Business Visas in Indonesia

There are a variety of visas foreign visitors can apply for depending on their purpose of visit.

Contributing Advisor

Cruisietta Kaylana

Senior Associate, Human Resources

Visa on arrival, social visit visas, and multiple-entry visas

Visa on arrivals is still valid for 30 days but can no longer be extended.

The single-entry visa, or the social visit visa, is issued to foreigner travelers entering Indonesia for short internship programs, volunteer programs, meeting family, sports activities, and social activities, among others. The length of this stay is for 180 days and with no extension possible. 

Foreigners applying for the multiple entry visa can be granted 180 days stay in Indonesia, which can be extended for a total stay of no more than one year.

Social visit visas

The government has added ‘pre-investment’ activities as one of the activities foreigners can undertake in Indonesia under a visit visa. This refers to foreigners looking to start a business in Indonesia, and undertaking feasibility studies, among others.

If the foreigner does not have a guarantor, then the guarantee letter can be replaced with proof of payment of an ‘immigration guarantee’ to the Directorate General of Immigration.

Guarantors of expatriates

There’s an exemption for the requirement of a foreign worker in Indonesia to have a guarantor. Depending on their visa, foreigners needed a guarantor who was responsible for their activities in the country and report any change to their civil or immigration status to the authorities. This requirement was not required for foreigners legally married to Indonesians, foreign investors, or citizens of countries that also waived the guarantee requirements for Indonesians.

Foreign investors, foreigners who make Indonesia a second home, and foreigners engaged in pre-investment activities can now make an official payment to the Directorate General of Immigration, which will act as their immigration guarantee.

The payment will cover the cost of repatriation, deportation, or other immigration costs. If the immigration guarantee is not used during the foreigner’s stay in Indonesia, the full amount will be paid back.

Second home visa

Indonesia has announced plans to issue second home visas, the first of its kind for the country, which will allow foreigners to stay for up to 10 years. Applicants must have a minimum of 2 billion rupiah (US$133,000) as proof of funds, a passport that is valid for a minimum of 36 months, and a curriculum vitae.

Business Visas

This is a single-entry visa valid for 60 days upon arrival and can be extended up to four times. This type of visa is intended for businesspeople who are engaging in meetings in the country, attending conferences, or undertaking market research.

Multiple entry business visas

Multiple entry business visas allow foreign visitors to make repeated trips into Indonesia for one year. The visa, however, has a 60-day limit upon arrival, meaning that visitors will have to leave the country before it expires before entering Indonesia again.

The requirements for obtaining this visa type are the same as that of the business visa. The fee is 14,865 Rupiah (US$100).

Application requirements

The application requirements for the business visa is as follows:

• A passport valid for at least six months;
• A letter of invitation from the Indonesian-based sponsor mentioning the purpose of the applicant’s visit, and length of stay. The Indonesian sponsor will also need to do an online application to the immigration office in Jakarta on behalf of the applicant;
• The process usually takes five working days by which the immigration office will issue a visa approval letter. This will then be sent to the applicant’s nearest Indonesian Embassy, who will issue the visa.
• A business cover letter from the applicant’s own company;
• One passport-sized photograph (white background);
• A copy of the applicant’s round trip, electronic airline ticket;
• Pay the US$50 fee; and
• A bank statement proving the applicant has at least US$1,500.

Working visas

A work visa (IMTA) can only be applied by the Indonesian company that will hire the foreign worker. The company must prove to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) that the foreign applicant is required to fulfil certain positions.

Foreign employees in Indonesia are not allowed to obtain work in the following sectors:

• Human resource management;
• Legal;
• Health and safety;
• Quality control; and
• Supply chain management.

Foreign worker utilization plan

For a local company to employ a foreign worker, they must prepare a Foreign Worker Utilization Plan (Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing (RPTKA)) — a document that details the specific work, position, and length of employment the foreign employee will undertake in Indonesia. The RPTKA now also serves as the basis for the MOM to grant visas and stay permits.

Types of RPTKA

There are four types of RPTKA

What is the process of hiring foreign workers in Indonesia?

It is the responsibility of the local company to apply for the RPTKA, which can be done through the online portal, under the Ministry of Manpower.

The application is addressed to the Director of Foreign Manpower Utilization Management (Direktur Pengendalian Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing). However, if the application is for less than 50 foreign workers – then the application is addressed to the Director-General of Manpower Placement Guidance and Expansion of Work Opportunity (Direktur Jenderal Pembinaan Penempatan Tenaga Kerja dan Perluasan Kesempatan Kerja).

Who can apply?

Employers that can employ foreign workers include:

• Government institutions, international bodies, and foreign state representatives;
• Foreign trade representatives, foreign news agencies conducting activities in Indonesia, and foreign representative offices;
• Foreign private companies conducting business in Indonesia;
• Legal entities such as private limited companies established in Indonesia;
• Social, religious, or cultural institutions;
• Entertainment management entities; and
• Other business entities are allowed to employ foreign workers.

