Bank Indonesia Launches Website to Combat Illegal Money Changers in Bali
Bank Indonesia has established a dedicated website, moneychangerbali.com, as an information resource for foreign tourists to help suppress illegal foreign currency exchange operations (KUPVA BB) in Bali.
Erwin Soeriadimadja, head of Bank Indonesia’s Bali office, explained that the online platform allows visitors to locate the nearest licensed money changer. “We will continue to strengthen licensing and supervisory functions,” he said in Denpasar, Bali, on Friday, 13 February 2026.
Tourists and the public can identify authorised foreign exchange operators by several characteristics: the business holds an official certificate from Bank Indonesia; the company has a clearly registered name with Bank Indonesia; and it displays the authorised KUPVA BB logo with an accompanying QR code.
According to 2025 data, Bank Indonesia Bali has recorded 601 licensed money changer branches, the second-largest network in Indonesia, with primary concentration in three tourist destinations: Badung Regency, Gianyar Regency, and Denpasar City. This extensive network demonstrates the strategic importance of the licensed foreign exchange industry in Bali in supporting economic activity, particularly in the tourism sector.
In addition to providing location information on licensed money changers, the website features a reporting channel for illegal currency exchange activities through the BI-PATROL portal. “These various measures to suppress illegal money changers require synergy and cross-agency collaboration, including coordination with local government, foreign exchange associations, law enforcement, and traditional institutions,” Soeriadimadja said.
Ni Made Tirtaningsih, chairperson of the Foreign Exchange Operators Association (APVA) Bali, noted that illegal currency exchange operations pose a consumer risk and damage Bali’s and Indonesia’s tourism image internationally. She noted that several traditional village regulations (perarem) in the Kuta, Seminyak, and Legian areas of Badung Regency now explicitly prohibit illegal foreign currency exchange operations.
Bali Governor Wayan Koster emphasised that licensed money changers form an important part of Bali’s tourism ecosystem and their integrity and credibility must be protected.