British retirees can settle in Bali on the E33F Retirement KITAS (age 60 plus, USD 3,000 a month in pension income) or the E33 Second Home Visa (IDR 2 billion deposit, no age limit). Budget roughly £1,850 to £2,700 a month for a comfortable couple in Sanur, and note that the UK state pension is frozen in Indonesia.
Key takeaways
- Two main visa routes: the E33F Retirement KITAS for over-60s and the E33 Second Home Visa for anyone with IDR 2 billion (about USD 125,000) to deposit.
- Your UK state pension is payable in Indonesia but frozen at the rate you first receive there, per GOV.UK. Private pensions are unaffected.
- A comfortable retired couple in Sanur spends roughly USD 2,350 to 3,450 a month, well below the PLSA's moderate UK retirement standard.
- Sanur has Bali's strongest healthcare cluster, anchored by the Bali International Hospital that opened in June 2025.
- Foreigners cannot own freehold. Leasehold is the standard, legitimate route.
Which visa lets a British retiree live in Bali?
The main route for over-60s is the E33F Retirement KITAS, a one-year renewable permit requiring proof of USD 3,000 a month in pension or passive income, a bank statement of around USD 2,000, accommodation and health insurance. Under-60s generally use the E33 Second Home Visa, a five or ten-year permit backed by an IDR 2 billion deposit.
The E33F is applied for via evisa.imigrasi.go.id and is usually arranged through a licensed visa agent. The official line is age 60 plus, though requirements as applied by agents can vary, so confirm current practice. After three to four years of renewals you can apply for KITAP, Indonesia's permanent stay permit. No work is allowed on the E33F.
There is also the E33E Silver Hair Visa, a five-year permit for over-60s who place USD 50,000 in an Indonesian state-owned bank within 90 days of entry and show the same USD 3,000 monthly income. It needs no sponsor and allows multiple entry. The E33 Second Home Visa asks for more capital, IDR 2 billion (about USD 125,000) held at a state-owned bank such as Mandiri, BNI, BRI or BTN for the life of the visa, but has no age limit and lets a spouse, children and parents join on dependent E31 permits under one deposit. The full decision logic sits in our complete guide to retiring in Bali in 2026.
What happens to your UK state pension in Bali?
You can claim and receive the UK state pension in Indonesia, but it is frozen. Indonesia has no reciprocal social security agreement with the UK, so per GOV.UK your pension stays at the rate in force when you become entitled to it abroad, with no annual triple lock increases.
The full new state pension is £230.25 a week in 2025/26, per GOV.UK. Freeze that for two decades and the gap against an uprated pension compounds into tens of thousands of pounds. We run the honest 20-year arithmetic, and the ways owners offset it, in our dedicated frozen pension guide. Workplace and private pensions, including SIPPs and annuities, are not frozen and pay wherever you live.
Before committing, contact the DWP International Pension Centre for a forecast of exactly what you would receive abroad, and take regulated financial advice on the tax side. Britain and Indonesia have a double taxation agreement, but how your pensions are taxed depends on residency, which is fact-specific.
How does healthcare in Bali compare with the NHS?
The NHS does not cover you in Indonesia, so private health insurance is mandatory in practice and required for the retirement visa. The standard of private care in Bali has stepped up sharply since the Bali International Hospital opened in Sanur on 25 June 2025.
That hospital anchors KEK Sanur, Indonesia's first health special economic zone, a 41.26-hectare district with around USD 620 million in projected investment under Government Regulation 41 of 2022. Established private options include BIMC (Siloam group) in Nusa Dua and Kuta and the JCI-accredited Siloam Hospital Bali in Kuta. For anything highly specialised, Singapore is under three hours away.
Expect international health insurance premiums to rise with age, and disclose pre-existing conditions honestly. For most British retirees the practical trade is losing GP familiarity and gaining same-week specialist appointments at private-hospital prices far below UK private care.
What does living in Sanur cost compared with the UK?
