What Bali’s 2026 Land Rule Means for Foreign Residents

Denpasar — Bali Governor Wayan Koster signed Regional Regulation No. 4 of 2026 on Feb. 24, establishing controls on the conversion of productive agricultural land and prohibiting nominee-based land ownership across the province.

The change comes as Bali seeks to keep agricultural land available for food crops, horticulture and plantations while addressing arrangements in which land is controlled through another person’s name. The regulation provides a provincial framework for spatial planning, permits and supervision of non-agricultural use.

Why the rule matters to foreign residents and visitors

For a foreign resident, the practical issue is that a local name cannot be used as a nominee structure to provide indirect control of land. The rule also affects projects and property activity on productive land: conversion to non-agricultural use is subject to tighter controls, and authorities may impose measures including warnings, suspension of activities, site closure, permit revocation or cancellation, demolition, restoration of the land’s function and administrative fines.

The regulation’s full title identifies both its land-use and ownership provisions: control of productive-land conversion and the prohibition of transfers of land ownership by nominee. The Bali Provincial Government says the policy is intended to strengthen food security, protect the cultural landscape and prevent nominee practices.

Its implementation relies on spatial-planning controls, licensing and oversight. The stated agricultural purposes include food production, horticulture and plantations, as well as strategically important agricultural areas. The regulation therefore concerns not only land transactions but also whether productive land may be used for commercial or other non-agricultural activities.

The rule was reported by the Bali Provincial Government’s spatial-planning agency on Mar. 12, and an independent Bali news report described its enactment the previous month. The available reports do not state a separate implementation timetable beyond the regulation’s enactment.

Sources

• ejournal4.unud.ac.id
• Dewata News — regional news organisation
• indovestor.com
• domabali.com
• traceworthy.com
• NusaBali — established regional news organisation reporting the regulation’s controls on productive-land conversion, nominee ownership, and administrative sanct
• news.detik.com
• The Image — news organisation reporting the regulation’s signing on 24 February 2026, nominee-ownership prohibition, productive-land controls, and administrativ