🇮🇩 Indonesia · Work Visa
Work permit categories, eligibility, sponsorship, application steps, and processing times.
Quick answer
Foreigners need a work permit (via employer sponsorship of a foreign-worker plan, RPTKA) and a limited-stay permit (KITAS) to work in Indonesia. Immigration and the Ministry of Manpower administer the process; investor and second-home routes also exist.
Working in Indonesia normally requires employer-side manpower authorization and the correct limited-stay visa or permit basis. Employers should align RPTKA approval, visa category, role and social-security obligations before work starts.
- Kemnaker enforcement materials treat RPTKA approval as a core compliance requirement for foreign workers.
- Immigration visa lists include working limited-stay categories such as E23/E25 and investor categories such as E28.
- Foreign workers expected to work at least six months may trigger BPJS employment and health registration checks.
Step-by-step
- 1
Secure a job and confirm eligibility
Secure a job with an Indonesian employer for a position open to foreign workers; the role must fit the permitted-occupations rules.
- 2
Employer arranges the RPTKA and notification
The employer prepares the Foreign Worker Utilisation Plan (RPTKA) and obtains the work notification from the Ministry of Manpower.
- 3
Apply for the Limited Stay Visa (VITAS)
Apply for the Limited Stay Visa (VITAS) online; the employer usually acts as the guarantor.
- 4
Enter Indonesia
Enter Indonesia on the VITAS.
- 5
Convert to a KITAS
Convert the VITAS into a Limited Stay Permit (KITAS) with immigration after arrival.
- 6
Register and renew
Complete police or civil registration as required, and renew the notification and KITAS before they expire.
Checklist
- Job with an Indonesian employer in a permitted occupation
- Foreign Worker Utilisation Plan (RPTKA) approved
- Work notification from the Ministry of Manpower
- Limited Stay Visa (VITAS)
- Entry on the VITAS
- Limited Stay Permit (KITAS)
- Police/civil registration as required
- Notification + KITAS renewals tracked
Official authorities
- Kemnaker
Official labour ministry portal.
- Kemnaker — RPTKA enforcement example
Official notice showing RPTKA compliance enforcement.
- Directorate General of Immigration — visa list
Official immigration page listing limited-stay work and investor visa categories.
Frequently asked questions
What is a KITAS?
A limited-stay permit allowing legal residence and, with a work permit, employment in Indonesia; it is typically employer-sponsored.
Do I need an employer to work?
Most work routes require an Indonesian employer to sponsor a foreign-worker plan (RPTKA) and permit.
Is there a route for remote workers or investors?
Indonesia offers investor and second-home visas and has developed remote-worker options; verify current terms.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.