- The journey has six stages: search and questions, checking the property, the deal, construction, handover, rental. DOMA buyers take 2–6 weeks from first enquiry to deposit, a 2-bedroom villa takes 10 months to build under the construction contract, and handover fits into two weeks.
- The first questions are always the same: can a foreigner own, what does it cost, where to buy, what yield is realistic and what about taxes. Each has its own guide on this site, and this article ties them into one map.
- Seven things are checked before the deposit: the zone and KKPR, whose name the land is in, the PBG and the building's designated use, who sells and under which KBLI code, a financial model on market data, the location's climate risk, and five clauses of the land lease.
- Since 2026 the deal consists of three documents: the coordinator agreement with DOMA, the land lease with the landowner in your name, and the construction contract with the general contractor. Payments go for completed stages against acts: 30/30/30/10.
- After BAST the contractor's warranties start (5 years structure, 2 years engineering, 1 year finishing) and the rental launches: the NIB, KBLI 55193, PBG, SLF and NPWPD package, a management company, platforms, taxes and the owner's calendar.
Almost every buyer of a villa in Bali walks the same road, they just do not know it in advance. First the questions: can a foreigner own, what does it cost, where, and what yield. Then the choice, which takes DOMA buyers two to six weeks. Then document checks, a deal of three contracts, ten months of construction paid against acts, handover and the rental launch. We have written more than 60 guides on each step. This article ties them into one map: what happens at each stage, how long it takes, what to check and where to read the details.
The whole road in one table
| Stage | What happens | How long | What you end up with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0. Search and questions | You define the scenario and budget, compare areas and formats, ask the first questions | 2–6 weeks to the deposit | A shortlist of 2–3 properties with documents requested |
| 1. Checks | Seven checks: zone, land, PBG, seller, financial model, climate, contract | Within the same 2–6 weeks | A decision to pay the deposit or walk away |
| 2. The deal | Deposit, three documents, first payment, land registered in your name | 7 days for the contracts, 10 working days for the land | Leasehold in your name, construction contract, coordinator agreement |
| 3. Construction | Three stages with acts, reports every two weeks, 30/30/30 paid for completed work | 10 months under the contract | A villa ready for handover with SLF |
| 4. Handover | Checklist inspection, snag list, BAST, the final 10% | Up to 2 weeks | Keys, villa passport, 5/2/1 warranties |
| 5. Rental | Legal rental package, management company, platforms, taxes, owner's calendar | From day one after BAST | A monthly report and payout |
Now stage by stage: which questions come up, what to look at and what to read.
Stage 0. How the search starts and which questions come first
The first enquiries are almost always the same, and they tend to come in the same order.
- “Can a foreigner buy a villa in Bali at all?” Yes, but not freehold land. The working form for an individual is a long-term land lease in your own name. In our agreements it is 29 + 10 + 30 years. The full breakdown with 15 questions: can foreigners buy property in Bali. The basics of the ownership form: leasehold in Bali. Compared with a company: PT PMA or leasehold.
- “What does it cost?” Median villa and land prices by area, construction cost of $600–2,000 per m², the difference between off-plan and a finished villa: how much a villa in Bali costs in 2026. Entry to Mirador, represented by DOMA, starts at $139,000 for a 72 m² 2-bedroom villa.
- “Where to buy?” Ubud, Canggu, Bukit or Sanur depend on the scenario: Ubud, Canggu or Bukit, Sanur, and profiles of the villages around Ubud in the Locations section. Compared with other countries: Bali, Phuket or Dubai and Bali or the Gold Coast.
- “What yield is realistic?” Not the one in the deck. Average occupancy across all Ubud listings is about 37%, active villas across Bali run at 60–65%, managed partner villas at 87%. How the number is built: villa yields in Bali. A worked example: the economics of an Airbnb villa. Checking other people's promises: the developer promises 15–17%.
