowance does not automatically mean confiscation. You are expected to declare the excess on your customs declaration form. Undeclared excess is where the real risk lies. If customs officers find undeclared liquids or multiple devices during baggage screening, outcomes range from paying import duty on the spot (approximately 10–25% of assessed value for personal electronics) to confiscation of the excess items. Criminal prosecution for small personal-use amounts of e-liquid is not a realistic risk — but confiscation without compensation is.

The practical advice: if you want to bring more than 40 ml, split it into two suitcases (declare each portion) or simply plan to buy locally. Do not attempt to hide liquids in toiletry bags or among other containers.

For a complete picture of what Indonesian customs allows and prohibits, see our full guide to Bali customs rules for tourists.

IQOS and Heated Tobacco Products

IQOS devices (and their competitors, such as Glo and LIQO) are classified as heated tobacco products in Indonesia, which puts them in a slightly different category from e-cigarettes in regulatory terms — but the practical customs treatment is similar.

Bringing IQOS to Bali

• Device allowance: 2 IQOS devices fall within the same personal-use electronic tobacco device allowance as vape mods. Bringing a holder and a charger unit counts as one device system.
• HeatSticks / TEREA sticks: These count toward your conventional tobacco allowance, not your e-liquid allowance. The duty-free cigarette allowance is 200 cigarettes (one carton) — approximately 200 HeatSticks. One standard pack of TEREA contains 20 sticks, so 10 packs is your duty-free limit.
• Declaring excess sticks: If you bring more than 200 sticks, declare the excess. The applicable duty rate is the same as for conventional cigarettes.

Can You Buy IQOS Products in Bali?

Yes, with caveats. IQOS devices are sold at authorised retailers and some shopping malls in Bali, including Beachwalk Shopping Center in Kuta and various electronics retailers in Denpasar. TEREA sticks (the current generation) are available, though the range of flavours is more limited than in countries like Japan, Malaysia, or the UAE where Philip Morris has larger market share. Marlboro HeatSticks (older generation) are more widely available at minimarkets and convenience stores. Expect to pay slightly more than in Singapore or Malaysia for sticks.

Where Vaping Is Banned in Bali

Indonesia’s smoke-free zone regulations apply to e-cigarettes and vapes in the same way they apply to conventional cigarettes. The legal basis is Government Regulation No. 109/2012 and various regional Perda (regional regulations) that extend smoke-free requirements locally.

Definite No-Vape Zones

• Hindu temples (pura): All temples in Bali — from major sites like Tanah Lot and Uluwatu to small neighbourhood shrines — prohibit smoking and vaping. Violations are treated as disrespect for sacred space, not just a health or legal issue.
• Hospitals and health facilities: No smoking or vaping in or immediately outside any health facility. This applies to BIMC, Siloam, RSPB, and all other hospitals and clinics.
• Schools and educational facilities: Smoking and vaping prohibited. This includes the grounds, not just the buildings.
• Government offices and public service buildings: Government regulation designates these as smoke-free. Vaping in an immigration or police office is inadvisable on every level.
• Public transport: No vaping on buses, bemos, or in registered taxis. In ride-hailing vehicles (Gojek, Grab), it is both prohibited and rude to the driver.
• Indoor workplaces and restaurants where signage indicates smoke-free: Many restaurants in Seminyak, Canggu, and Ubud — especially those catering to international tourists — are fully smoke-free indoors.

Grey Zones

Bali’s outdoor beach areas, street food strips, and many open-air bar environments do not have clear statutory prohibition on vaping. In practice, vaping outdoors on beaches like Kuta, Legian, or Seminyak is common and generally tolerated. However, the formal position is that e-cigarettes fall under smoke-free regulations wherever conventional cigarettes are prohibited — and some Bali regions are moving toward broader outdoor smoke-free zones.

Beaches in the Badung Regency (which includes Kuta, Seminyak, and Nusa Dua) have had smoke-free proposals under discussion, similar to restrictions already in place at some beach areas. The status as of 2026: outdoor beach vaping is not clearly prohibited by specific regulation, but formal smoke-free beach designations are expanding.

Fines and Enforcement

Violating smoke-free zone regulations in Bali can result in a fine. The maximum fine under Bali’s regional regulation (Perda Bali No. 10/2011 and subsequent amendments) for smoking or vaping in a designated smoke-free zone is IDR 50,000 (approximately USD 3). This is the formal fine level.

In practice, enforcement against tourists for vaping specifically is uncommon. You are more likely to be asked politely to stop than to be formally fined. However:

• Vaping at or inside a temple can result in being asked to leave, and in some cases removed by Pecalang (traditional Balinese security) — who have authority within temple grounds regardless of formal government enforcement.
• Vaping in a hospital or government office can create significant friction, including being removed from the premises and potentially affecting whatever service you were seeking.
• In Nusa Dua, which has stricter enforcement of tourist conduct regulations due to its luxury resort status, smoke-free enforcement is more consistent than in Kuta or Canggu.

