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War has changed the landscape of global migration. Not long ago, people mainly came here for vacation. Two to three-week tours were top sellers. But now, many are arriving in Indonesia not just for leisure..
One of my acquaintances, an entrepreneur who opened a souvenir shop here, had a fairly successful business in Russia. We helped him organize many business processes here.
After the mobilization announcement, he packed his things and came to Bali to explore the island and figure out how to make money in a new country. The road back to Russia was closed, and he needed to learn how to live differently. He said:
"If I hadn’t gotten that kick in the pants, I might still be sitting in Russia. Now, it's important for me to learn how to make money without relying on clients in Russia. I want to open a company that can operate freely around the world and accept payments. Without blockages, sanctions, and the risks of mobilization."
Many others (not just entrepreneurs) found themselves in similar situations. Those who came from Russia, neighboring countries, and the former CIS states to Bali realized that there was no turning back and are trying to establish themselves on the island.
When I arrived on the island, my goal was exactly the same. I wasn’t thinking about starting a company, creating a useful resource for entrepreneurs, or launching a large international business. My goal was to “establish myself,” feel the ground beneath my feet, and learn how to earn my first money. I didn’t make long-term plans and wasn’t quite sure what to do next.
I will share how our compatriots make their first money in Bali, build their initial capital, and find solid ground on the island. Read to the end — THERE ARE SEVERAL INTERESTING SCHEMES HERE THAT YOU CAN USE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY..
How can you legally work in Bali without initial capital and without money?
If you are on our portal and reading this article, you probably already know that stories about a happy and carefree life are not our style.
You cannot work legally in Bali without money. Why?
You either pay to open a company and become a businessman with employees working for you — LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO DO THIS HERE: https://bali-legal.com/en/business-bali-bez-oshibok-en. This costs from $4,000 and more, depending on the type of business.
Or you look for a sponsoring company that will employ you in one of the allowed professions (LIST OF PROFESSIONS HERE: https://bali-legal.com/en/business-bali-bez-oshibok-en). This costs around $4,000 per person per year.
Both options require money, some skills, knowledge of local legislation, and time.
All that’s left for us, especially in situations where we only have enough money for 3-4 months and need to “make it work,” is to accept reality. Understand that your only path is to work around the system or not work at all. There are no guarantees or 100% winning outcomes.
And many start their journey here this way.
What is the reality?
THE PUNISHMENT FOR ILLEGAL WORK ON THE ISLAND IS DEPORTATION.
This means that if you get caught working illegally, you could be deported from the island back to your country of residence and banned from entering Indonesia for at least 5 years. Additionally, you may face fines if the violation is serious.
You can read about how the local immigration service operates HERE - https://bali-legal.com/en/proverka-immigracii-en.
From this, we can draw some VERY SIMPLE AND LOGICAL CONCLUSIONS. If you want to earn your first money on the island without risking deportation:
1 – Do not engage in activities that are easy to check or detect without a KITAS. Activities that are in plain sight. This includes professions such as:
Photographer
Massage therapist
Videographer
Teacher
Actor
Singer
I think the point is clear. Some of these professions are even prohibited for foreigners in Indonesia. I won’t even mention prostitution.
By the way, the most deported professions on the island are:
Prostitute
Photographer
Real estate agent
Driving instructor
Event organizer
2 – Avoid mass advertising of your services if you are working illegally. The key principle here is the quality of the service you provide. Try to focus on “word of mouth.” Information spreads very quickly on the island. Trust your professionalism.
Social media that fall under the advertising ban include:
TikTok
You can try working through Google or Yandex, set not to the Indonesia region. And the main hit for promotion here remains Telegram.
3 – Your work should bring profit and benefit to local residents. This is a very important point. Those who “take for themselves” are quickly punished by the island. Create new jobs, form small partnerships with local residents. BE USEFUL, AND THE INCOME WILL COME.
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How Foreigners Earn Their First Money in Bali?
THE MAIN SCHEME FOR STARTING – THE REAL ESTATE MARKET. Here, the biggest money is made in Bali, and the properties are often undervalued. About 70% of inquiries we receive about opening companies are related to renting, constructing, and reselling various forms of real estate. This is where those who want to make their first money on the island come.
This type of activity is hard to track, especially if you follow the rules mentioned above.
What schemes work best?
Scheme 1 – Long-Term Sublease
Local residents strongly believe in karma, spirits, and higher powers. The European business approach differs greatly from the Balinese perspective. They believe that a good business is promoted by the gods. It’s enough to start the process, open a store, buy goods, and then the spirits take over.