- “What about taxes and visas?” Taxes on buying, owning and selling: property taxes in Bali. Declaring at home: Russia and Kazakhstan, Australia. Visas: KITAS for a villa owner, keeping in mind that a villa by itself does not grant residency.
How long choosing takes
In DOMA's practice, 2–6 weeks pass from the first enquiry to the deposit. The difference between two and six weeks is rarely about the number of properties viewed. Buyers decide faster when they arrive with two things: a clear scenario (rental, own living or a mix) and a budget with room for the one-off costs of the deal. The longest part is not choosing but checking: requesting documents, waiting for answers, showing the contract to a lawyer. If a seller takes a week to answer a document request, that is already information about the property.
Stage 1. What to look at once you like a property
A property you like goes through seven checks. The order matters: the first three rule out legally impossible options, the rest are about money.
| What we check | What should be there | Detailed guide |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Zone and KKPR | Confirmation that the declared use matches the zoning. The zone colour on the map does not replace KKPR | Land zones, the yellow zone and KBLI, the rice-field law |
| 2. Land | Certificate, owner, encumbrances. Understanding whose name your leasehold will be registered against | Nominee schemes and Coretax, glossary: Hak Milik |
| 3. PBG and designated use | PBG issued before construction, commercial building use if you plan to rent out. SLF comes after construction | KKPR, PBG, SLF, the 15-metre rule, the 2026 moratorium |
| 4. Seller | Who is party to the contracts, which KBLI the company holds, where the money goes. A new PT PMA under 68111 has been impossible since May 2026 | Vetting a developer in 6 steps, deal due diligence, why DOMA changed its model |
| 5. Financial model | Occupancy and rate from market data, costs and commissions included, net yield calculated after tax | How to check a financial model, owner's costs, the DUVI index |
| 6. Location and climate | Plot elevation, drainage, water source, regency-level risks | Climate risk by regency, water and SIPA, infrastructure to 2030 |
| 7. Land lease | Five clauses: right to assign, consent fee, right of first refusal, extension terms, what happens to the buildings | Leasehold in Bali, inheritance, glossary: lease extension |
The most expensive mistakes at this stage are collected in 7 investor mistakes. The general rule: the deposit comes after the checks, not before. A seller who hurries you to pay “before the unit is gone” is hurrying exactly these checks.
Choosing takes weeks, checking takes days. But no number of weeks can undo the consequences of a bad check.
Stage 2. Once you have chosen: the steps of the deal
Since 2026 a deal in the projects DOMA represents consists of three documents. A foreign-owned company can no longer be the developer, so the villa as an asset lives in the land lease and the construction contract, and DOMA is a party only to the coordinator agreement. The details are in why DOMA changed how it works.
- Deposit. Fixes the unit and the price. Then 7 days to review the contracts with a lawyer.
- Three documents. The Leasehold Agreement between you and the landowner: cadastral number, area, address, a 29 + 10 + 30 year term. The construction contract between you and the general contractor: specification, storeys, floor area, materials, deadlines. The coordinator agreement between you and DOMA: selection, due diligence, architects, stage and handover control, transfer into management. How the deal works at the notary: the notary and the deal in Bali.
- First payment of 30% and the land in your name. Within 10 working days the land is registered as a leasehold in your name and you receive a photo of the document. The land payment goes through the notary. The owner's certificate and irrevocable consent are held on deposit with the notary for the whole lease term (see escrow and notarial deposit).
- Money. The construction budget goes directly to the contractor by stage. DOMA's account receives the coordination fee and earmarked payments made on your instruction with supporting documents. How to transfer: paying for a villa in Bali. Which currency to hold and pay in: currency risk.
- Instalments. The 30/30/30/10 schedule is tied to stage acts, not to dates. The mechanics: stage payments. A mortgage in Bali is practically unavailable to foreigners. The alternatives are in mortgages in Bali.
The remote deal from choice to transfer into management, step by step: how to buy a villa in Bali remotely. Entry rules if you fly in to view: entering Bali in 2026.
