Four foreigners detained in Canggu as immigration officials investigate DJ performances

In brief: Ngurah Rai immigration officers detained four foreign nationals during a joint operation in Canggu on 24 September 2026. Three were suspected of performing as DJs outside the conditions of their stay permits, while the fourth was investigated over a substantial overstay.

The case is a useful warning for performers and venues hosting international acts in Bali. Permission to enter or reside in Indonesia does not, by itself, settle whether someone can perform professionally at a nightclub. Immigration officials reported an investigation, not a final finding against all four people.

What officers found during the 24 September operation

The operation took place at night in Canggu, within Badung Regency. According to the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, three men were suspected of misusing their stay permits by appearing as DJs at a nightclub. They were identified only by their initials: MSI, an Egyptian national, and EZM and AA, both Russian nationals.

The Egyptian national and EZM were reported to hold visas on arrival. AA held an investor limited stay permit, known as an ITAS Investor. These differences matter because Indonesian immigration permission is tied to the activities covered by the particular visa or permit. The official account does not establish that any of the three had already been found legally responsible for unauthorised work.

A Nigerian woman identified as PGA was also detained in the operation. Immigration officials said she had remained in Indonesia for 402 days beyond her permitted stay. Her case was reported as an overstay; she was not identified as one of the three suspected nightclub performers. The four were taken to the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office for further examination of their documents.

For performers, a valid stay permit is only part of the picture

Indonesia's immigration guidance states that a B1 tourist visa on arrival does not allow its holder to receive payment for goods, services or work from individuals or businesses in the country. The Canggu reports identify two visas on arrival without specifying their individual visa indexes, so their exact conditions should not be inferred solely from the label. An investor stay permit serves a different purpose and should not be assumed to cover entertainment work outside that purpose.

A venue booking a guest DJ therefore has more to establish than the artist's passport validity and travel dates. The intended activity, the visa conditions, the payment arrangements and any necessary authorisation all need to fit the actual engagement. The official reports do not disclose whether the three men were paid or the terms under which the club engaged them. Nor do they establish that a particular permit would have been approved for each person.

The fourth case also serves as a separate reminder that a permitted period of stay must be monitored, regardless of employment arrangements. Neither ANTARA's 26 September report nor the immigration release published on 2 October announced a final deportation decision or other concluded outcome for the four individuals. This was an enforcement operation under existing rules, not the announcement of a new visa restriction for everyone living in Bali.

• ANTARA News, “Imigrasi amankan 4 WNA diduga langgar izin tinggal di Bali” — 26 September 2026.
• Indonesian Immigration, “Informasi Visa Republik Indonesia”, B1 visa-on-arrival conditions — publication date not stated; guidance checked on 14 October 2026.