Film fixer in Bali: checking the ministry's list

By Film Permit Bali Editorial Desk

A film fixer in Bali is not optional for a foreign production. Regulation 48/2018 requires a local partner: an Indonesian legal entity in the film production business, registered in film data. Canberra encourages applicants to check that company against the Ministry of Culture list dated 31 August 2026. Check it yourself before signing, because no fixer can guarantee approval.

Do you need a film fixer in Bali?

A foreign production does, whatever you call the role. Regulation 48/2018 says in Article 3(1) that a foreign party needs an Indonesian film production business as its local partner. The Embassy in Canberra makes engaging a registered fixer its first step. The Embassy in Beijing wants an agreement with a local company from its list for commercial and non-commercial filming alike, with that company acting as partner or fixer. Beijing's page still uses an older visa code, so read it for the principle rather than the visa details. Indonesia's national film permit starts with this company, and the full order is on how to get a film permit in Bali.

Part of the confusion comes from vocabulary. The same company can appear under several names depending on which office wrote the page:

What does the regulation require of the local partner?

Three things, in Article 3(2): it must be an Indonesian legal entity, it must run a film production business, and it must be registered in film data. That excludes most of the people who might offer to act as your local production partner in Bali. A well-connected location scout, a freelance producer or a friendly villa manager may be useful on the shoot, but none of them can fill this role alone. The Embassy in Washington says so directly: production services that are not companies cannot act as official guarantors.

A freelancer can of course work under a registered company. Just make sure you know which legal entity signs your sponsor letter, because that entity is the one named on the letter.

Where is the official list of fixers?

The Ministry of Culture fixer list, published through the Canberra embassy under the ministry's letterhead, is dated 31 August 2026, with entries numbered to 98. Each entry shows a guarantor ID number and the city of the company, and Bali appears as a listed city. This page does not use the list to rank anyone, since a place on the list records registration only and tells you nothing about skill, price or reliability. Companies quoted here are named for what they publish, so check them against the list too.

To head off problems with the permit and visa, the Embassy in Canberra encourages a second look at whether your chosen fixer is on the list. To check:

1. Ask the company for its full legal name, not its trading brand.
2. Open the PDF and search for that legal name.
3. Compare the guarantor ID the company gave you with the number printed on the list.
4. Note the date on the list. If months have passed, ask the embassy whether a newer one exists.
5. A company based outside Bali is not automatically a problem, but ask how it will handle Bali locations.

What do embassies ask of the company?

One document on Canberra's list of thirteen depends directly on this choice: the sponsor letter. The embassy in Mexico City says a sponsor or fixer in the film business must hold a business number (NIB) and a guarantor ID registered with the ministry and with immigration. That checklist is from 2024.

The partner's job continues after the embassy stage. On the visa side, the C14 page says the sponsor lodges the application from its own account on the evisa portal, and Washington calls the sponsor the official guarantor. Neither says your fixer and your C14 sponsor must be one company, so ask. Washington adds that the embassy's statement letters go onto the e-Visa application that the sponsor or fixer lodges. Canberra adds that the filmmaker and local fixer handle location permits for filming in Bali for each intended location. The documents themselves are listed on the requirements page, the visa step on the C14 page, and the category choice under filming visa for Indonesia.

What should you ask before signing?

Treat these as a pre-contract checklist. A registered company should be able to answer all of them in writing:

• What legal entity signs the sponsor letter, and what are its NIB and guarantor ID?
• Who holds the evisa account, and who lodges each crew member's application?
• Which locations are included, and who approaches each manager?
• Which amounts go to government offices, and which are your service fee? Compare the answer with what a film permit in Bali costs.
• What happens to the fee if the permit is refused or the dates move?
• Who is on set, and do they speak for the company if an officer asks a question?
• If aerial work is planned, who holds the pilot papers listed under commercial drone filming in Bali, and how does the flight fit drone rules in Bali?

Ask about timing as well, and ask when the clock starts. Some operators count only from the moment the embassy sends the application to the ministry in Jakarta, so their figure does not tell you how long the whole job takes. Operator estimates are compared on the film permit processing time page.

Must a local company stay with the crew on set?

Companies describe this differently. Spin Productions says foreign film crews must be accompanied at all times by a licensed Indonesian fixer or production sponsor. Indonesia Film, another company, reads it more narrowly: for filming in certain areas, the film centre may require the foreign company to be accompanied by an appointed supporting team. Spin's page cites no article, and Indonesia Film's page names an older ministry, so ask your mission whether anything applies to your locations. At West Bali National Park, attendance is a published rule, because the West Bali park page makes holders take park officers or local guides at their own cost. Whatever the answer, write the on-set person, the days covered and the cost into the contract.

Can a fixer guarantee approval?

No source gives a fixer that power. In the Canberra steps, the notification letter comes from the government side, the visa goes through the e-Visa system, and location managers decide on their own sites. A fixer can prepare a clean file, chase it and know whom to call. It cannot decide the outcome, so be careful with any contract or sales message that promises one, and ask what the promise means if a refusal comes.

The same test applies to anyone referring you to a company, this site included. This site is a guide with a desk for requests, and it is not a government office. A request can end in a paid booking, which gives us a commercial interest. If an offer reaches you after contacting us, it must name the company that would contract with you. Check that company against the list exactly as above before you agree to anything.

What else do producers ask about local partners?

How to check a fixer in Indonesia?

Get the full legal name and guarantor ID, then compare both against the Ministry of Culture list published through the Embassy in Canberra. Note the list date, and ask the embassy if you think a newer version exists.

Is a fixer required to film in Indonesia?

A local partner is. Article 3 of Regulation 48/2018 requires a foreign party to work with an Indonesian film production business, and embassies describe that same company as a fixer or sponsor.

Who can sponsor a foreign film production in Bali?

A registered Indonesian company in the film business. Washington rules out non-company services as official guarantors, and Mexico City asks for an NIB and a guarantor ID.

Do I need a local production company to film in Bali?

As a foreign production, yes under the regulation, which asks for an Indonesian legal entity. The list shows a city for each entry, so ask how the company will cover your locations.

Is a local sponsor required for filming in Indonesia?

Yes for C14. The immigration page says an applicant needs a sponsor, who holds an account on the evisa portal and lodges the application for the crew member.

Which sources support this page?

• Regulation 48/2018 on location use by foreign filmmakers
• Ministry of Culture fixer list, 31 August 2026 (via the Embassy in Canberra)
• Embassy in Canberra: filming procedure for foreign producers
• Embassy in Canberra: filming permit document checklist, September 2026
• Embassy in Washington: journalistic and film production
• Embassy in Mexico City: journalistic and filming visa information, 2024
• Embassy in Beijing: journalist visa and film shoots
• Immigration: C14 visa
• Indonesia Film, filming procedure
• Spin Productions, filming permit guide

How do I reach the desk?

Tell the desk the production type, dates, locations and crew size on WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563 or at bd@juaraholding.com, and say whether you already have a company in mind. Any fee, the price and the contracting company appear in a written offer before you agree. The disclaimer sets out what the site is and is not.