Stage 3. During construction: what to watch at each stage
A 72 m² 2-bedroom villa takes 10 months to build under the construction contract and is split into three stages. At each one the contractor delivers a photo report and an act, and payment goes only for a completed stage accepted by act. The investor receives reports every two weeks in the personal account: photos, video, percentage complete, next steps.
| Stage | What it includes | What to look for in the report | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Foundation | Foundation works, load-bearing columns of the ground floor, the pool shell | Elevation and position against the plan, reinforcement before pouring, waterproofing of the pool shell | 30% after the stage 1 act |
| 2. Structure | All load-bearing structures, roof and walls | Storeys and floor area matching the PBG, roof and drainage before the rainy season, services routed before walls are closed | 30% after the stage 2 act |
| 3. Finishing | Glazing and finishing, the villa ready for handover | Materials per the contract specification, equipment per its passports, pool and air conditioning running | 10% at handover after stage 3 |
What to do if deadlines slip: the penalty and the claim procedure are in the developer missed the deadline. How quality control works on site: villa construction stages. Decisions made before finishing that are not redone later: the pool, a smart home in the tropics, furniture for rental, design that earns, the garden.
Stage 4. Handover: SLF, checklist and BAST
The order is this: the regency issues the SLF (certificate of fitness for use) after checking the built structure against the PBG, and only after the SLF is the BAST, the handover act, signed. Handover takes up to two weeks and follows a checklist of eight groups: water and waterproofing, structure, electrics, plumbing, pool, air conditioning, finishing, access and documents. Remarks go into a snag list attached to the act with deadlines for fixing. A critical defect is grounds not to sign.
With the keys you receive the document set (PBG, SLF, services drawings, equipment passports), the villa's digital passport, and the personal account switches to operating mode. From the BAST date the contractor's warranties run: 5 years on structure, 2 years on engineering systems, 1 year on finishing and equipment. The warranties are given by the contractor under the construction contract and DOMA monitors their performance. The full handover-day checklist: villa handover in Bali. Insurance from day one: insuring a villa.
Stage 5. Renting out
Rental starts with documents, not with photos on a platform. Legal short-term rental is a stack: KKPR and PBG with commercial use, SLF, an NIB with KBLI code 55193 and an NPWPD for the local tax. Since 1 August 2026 platforms remove properties without this package from the tourism ministry's lists. The package explained: legally renting out a villa in 2026. What to do if a listing is removed: Airbnb and Booking delisting.
- Management company. The commission in Bali is 15–25% of revenue, with a monthly report showing occupancy, ADR and costs, and an NIB and NPWPD under which your villa is registered. How to choose: a management company in Bali. In DOMA projects the villa goes to a vetted operator from day one after BAST.
- Strategy. Nightly, long stay or a hybrid: the maths of the strategies, dynamic pricing, who your guests are, rating as an asset.
- Costs and taxes. Staff, water, electricity, pool, repair fund: villa running costs. Deadlines and fines month by month: the owner's annual calendar. Waste rules from 2026: waste handling.
- Numbers to benchmark against. Net yield of a managed villa is 10–15%, with 12.8% actual across handed-over DOMA partner villas. Green Harmony at $95,000 per villa showed 11.6–18.1% a year in 2025 according to the management company's reports. For Mirador the base case of two operators is 12–14%, and that is a forecast, not a guarantee.
Stage 6. Owning, exiting and reinvesting
A leasehold with a remaining term sells at a discount that grows non-linearly: the comfortable threshold is 25 years or more, under 15 years the market practice is 30–40%. The mechanics and the 2.5% tax on the transaction amount: assigning a leasehold. Exit strategy and windows: how to sell a villa. Passing it to heirs: inheritance under a leasehold. A second villa and a portfolio: reinvesting, a villa in a portfolio.
Five questions to ask at any stage
- Whose name is the land in, and who is party to the construction contract?
- Which KBLI code does the seller operate under, and when was the company registered?
