balivillacareSplitting a Bali land certificate to sell part of a plot
Key takeaways
- A split makes a new plot with the same legal status, and its own certificate (PP 24/1997 Pasal 48).
- The application needs the certificate, the applicant's ID, and the mortgagee's consent if mortgaged (PMNA 3/1997 Pasal 133). No PPAT deed is listed for the split; the sale needs one.
- It must conform to the regional spatial plan — and farmland may not be transferred into holdings under 2 hectares.
- Selling serviced plots without houses is barred for a legal entity developing a ready-to-build lot area.
- Land office fees: IDR 50,000 a plot to register, plus mapping and a survey fee.
Owners with a large Bali plot often want to sell part of it, or build two villas and sell one. The first step is turning one certificate into two. Indonesian land registration has a procedure for it, with three conditions that decide whether it works: the mortgage, the spatial plan, and — on farmland — the 2-hectare rule. This page reads the 1997 land registration regulation and its implementing rules, the 1960 farmland law, the housing law and the land office fee schedule.
Seven words in a split
The terms in the regulations and on the certificate.
| Term | What it is | Why an owner meets it |
|---|---|---|
| Pemecahan | Splitting a plot completely. | The original certificate is replaced. |
| Pemisahan | Separating part of a plot. | The original stays, smaller. |
| Penggabungan | Merging adjoining plots. | Same owner, same right, same term. |
| Surat ukur | Survey letter. | Each new plot gets one. |
| Buku tanah | Land book. | The land office's register page. |
| Tata ruang | The spatial plan. | A split must conform to it. |
| Tanah pertanian | Agricultural land. | The 2-hectare rule applies. |
Split, separate or merge
| What happens | Rule | |
|---|---|---|
| Split (pemecahan) | Plot divided into new plots; old certificate canceled | PP 24/1997 Pasal 48; PMNA 3/1997 Pasal 133 |
| Separation (pemisahan) | Part cut off; old certificate kept for the remainder | Pasal 49; PMNA Pasal 134 |
| Merger (penggabungan) | Adjoining plots, same owner, right and term; no mortgage | Pasal 50; PMNA Pasal 135 |
The procedure
On the holder's request, a registered plot may be split completely into parts, each a new plot with the same legal status (PP 24/1997 Pasal 48(1)). The holder or an attorney applies, stating the purpose, with the certificate, the applicant's ID, and the mortgagee's consent if mortgaged (PMNA 3/1997 Pasal 133(1)). The land office surveys; each plot gets a new title number, survey letter, land book and certificate, and the old ones are stamped no longer valid (ayat (2)-(5)). In a separation the parent certificate survives for the remainder, marked “sisa” (Pasal 134(5)).
The mortgage
A mortgaged plot can be split only with the mortgagee's written consent, and the mortgage then burdens each new plot (PP 24/1997 Pasal 48(3) and Elucidation). Merging plots is not possible while a mortgage or other encumbrance is recorded (PMNA Pasal 135(2)). Mortgages.
The limits: spatial plan, farmland and bare lots
Spatial plan
The Elucidation to Pasal 48 requires a split to conform to the applicable spatial plan and not to defeat other laws such as land reform. The 2021 amendment to the implementing rules adds that measurement for a split must take account of agricultural ownership limits and conformity with the regional spatial plan, and bars splitting customary (ulayat) land into individual names unless the law allows it (Permen ATR/BPN 16/2021 Pasal 42). We found no rule making a separate KKPR approval a precondition of the split itself; building on the new plot still needs one. KKPR.
Farmland and the 2-hectare rule
For agricultural land, the split must respect the minimum-size law (Pasal 48(4)), which is UU 56/1960. Its Pasal 9 bars transferring farmland, other than by inheritance, if the transfer creates or continues a holding under 2 hectares — unless the seller owns only that one plot under 2 ha and sells it whole. The Elucidation's example: 1 ha of a 3 ha plot may be sold to someone who already owns 1 ha, since the remainder is still 2 ha. Much Bali land in villa areas is still recorded as farmland.
Selling bare plots
A legal entity building a ready-to-build lot area (Lisiba) may not sell serviced plots without houses, except small plots for low-income housing (UU 1/2011 Pasal 146), on pain of a fine of up to IDR 5 billion (Pasal 162); individuals may not build a Lisiba at all (Pasal 145(2)). We found no ban on an individual selling part of their own land; the limits above still apply.
Splitting a plot to sell, or buying part of one?
Tell us where the land is. Five questions, and your details are the last step.
Fees, and selling the new plot
| Fee | Rule | |
|---|---|---|
| Register a split, separation or merger | IDR 50,000 per plot | PP 128/2015, Lampiran |
| Thematic mapping for a certificate split, 1:1,000 | IDR 75,000 per plot | PP 128/2015, Lampiran |
| Survey, up to 10 ha | (area / 500 × unit cost) + IDR 100,000 | PP 128/2015 Pasal 4 |
The survey unit cost is set each year and is not shown. Once split, each plot is sold like any other: a PPAT deed, the seller's 2.5% and the buyer's BPHTB (PP 24/1997 Pasal 37). Taxes on a sale.
Selling to a foreigner
A foreigner may own a house on one plot per person or family of at most 2,000 m², in the luxury category, unless the Minister permits more (Permen ATR/BPN 18/2021 Pasal 186); and Pasal 187(3) has a freehold or HGB plot bought by a foreigner changed to hak pakai; but in 2025 Permen ATR/BPN 2/2025 revoked the 2021 provisions on changing hak milik into HGB or hak pakai, except at auction, so on freehold land that step no longer runs as written — PP 18/2021 itself also allows hak pakai over hak milik by PPAT deed (Pasal 71). How a change of right runs since 2025. A larger plot is often split to fit the cap. Hak pakai for foreigners.
What this page does not cover
- Minimum plot sizes in Badung's or other regencies' detailed plans. Not available to us.
- Changing farmland to residential use on the spatial plan.
- Strata titles for apartments.
Common questions
How do I split a land certificate in Bali?
The holder applies to the land office stating the purpose, with the certificate, ID and, if mortgaged, the lender's written consent; the plot is surveyed and each part gets a new number, survey letter, land book and certificate (PP 24/1997 Pasal 48; PMNA 3/1997 Pasal 133).
Does a split need a PPAT deed?
The documents listed for a split do not include one. Selling a split plot does: a sale is registered only with a PPAT deed (PP 24/1997 Pasal 37).
Can farmland be split?
A split must respect the agricultural minimum-size rules: transferring farmland, other than by inheritance, is barred if it creates or continues a holding under 2 hectares (UU 56/1960 Pasal 9). It must also conform to the spatial plan.
What does a split cost at the land office?
IDR 50,000 per plot to register a split, IDR 75,000 per plot for thematic mapping, plus a survey fee by formula (PP 128/2015).
How big a plot can a foreigner buy?
For a house: one plot per person or family, at most 2,000 m², unless the Minister permits more (Permen ATR/BPN 18/2021 Pasal 186).
Sources cited on this page
- PP No. 24 Tahun 1997 — Pasal 37, 48-50
- PMNA/Kepala BPN No. 3 Tahun 1997 — Pasal 133-135
- Permen ATR/BPN No. 16 Tahun 2021 — Pasal 42
- UU No. 56 Prp Tahun 1960 — Pasal 8-9
- UU No. 1 Tahun 2011 — Pasal 145-146, 162
- PP No. 128 Tahun 2015 — land office fees
- Permen ATR/BPN No. 18 Tahun 2021 — Pasal 186-187
Every figure above links to the source it was read from. This page was last changed on 11 October 2026. How we check this.