SA Can I? Travel overseas with an outstanding warrant.

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RiffRaffMama

Active Member
29 October 2020
13
1
34
In short, no.
If you have the warrant dealt with, you have a half decent chance of being allowed to travel then, but you have to deal with it first. I know this sounds really goody-two-shoes, but I went through this myself a few weeks ago, so if you hand yourself in, then depending on what you've done, you will probably be released within an hour. If you've murdered somebody, you're screwed, but if it's for failing to appear in court on a traffic offence or something "minor" like that, they will bail you straight away, probably even "on your own undertaking", meaning you don't have to pay anything, you just have to agree to behave yourself until your court date.
If they think you might try to disappear before your court date, then they can cancel your passport. You will be told if they are doing this. The longer you stay "on the run", the more likely they are to do things like this. They have suspended my licence, for example.
If you attempt to leave the country with an outstanding warrant, you will almost certainly be arrested, if not in Australia, then when you arrive in Bali and they will send you home on the next flight. Don't waste your money, deal with this, then go.
When they release you on bail, there are conditions they can make part of your bail. These can but won't usually (if it's reasonably minor) include cancelling your passport, suspending your drivers licence, require you to stay within a certain area or at a certain address, or "sign in" at the local cop shop once a week. Without knowing what you've done to earn the warrant, it's hard for me to say it's likely or not likely to be any of those in particular.
If your court date is while you're overseas, 100% expect to be arrested at the airport when you get home and be held in remand until you can go before a magistrate. If they do try to restrict your movement, but you have a good reason for needing to go to Bali, then you can request the court grants you permission to make the trip, but if it's to get hammered and hang with your mates on the beach in Kuta for two weeks, then expect a hard no to that.
Good luck, man. If you want my advice, it's hand yourself in and don't even bother trying to leave the country while the warrant is outstanding, you will be arrested.