- Whose account does the construction budget go to, and how is each tranche documented?
- Are there KKPR and PBG with commercial use, and when is the SLF expected?
- Where do the figures in the financial model come from, and what happens to income if occupancy turns out to be the market's rather than the deck's?
The terms in this article are explained in the glossary, and short answers to 45 frequent questions are on the FAQ page.
Bottom line: the investor's road in Bali consists of six stages, and each has a measurable length: 2–6 weeks for choosing and checking, 7 days for the contracts and 10 working days to register the land, 10 months of construction in three stages paid against acts, up to two weeks of handover on SLF and BAST, then rental with a monthly report. The risk on this road is not in construction and not in the market, but in a skipped check at stage 1 and in money that went to the wrong party at stage 2. If you want to walk it with a map in hand, write to us: we answer with facts about your scenario.
This material is for information only and is not legal or financial advice. Timelines and terms are given per the contracts of the projects DOMA represents, 2026 edition, and may differ with other sellers. Have documents reviewed by an independent lawyer.
Sources: DOMA project agreements, 2026 edition (coordinator agreement, Leasehold Agreement, construction contract with Annex 3 “Stage acceptance act”), DOMA deal practice 2024–2026, the DUVI index (issue 1, July 2026 data), Betterplace management reports on Green Harmony for 2025, DOMA blog articles linked in the text.
FAQ
How long does choosing a villa in Bali take?
In DOMA's practice, 2–6 weeks pass from the first enquiry to the deposit. Buyers who arrive with a set budget and scenario (rental, living, a mix) and request documents for two or three properties straight away decide faster. The longest part is not viewing but checking: zone, land, permits and the contract.
Can a foreigner own a villa in Bali?
A foreigner cannot hold freehold land (Hak Milik) directly. The working route for an individual is a long-term land lease (leasehold, Hak Sewa) in their own name through a notary. In DOMA agreements it is 29 + 10 + 30 years. Buying through your own PT PMA under real-estate code 68111 has been closed to new companies in Bali since May 2026.
Which documents should be checked before the deposit?
The plot's KKPR and its designated use, the land certificate and whose name it is in, a PBG with commercial building use (if you plan to rent out), the seller company's NIB and KBLI code, a financial model on market data, and the land lease terms: extension, assignment, inheritance and what happens to the buildings.
How do payments work when buying off-plan?
The deposit fixes the unit and the price, then 30% after the contracts are signed, 30% after the stage 1 act (foundation), 30% after the stage 2 act (structure) and 10% on signing the handover act BAST. Money goes only for completed stages accepted by act. The land payment goes through the notary and is registered in your name.
How long does construction take and how is it controlled?
A 72 m² 2-bedroom villa takes 10 months to build under the construction contract. Construction is split into three stages with a photo report and an act at each, and the investor receives reports every two weeks in the personal account. At each stage you check conformity to the specification, materials and deadlines, and the contract provides a penalty for delay.
What are SLF and BAST and why do they matter at handover?
SLF confirms the building was built to the PBG and is fit for use. BAST is the handover act: the contractor's warranties run from its date (5 years structure, 2 years engineering, 1 year finishing) and the final 10% is paid. In DOMA project contracts BAST is signed only after SLF is issued, with a snag list attached.
What is needed to rent out a villa legally?
A document stack: KKPR and PBG with commercial use, SLF, an NIB with KBLI code 55193 and an NPWPD for the local tax. Since 1 August 2026 platforms remove properties without this package from the tourism ministry's lists. For a foreign individual the package is usually provided by a licensed management company under which the villa is registered.
What yield is realistic?
Average occupancy across all Ubud listings is about 37%, active villas across Bali run at 60–65%, and villas of DOMA partners under management at 87%. Net yield for a managed villa is 10–15%, with 12.8% actual across handed-over partner villas. Any figure above the market in a sales deck needs the model checked using the method from the article on developers' 15–17%.