The fine itself is not the primary concern — the social and practical consequences of vaping in the wrong place in Bali matter more than the IDR 50,000 penalty.

Buying Vape Products in Bali

You do not need to bring your entire supply from home. Bali has a well-developed vape retail market, particularly in areas with high tourist and expat populations.

Where to Buy

• Canggu: The highest concentration of vape shops catering to tourists and digital nomads. Multiple dedicated vape stores on Jalan Batu Bolong and in the Berawa area stock international brands, a wide range of e-liquids, hardware from Chinese manufacturers (Voopoo, Smok, Geekvape, Uwell), and replacement coils.
• Seminyak: Several vape shops near the main strip, particularly around Jalan Kayu Aya. Higher prices than Canggu but convenient.
• Kuta and Legian: Multiple vape retailers in shopping areas and side streets. More varied quality — check that sealed bottles show batch numbers before buying.
• Ubud: Fewer dedicated vape shops, but some health and lifestyle stores stock basic e-liquids and hardware. Stock is more limited than in south Bali.

What You Can Expect to Pay

Quality Considerations

Indonesian e-liquid manufacturing is large and varied. There are reputable local producers whose products are well-regarded regionally, and there are low-quality products with inconsistent nicotine delivery. The risk of counterfeit hardware (fake Voopoo or Smok mods, for example) is real in markets with low oversight. Buy from dedicated vape shops rather than street vendors, and inspect seals and batch numbers on e-liquids before purchasing.

E-Liquid Restrictions and What to Declare

There are no specific content restrictions on e-liquid flavours or formulations under Indonesian law — you can bring nicotine-containing liquids (they are taxed, not banned), nicotine-free liquids, and common e-liquid bases (propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin) without issue.

One area of potential concern: liquids containing CBD are a different matter entirely. CBD is classified as a narcotic in Indonesia (Golongan I, the same category as heroin and cannabis). An e-liquid marketed in your home country as a “CBD vape juice” is a narcotics importation offence in Indonesia. Do not bring CBD-containing e-liquids to Bali. For the full picture on CBD law in Indonesia, see our guide on CBD and kratom legality in Indonesia.

If your e-liquid contains nicotine, declare it honestly. Nicotine-containing products are taxable goods — but the personal-use allowance means you will not pay duty on amounts up to 40 ml. Over that limit, declare it; the duty is modest and the alternative (confiscation of undeclared goods) is worse.

Vaping on Flights and at the Airport

Aviation rules apply regardless of the destination country. Key points for the Bali-bound traveller:

• Vape devices must go in carry-on luggage, not checked baggage. This is an international aviation safety rule — lithium batteries in hold luggage are a fire risk. This applies to all airlines serving Ngurah Rai Airport.
• E-liquids in carry-on follow the standard 100 ml aviation liquid rule for security screening at your departure airport. Each bottle must be 100 ml or less, all in a single 1-litre clear zip-lock bag. The Indonesian customs 40 ml import limit is separate from the aviation liquid screening rule — you can bring liquids up to 100 ml per bottle through security, but you can only import 40 ml total duty-free into Indonesia.
• No vaping on board any commercial aircraft serving Bali, including Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, AirAsia, and international carriers. Indonesian aviation regulations prohibit use of e-cigarettes on flights, identical to conventional cigarette rules.
• Ngurah Rai Airport has designated smoking areas post-immigration in the international terminal. These also accommodate vapers. Do not vape in non-designated areas inside the terminal.

Practical Tips for Vapers Visiting Bali

• Bring your device and a small supply (30–40 ml), then buy more locally. Canggu vape shops will have most of what you need for your stay.
• Carry replacement coils from home if your device uses a less common coil type — local stock focuses on popular mainstream hardware and you may not find your specific coil.
• Ask before you vape indoors at restaurants and bars. Many tourist-facing venues in Seminyak and Canggu are smoke-free indoors. Stepping outside is both polite and usually expected.
• Never vape inside or immediately outside a temple. This is about respect, not just law. Balinese temple grounds are sacred spaces and this is non-negotiable.
• Keep your device in your carry-on throughout your journey. Your vape must never go in checked luggage.
• Do not vape in ride-hailing vehicles. Gojek and Grab drivers are often very tolerant of tourists, but vaping inside a car they use as their workplace is rude and will cause friction.
• Fill a small container with liquid for day trips. Rather than carrying full 30 ml bottles, a small 10 ml refillable bottle is less conspicuous and easier to manage on tours to temples or cultural sites.

If you are planning your first trip to Bali, our essential Bali travel tips for first-time visitors covers the broader practical landscape, and our customs rules guide explains everything you need to declare on arrival.