PBG and SLF are the two documents that make a building legal in Bali. The PBG (Persetujuan Bangunan Gedung, building approval) approves your plans before construction, renovation or a change of use, and it replaced the old IMB. The SLF (Sertifikat Laik Fungsi, certificate of fitness for use) is issued after the finished building passes a technical audit and an inspection, and it is what allows a villa to be occupied, rented out or licensed as a business. PBG & SLF Indonesia prepares both from an office in Kerobokan, with lawyers and notaries who explain every step in English.
Cost: the PBG retribution is set by each regency's regulation; the SLF certificate is free by regulation. Drawings and professional work are quoted separately. See what a PBG and SLF cost in Bali.
Which document do you need?
- You are about to build or renovate. You need a PBG first. Construction should not start until it is issued.
- The building is finished. You need an SLF before it is used, and before a rental villa takes guests.
- The villa has an old IMB. It still counts for the building as it was approved. A renovation, an extension or a switch to rental use brings in the PBG and SLF. See IMB and the switch to PBG.
- You are buying or leasing a villa. Check the permits before you pay. Villa due diligence compares the approved plans with what was actually built.
How the work runs
- Check the land first. The zoning in the regency's spatial plan must allow the building you want. A green zone held for farming can stop a project before any drawing is made.
- Prepare the file. Land certificate or lease, identity and tax numbers, and drawings signed by a certified architect or engineer. The full list is on the PBG requirements page.
- Submit through SIMBG. The national online system for building approvals. Our SIMBG guide shows what happens inside it.
- Technical review and issue. The regency's licensing office (DPMPTSP) reviews zoning, safety and design, then issues the PBG.
- Build, then apply for the SLF. Technical audit, upload, inspection on site, certificate.
Typical timing is 20 to 45 working days for a PBG and 25 to 60 for an SLF. The timeline page breaks this down stage by stage.
Areas in Bali
Building permits are issued by the regency, so the office depends on where the land sits. Canggu, Seminyak, Kerobokan, Uluwatu and the Bukit are in Badung. Ubud is in Gianyar. Sanur is in Denpasar. Start with building permits in Bali, or go to Canggu, Seminyak, Uluwatu, Ubud, Denpasar and Sanur or Tabanan.
Legal work around the permit
A permit rarely stands alone. The same team handles land due diligence before you buy a plot, construction contracts and notarial deeds, PT PMA setup for foreign investors, and licensing a rental villa business.
Start with a message
Send a WhatsApp message or use the contact form: where the building is, what it is for and what stage it is at. The first consultation is free. You get the documents to gather, a realistic timing and a quote before anything starts.
