Ubud

Yes, but not freehold. Hak Milik, Indonesian freehold, is for Indonesian citizens only. Most foreign buyers in Bali take a leasehold: a contract with the Indonesian landowner, usually for 25 to 30 years, signed as a notarial deed. An extension exists only if the contract provides for it, ideally at a price or formula fixed at the start. The other route is Hak Pakai, a registered right of use that a foreign individual with valid immigration documents can hold. On privately owned land it runs for up to 30 years and is renewed only by a new deed the owner agrees to, and in Bali the minimum price for a foreign buyer is IDR 5 billion for a house and IDR 2 billion for an apartment. Never put the land in an Indonesian nominee's name: such arrangements are void, and a 2026 Bali regulation bans them.

About 35 to 40 km, which usually takes an hour to an hour and a half. At morning rush hour it can take longer. There is no toll road or rail line to Ubud. Inside the town, metered taxis and ride-hailing pickups are not allowed and a local drivers' cooperative sets fares, so residents mostly ride scooters or keep a car and driver.

Ubud has grown into the villages around it. To the west, Penestanan, Sayan and Kedewatan sit above the Ayung river valley, with rice fields between the houses. To the south, Peliatan and Mas are known for wood carving and museums, and Pelangi School is in Mas. Petulu lies to the north, and the Tegallalang rice terraces are about 10 km north of the centre. Central Ubud and Padang Tegal hold the palace, the art market and the Monkey Forest.

Yes, within a short drive. Pelangi School in Mas was founded in 2006 by Ubud parents, and Green School is in Sibang Kaja, about half an hour south. For health care, BIMC runs a medical centre in Kedewatan that is open 24 hours, and RSU Ari Canti is a hospital on Jalan Raya Mas. The larger hospitals are in Denpasar, about an hour away.

Only where the zoning allows it. In September 2025 Bali's governor halted new hotels, villas and similar commercial building on productive farmland and water catchments, and a provincial regulation signed in February 2026 limits the conversion of farmland. Land in an agricultural zone cannot lawfully take a villa. For any project, check the plot's zoning, the building approval (PBG) issued before construction and, once the building is finished, its certificate of function (SLF).

Only through a licensed business. Short stays count as an accommodation business that needs a business number (NIB) with the right activity code through the national OSS system, plus a tax number, and guests pay a regional hotel tax of up to 10%. A foreign owner usually lets through a licensed Indonesian operator or through their own foreign-owned company (PT PMA). From August 2026 unlicensed listings have been removed from the large booking platforms, so ask the developer how the property will be licensed.

No. Indonesia grants no visa for buying a villa on a leasehold. The Second Home Visa asks for at least US$130,000 held in a state-owned Indonesian bank or, on the official terms, the purchase of an apartment worth at least US$1 million, and gives a stay permit of up to five years, extendable to ten.

Three, each of a different kind. Ubud Dream by Loyo & Bondar Development is a complex of 41 two-storey villas and an apartment building on the Penestanan side, with a spa and yoga areas. Sekar by EVDEkimi, in Sayan, has 27 villas, townhouses and apartments facing the rice fields and is sold on a 30-year leasehold. Happiness Event Villa by PT High Flying Birds is a single 11-bedroom villa on 17 ares in a gated community north-east of the centre, designed for both family living and events. Current prices and terms are on each project page.