We advertise – Balinese pray.
If your karma is good, everything will come naturally. In the market, the money received from the first morning customer is used to bless all the products by passing the bill over them.
THAT’S WHY THERE ARE QUITE A FEW UNDERESTIMATED PROPERTIES HERE – guesthouses, townhouses, apartments, and even entire villas that can cost 2-3 TIMES LESS than the market value for the region. This is often simply because the owner does not do any advertising.
Our compatriots usually look for such properties, negotiate with the owner to help rent them out, take quality photos, write descriptions, and sometimes improve the interior a bit for a nice and cozy look. They set their own price and post the property in themed Russian-speaking Telegram groups.
If you are not greedy, the scheme in numbers looks something like this (using a guesthouse as an example):
Cost per month – 2,500,000 IDR
Market price – 5,500,000 IDR
Agent’s price – 4,000,000 IDR
Monthly income for the agent – 1,500,000 IDR
At this price, your guesthouse will be snatched up on the very first day it’s posted in a themed chat. A huge advantage of the local real estate market is that almost no one requires any deposits (especially for small properties) or advance payment for 2, 3 months, etc. Therefore, initial costs are minimal. The profit on each invested dollar is about 60%.
With 10 such guesthouses, you can ensure a modest living for yourself on the island. If you conduct this scheme with a local Indonesian acquaintance, it’s even better. They can support you in case any questions arise.
It’s even simpler with villas. Renting out just one villa can cover your minimum monthly needs.
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Scheme 2 – Short-Term Subletting
One of our clients rents properties through services like Airbnb and Booking. Official statistics from his business indicate that these two platforms outperform any direct advertising. Moreover, the profit is distributed approximately in the following ratio:
90% – Booking
10% – Airbnb
If you find a quality property (the same guesthouse as in the previous example), you can rent it out on a daily basis, primarily using Booking.
My personal experience shows that short-term rentals in Bali for a good price-to-quality ratio lead to almost 100% occupancy throughout the year.
I lived in a guesthouse for almost a year, and my neighbors were constantly changing. The neighboring room never went vacant for even a single day during the season and sometimes remained empty for only 3-4 days a month in the off-season.
THIS IS ALL THANKS TO:
Good pricing
Quality and affordable renovations
A good landlord
Booking
The math here looks something like this:
Cost per month – 2,500,000 IDR
Market price per day – 250,000 IDR
Agent's price on Booking – 250,000 IDR
Monthly income for the agent – 5,000,000 IDR. Adjusted for 80% occupancy – 4,000,000 IDR per month
IMPORTANT!
It’s better to create a Booking account under an Indonesian name – the actual owner of the property. Use an Indonesian phone number for communication (it can be yours). Arrange with the Indonesian to greet new guests for a small additional fee.
Scheme 3 – Selling Properties
Ah, this is something that a lot of people on the island are doing. Developer companies easily offer you 3% to 5% for selling real estate. Here’s the breakdown of the rates:
If you bring a client and the developer handles all further processes and the sale – you get 1% of the property’s price.
If you handle the entire transaction, from finding the client to finalizing the sale – you get 3%.
If you generate a significant flow of clients, you can expect up to 4.5%, and in rare cases, even 7% of the property’s price.
This example is based on a real commercial offer from the large residential complex PARQ in central Ubud.
Of course, the great thing about this scheme is that you can sell these properties not only to people living in Bali but also to investors worldwide. This means you can use various advertising methods, partnerships, and client acquisition strategies, except targeting the Bali region.
The math looks like this:
Property price – $100,000 – $300,000 USD.
Agent’s profit ranges widely from $1,000 to $21,000 USD per property.
In this business, your earnings depend greatly on your entrepreneurial and communication skills. Many people who come here with little money make significant amounts by negotiating additional discounts, securing commissions from developers, and offering properties to friends or acquaintances at the most attractive prices.
Bali is an island full of amazing opportunities and amazing people. Setting up a meeting with a new client or contact is easy here. People living on Bali know that opportunities present themselves every day, and they are usually open to communication and collaboration.
However, everything I’ve described here should not be seen as a permanent income strategy. These are informal and temporary measures to help you and your family establish yourselves on Bali and start earning your first income. Your next step should definitely be to open a business and legalize your activities in a lawful way.
If you need a more detailed consultation on relocation, setting up a business, or running a company in Bali, CONTACT US via TELEGRAM or WHATSAPP for quick communication.
Together, we’ll make your life on the island comfortable!
