The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website also warns travelers that they are subject to all local laws and penalties, “including those that may seem harsh by Australian standards.”
In May 2025, Indonesia reported 1.31 million international visitors. Source: Getty / photoalliance/dpa/photoalliance via Getty I
The revision of Indonesia’s criminal code – introduced by the national parliament in 2022 and ratified in November this year – introduces new penalties for cohabitation, adultery and sex outside marriage between a man and a woman.
Other changes include a ban on black magic, insulting the president or state institutions, spreading views contrary to state ideology and organizing protests without notice.
Will Indonesian Laws Deter Travelers?
“Hotels or other accommodations are like second homes for tourists. With the ratification of this criminal code, hotels are now problematic places,” he said.
Overseas arrivals and departures data released in September suggested Indonesia was the top destination country for Australians traveling abroad in the 2024-2025 financial year, accounting for 14.2 per cent of overseas trips.
The Criminal Code is facing local reactions
According to Human Rights Watch, Indonesia has millions of couples without marriage certificates who will break the law, especially indigenous people or rural Muslims who are married only through Islamic ceremonies.
Indonesian activists hold up posters during a demonstration against Indonesia’s new criminal law in 2022. Source: AP / Slamet Riyadi
Activists and experts have also warned that the complaints process will disproportionately impact women and LGBTIQ+ people, who are more likely to be reported by husbands for adultery or by families for relationships they disapprove of.
#tricky #rules #effect #travelers #Bali