A building permit in Bali today means a PBG (Persetujuan Bangunan Gedung) before you build and an SLF (Sertifikat Laik Fungsi) before the building is used. The rules behind them are national, and the application always goes through SIMBG. What changes from place to place is the government that reviews it. Bali is divided into regencies and one city, and each runs its own licensing office, its own technical team and its own regulation on the PBG retribution. So the first question for any project is simple: which regency is the land in?
Cost: set per regency for the retribution; the SLF certificate is free by regulation. See PBG and SLF cost.
Which office handles your land
| Area | Regency or city | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Canggu, Pererenan, Berawa, Umalas, Kerobokan | Badung (Kuta Utara) | PBG and SLF Canggu |
| Seminyak, Legian, Kuta | Badung, with parts under Denpasar | PBG and SLF Seminyak |
| Jimbaran, Uluwatu, the Bukit, Nusa Dua | Badung (Kuta Selatan) | PBG and SLF Uluwatu |
| Ubud and surrounding villages | Gianyar | PBG and SLF Ubud |
| Sanur and the city | Denpasar | PBG and SLF Denpasar |
| Tanah Lot and the rice areas west of Canggu | Tabanan | PBG and SLF Tabanan |
The certificate shows the village and regency. Where a street sits close to a boundary, as in parts of Seminyak, Kuta and Legian, check the certificate rather than the address.
Rules that apply across Bali
- 15 metre height limit. Buildings in Bali may not exceed 15 metres, apart from certain public and special structures. The rule comes from the provincial spatial plan, and Badung's public works office has applied it to hotel projects.
- Zoning first. Each regency's spatial plan decides whether land may carry housing, tourism or commerce. Green zones, held mainly for farming and conservation, are heavily restricted.
- Technical review. The regency forms a panel of professional experts (TPA) and a technical assessment team (TPT) that consider the plans.
- Inspection. Before an SLF, the building is inspected on site, and authorities also inspect buildings in use.
Villas and rentals
Every villa needs a PBG. A villa that earns income also needs an SLF, and a rumah kos needs both. Business applicants file through OSS, which is linked to SIMBG. For the licensing side, see villa business licensing.
Existing buildings without permits
Much of Bali was built before the PBG, some of it without any approval. An existing building without an IMB or PBG can be legalised through the SLF route: it is assessed as it stands, and the SLF and PBG are issued together once it passes and the retribution is paid. An old IMB stays valid for what it approved. See IMB and the switch to PBG.
Where we work from
The office is in Kerobokan, in Badung, a short drive from Canggu, Seminyak and Denpasar. Badung matters are handled directly; for Gianyar, Tabanan and Denpasar the file follows that government's own office.
