A foreign national can take paid work in Indonesia on one kind of visa only: the limited stay visa for work (visa tinggal terbatas dalam rangka bekerja), index E23 on the Immigration visa list when checked on 19 October 2026. The entry stamp turns it into a limited stay permit, the ITAS (Izin Tinggal Terbatas; the card is the KITAS). Visit visas, including the C2 business visit, C1 tourist and C12 pre-investment visas, bar the holder from receiving wages from anyone in Indonesia. The applicant is the employer, as sponsor (penjamin) on evisa.imigrasi.go.id, and only after the Ministry of Manpower has approved the RPTKA (Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing, the foreign worker utilisation plan) and the DKPTKA compensation fund has been paid.
The rules as of 19 October 2026
- Immigration: Law 6/2011, amended by Law 6/2023 (Job Creation) and Law 63/2024; the 2024 amendment touches only exit bans, entry bans, re-entry permits and officers' firearms. Implemented by PP 31/2013, last amended by PP 40/2023.
- Visas and stay permits: Permenkumham 22/2023, amended by Permenkumham 11/2024. Immigration now sits in the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections; its Regulation 3/2025 revoked Articles 43, 45 and 52 to 55 (spouses of Indonesians and repatriation) to re-regulate them for the diaspora. Visa indices come from Ministerial Decree M.IP-08.GR.01.01/2025, which, per the Immigration press release of 13 June 2025, cut work visas from 31 indices to 6.
- Foreign workers: PP 34/2021 and Manpower Regulation 8/2021. Parliament passed the Employment Protection Law on 6 October 2026, but as of 19 October 2026 the text is unpublished (DPR statement, 12 October 2026), so Article 42 of Law 13/2003 as amended in 2023 still applies.
- Criminal fines: Law 1/2026 replaced the old rupiah amounts with the categories in Article 79 of the new Criminal Code.
Which visas allow work
Law 6/2011 Article 34 knows diplomatic, service, visit and limited stay visas. The visit visa (Article 38) covers government duty, education, social and cultural visits, tourism, pre-investment, business, family and journalism; the limited stay visa (Article 39) is for clergy, experts, workers, researchers, students, investors, second-home residents, their families, and spouses of Indonesian citizens. Permenkumham 22/2023 Article 33 separates limited stay visas for work (experts and workers) from those not for work. The stay permit follows the visa used to enter (Article 48(2)), so any activity outside its purpose is an offence under Article 122.
| Visa (index as of 19 October 2026) | Who it is for | Paid work? | Sponsor | Stay | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limited stay for work, E23 | Experts and workers whose position is in the approved RPTKA | Yes, in that position for that employer only | Employer | 180 days, 1 or 2 years, extendable | Law 6/2011 Art. 39; Permenkumham 22/2023 Art. 33, 34, 105 |
| Investor, E28A | Shareholders with at least Rp10 billion in the sponsoring company | Only as a director or commissioner of that company | The company invested in | 1 or 2 years | Permenkumham 22/2023 Art. 33(e), 38(5) |
| Family of an ITAS holder, E31B (spouse) and E31E (child) | Accompanying family | No, a separate work visa is needed | Mandatory | 1 or 2 years, never beyond the ITAS joined | Art. 33(h), 105(8) |
| Business visit, C2 (single entry) and D2 (multiple entry) | Meetings, negotiations, signing contracts, factory inspections | No, receiving wages or any payment is prohibited | Not required, except for listed nationalities | C2: 60 days, extendable to 180 | Law 6/2011 Art. 38; PP 31/2013 Art. 136 |
| Pre-investment visit, C12 | Site surveys and feasibility studies | No | Mandatory | 60 or 180 days, extendable to 12 months | Same |
| Tourist C1, visa on arrival B1, visa exemption A1 | Tourism, MICE | No | Not required | C1: 60 days, extendable to 180; B1: 30 days, one extension | PP 31/2013 Art. 136, 137 |
The indices come from the Immigration visa list opened on 19 October 2026, a list overhauled twice since 2023, so check it on the day of filing; guides still quoting C312 or B211 are out of date.
Who applies: the sponsor on e-Visa
A sponsor is a person or corporation responsible for the foreigner's presence and activities in Indonesia (Law 6/2011 Art. 1(26)). The sponsor reports changes of civil status, immigration status and address, and pays repatriation if the permit lapses or the foreigner is deported (Art. 63).
Permenkumham 22/2023 Article 34 lets the foreigner or the sponsor file, with the employer's sponsorship letter, proof of funds and the Manpower approval. In practice the Immigration E23 page has the sponsor create an account on evisa.imigrasi.go.id and file: a passport valid for at least six months, three months of bank statements showing at least US$2,000, a photo, CV and the Manpower work approval. The visa is issued four working days after payment and must be used to enter within 90 days. The visa application doubles as the ITAS and re-entry permit application (Article 33(6), as amended in 2024), and the entry stamp counts as the ITAS (PP 40/2023 Art. 32). The E23 page lists Rp5,250,000 for 180 days, Rp7,000,000 for one year and Rp9,500,000 for two years, at the rates in PP 45/2024; PP 30/2026 replaced only the Ministry of Law's own tariffs.