RPTKA assessment

Once submitted, the MOM will conduct a feasibility study to see if the employer and prospective employee meet all the requirements. Employers are required to submit the following information:

• Identity of the employer;
• Reasons for utilizing a foreign worker;
• The position of the foreign worker within the company’s organization structure;
• Number of foreign workers being employed;
• Contract length of the foreign employee;
• Working location of the foreign employee;
• Proof of mandatory employment reporting by the employer; and
• Statement letter affirming the following:
  • The designation of the Indonesian employee(s) assigned as a co-worker to the foreign employee;
  • The Indonesian employee(s) will receive training or education from the foreign employee in accordance with the position and qualifications of the foreign employee; and
  • Ensure the foreign worker returns to their home country once their work contract expires.
• Future plans to absorb Indonesian workers.

The results of this assessment will be issued in no more than two working days.

Personal information submission

The employer can submit the personal information and documents of the foreign worker after the RPTKA assessment or during the submission of the RPTKA documents. The personal information will be verified by the MOM within two working days.

RPTKA approval and payment

If the documents and information declared to the MOM are correct and complete, the MOM will issue a payment notification letter for the amount of US$100 to the Foreign Workers Compensation Fund (Dana Kompensasi Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing or DKP-TKA). This amount is to be paid to the MOM every month.

Once the employer has made the payment, the MOM will issue the RPTKA approval, and the data will be sent to the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, who will process the visa and stay permits. Payment of the DKP-TKA is waived for foreign state representatives, international bodies, religious institutions, social institutions, and certain positions in the education sector.

Annual reporting obligations

Employers must submit an annual report to the MOM that covers the scope of the foreign worker’s employment, the education or training facilitated to Indonesian co-workers, and the types of technology transfer implemented.

RPTKA exemptions

There are RPTKA exemptions for foreign workers that are the members of the board of directors, members of the board of commissioners, diplomatic or consular staff, or are hired by the local employer in connection to emergency activities, vocational activities, or in connection to production activities of an Indonesian-based tech startup.

For tech-based startups and vocational training activities, the RPTKA exemption lasts for no more than three months, after which the company must apply for RPTKA approval. This application must be submitted at least two weeks before the expiration of the period of employment of the foreign worker, as stated in the foreign worker employment statement letter, which is issued in place of an RPTKA approval.

The MOM will issue the IMTA, and the immigration office will issue a limited stay visa (VITAS). Upon arriving in Indonesia, the applicant must convert their VITAS into a limited stay permit Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas (KITAS).

Additional requirements to obtain a VITAS

Once a foreigner has received sponsorship to work in Indonesia, they can apply for a limited stay visa (Visa Tinggal Terbatas or ‘VITAS’). After the VITAS is secured, their immigration status changes to a limited stay permit (ITAS), which requires an official stamp from an immigration office.

After the VITAS is secured, their immigration status changes to an ITAS, which requires an official stamp from an immigration office.

Once the ITAS is secured, the foreign worker can receive a KITAS, which will permit them to work in Indonesia for up to 12 months. This can then be extended when the expiry date approaches.

The additional requirements to obtain a VITAS are:

• A letter detailing the applicant is of good standing from the embassy or consulate of the foreigner’s country of origin; and
• A health letter stating that the applicant is free from any contagious diseases.

Length of limited stay permits

The limited stay permit (ITAS) is now valid for five years and can be extended once for another five-year period, meaning the foreigner can stay in the country in total for 10 years. Any ITAS for work purposes that is valid for no more than 90 days can be extended up to a maximum of 180 days.

Further, expatriates who have obtained their ITAS at a designated port of entry, such as airports and ports, will not be required to apply for the ITAS at their local immigration office in Indonesia, as was previously stipulated. This should ease the burden on expatriates and provide added certainty.

Positions open for employment for expatriate workers

There are more than 2,000 job titles across 18 sectors that can now be filled by expatriates. The job titles are taken directly from the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO), issued by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Permanent stay visas

The permanent stay visa (KITAP) allows expatriates to permanently stay in Indonesia. To qualify for this visa, expatriate workers would need to have held a KITAS for four consecutive years, work in the same company, and having the same position. As with other visas, applicants will need a local sponsor. In addition to their employer, this could also be their spouse (who must be Indonesian).

Conversion of stay permits

Foreigners can now convert their visit stay permit to an ITAS, or an ITAS to a permanent stay permit (KITAP), or permanent stay visa/permanent residence. The KITAP is valid for five years and is extended automatically if the status of the expat does not change.

Obtaining a KITAP means the foreigner is no longer required to make the annual trip to the immigration office, as in the case of KITAS/ITAS holders, and no more costly visa extensions.

Introduction of the second home category

The government has now allowed foreigners who treat Indonesia as a ‘second home category’ to be eligible to receive a VITAS. The applicant must show evidence that they have settled in Indonesia. Further requirements will be issued in upcoming government regulations.