A retired couple lives comfortably in Sanur on roughly USD 2,350 to 3,450 a month, per bali.com's 2026 cost guides, with a premium lifestyle at USD 4,000 to 6,000. For contrast, the PLSA's Retirement Living Standards put a moderate retirement for a UK couple at £43,100 a year, about £3,590 a month, before housing surprises.
| Item | Sanur | UK south coast |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 2-bed home | £700 to £1,300 | £1,200 to £1,800 |
| Eating out (10 to 12 meals) | £150 to £300 | £400 to £600 |
| Utilities and internet | £100 to £180 | £250 to £350 |
| Cleaner or home help | £80 to £150 | £300 plus |
| Health insurance (couple, 60s) | £250 to £500 | NHS, or £150 plus private |
| Transport | £60 to £150 | £200 to £400 |
The pattern is consistent: day-to-day living, dining and help at home cost a fraction of UK prices, while health insurance is the one line that runs higher. How Bali stacks up against the usual British alternatives on the Mediterranean is covered in Bali vs Spain and Portugal for European retirees.
Where should British retirees live in Bali?
For most over-60s the answer is Sanur, on the calm east coast. It is flat, walkable and residential, with a 7 km car-free beach promenade, the island's newest hospital and a long-established European expat community. Canggu and Seminyak skew young, loud and scooter-dependent.
Sanur's demographics genuinely favour older Europeans, a point we unpack in why European retirees choose Sanur over Canggu. Practical anchors matter at this stage of life: the promenade for morning walks, Sanur Harbour for fast boats to Nusa Penida and Lembongan when family visits, and the airport about 25 minutes away.
On property, foreigners cannot hold freehold (Hak Milik), and nominee arrangements are illegal and unenforceable, so never entertain them. Leasehold is the standard route, typically 25 to 30 years in Sanur with negotiated extensions. Sanuuri Residences, a two-minute walk from the beach, offers a 50-year leasehold, materially longer than the local norm, across apartments, lofts and pool villas, all handed over fully furnished with rental management by Investland Bali when you travel home.
How do you get there, and how connected will you stay?
There are no non-stop UK to Bali flights. One-stop routings via Singapore, Doha, Dubai or Istanbul put London to Denpasar at roughly 17 to 20 hours. Bali sits eight hours ahead of GMT, so a 7pm call from Sanur lands at 11am in Britain.
Demand for the island keeps climbing: Bali recorded 6.9 million foreign arrivals in 2025, up 9.7% on 2024, according to BPS Bali. That growth is exactly why booking flights early for the UK summer and Christmas windows pays, and why a home that can earn rental income while you are back in Britain is worth structuring properly from day one.
Frequently asked questions
Can British citizens retire permanently in Bali?
Yes. The E33F Retirement KITAS is a one-year renewable permit for over-60s with USD 3,000 a month in pension or passive income, and after three to four years of renewals you can apply for KITAP, Indonesia's permanent stay permit. Under-60s can use the E33 Second Home Visa instead.
Is the UK state pension frozen if I move to Bali?
Yes. Indonesia has no reciprocal social security agreement with the UK, so your state pension is paid at the rate in force when you leave and does not receive annual increases. Private and workplace pensions are not affected. Confirm your position with the DWP International Pension Centre before moving.
How long is the flight from the UK to Bali?
There are no non-stop flights. One-stop routings via Singapore, Doha, Dubai or Istanbul take roughly 17 to 20 hours door to door from London. Bali is eight hours ahead of the UK in winter and seven in summer, which makes calls home straightforward in the Bali evening.
Can British retirees buy property in Bali?
Not as freehold, which is reserved for Indonesian citizens. The standard route is leasehold, typically 25 to 30 years in Sanur, while KITAS holders can also use Hak Pakai title and business operators a PT PMA company. Nominee arrangements are illegal and unenforceable, so walk away from anyone offering one.
Sources
- GOV.UK, State Pension if you retire abroad, 2025/26 rates
- Directorate General of Immigration, evisa.imigrasi.go.id, E33F, E33E and E33 visa requirements, 2026
- BPS Bali (Badan Pusat Statistik), foreign arrivals 2024 and 2025
- bali.com, Cost of Living in Bali guides, 2026
- PLSA Retirement Living Standards, 2024
- Government Regulation 41 of 2022, KEK Sanur health special economic zone
- PwC Indonesia tax summaries, 2026