RPTKA and DKPTKA
Every employer of foreign workers must hold an RPTKA approved by the Ministry of Manpower (PP 34/2021 Art. 6), and that approval, the Pengesahan RPTKA, is the recommendation for the work visa and stay permit (Art. 14(6)). It is issued once the candidate's data is complete and the DKPTKA (Dana Kompensasi Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing) is paid (Art. 14(5), 23(5)): US$100 per position per person per month (Manpower Regulation 8/2021 Art. 35). The ministry forwards the data to Immigration (Art. 14(7)), so e-Visa only accepts that name and position. The approval also caps the ITAS: six months for temporary work, two years otherwise, five years in a special economic zone (Art. 17), and an extension can never outrun it (Permenkumham 22/2023 Art. 113(4)). Shareholding directors or commissioners, diplomats, and short assignments for emergencies, vocational training, start-ups, business visits and research are exempt (Art. 19). The full sequence is in RPTKA to KITAS; the fund is explained in DKPTKA.
Validity, extensions, permanent residence, family
An ITAS from a work visa runs 180 days, one year or two years (Permenkumham 22/2023 Art. 105). Each extension may not exceed the first grant, and the total may not pass six years (Art. 113(1)). File between 30 days (one-year ITAS) or three months (longer ones) before expiry and the expiry day itself; once the fee is paid in time, a late decision is not an overstay (Art. 116). Since Law 63/2024 the re-entry permit runs as long as the ITAS (Art. 64(2)).
Permanent residence, the ITAP (Izin Tinggal Tetap), opens to workers after three consecutive years on an ITAS (PP 40/2023 Art. 167(3)), but Permenkumham 22/2023 Article 120(5) limits it to the top executive of a company or the head of a foreign company's representative office; an engineer or line manager stays on the ITAS track. The ITAP runs five years and is renewable without limit; the Immigration ITAP page asks for the conversion no later than 30 days before the ITAS expires. Family members come on E31B (spouse) and E31E (child), with a stay that cannot exceed the ITAS they join (Art. 105(8)); a spouse who wants to work needs their own RPTKA and work visa; only spouses of Indonesian citizens may work without one (Law 6/2011 Art. 61).
Worked example (fictional)
PT Nusa Komponen hires a German process engineer for two years from January 2027; his wife and one child come along. The order: a two-year RPTKA approval on TKA Online, DKPTKA of 24 months × US$100 = US$2,400 paid up front, then HR, as sponsor, files the E23 visa for a two-year stay (Rp9,500,000) plus E31B and E31E. He must enter within 90 days of issue; the ITAS and re-entry permit attach at the border. In October 2028, three months before expiry, HR renews the RPTKA approval (at least 30 working days before it lapses, PP 34/2021 Art. 21) and then the ITAS for two more years. He is not the top executive, so no ITAP. Because he works longer than six months he must be enrolled in BPJS Ketenagakerjaan (Art. 8), and his JHT savings can be withdrawn when he leaves for good: withdrawing JHT when leaving Indonesia.
Common mistakes and what they cost
| Mistake | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Working on a business visit or tourist visa, including an early start before the work visa is issued | Law 6/2011 Art. 122: up to 5 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category IV (Rp200 million), for the foreigner and for anyone who gave the opportunity; plus deportation and an entry ban (Art. 75) |
| Employing a foreigner without an approved RPTKA | Administrative fine of Rp6 million per position per person per month, up to Rp36 million, then revocation of the approval (PP 34/2021 Art. 37, 40) |
| Running the company on a C12 visa, or on E28A with shares under Rp10 billion | A work visa with an RPTKA is required (Permenkumham 22/2023 Art. 38(5)) |
| A spouse on E31B taking a job | Art. 122 offence; only spouses of Indonesians are exempt (Art. 61) |
| Sponsor fails to report a change of address or job, or gives false information | Art. 116: fine of up to category II (Rp10 million); Art. 118: up to 5 years and/or category IV |
| Giving work to a foreigner with no valid stay permit, or an expired one | Art. 124: up to 2 years and/or category III (Rp50 million); a category II fine if the permit has expired |
The fines are upper limits after Law 1/2026 (Annex I, item 83); the Rp500 million still quoted for Article 122 no longer applies.
Checklist before filing
- The position is in a valid RPTKA approval; the DKPTKA is paid for the whole period.
- The visa index was checked on the Immigration list on the day of filing.
- The e-Visa account is in the sponsoring company's name, not an agent's.
- The stay requested does not exceed the RPTKA approval or the employment contract.
- Passport valid for at least six months; three months of statements showing at least US$2,000.
- Entry within 90 days of issue; family on E31B and E31E, not as tourists.
- Reminders set: RPTKA 30 working days, ITAS 30 days or three months before expiry.
General information as of 19 October 2026, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so check official sources or talk to us about your situation.
