Foreigners who wish to work and stay in Indonesia can choose from various types of work permits and stay permits, depending on the type of job, qualifications, and preference. The work permit is issued by the Ministry of Manpower, and the stay permit is issued by Immigration. Besides these permits, several other permits needs to be arranged at local government offices.
PNB Immigration Law Firm assists clients not only with the application of these permits, but also advises on the best immigration strategy for each specific case.
Our immigration lawyers and consultants help companies assess their immigration needs and based on the needs of the clients devise the best immigration strategy.
Types of Work Permit and Stay Permit (ITAS)
There are different types of work permits available for foreigner who wish to work and stay in Indonesia. We have provided below an overview of the types of permits available for foreigners. The type of permit depends on the qualifications of the foreigner, type of sponsor company, type of activity and duration of the engagement of the foreigner in Indonesia.
General Procedure Work Permit and Stay Permit
For a work and stay permit of a foreigner generally the following licenses and reports need to be arranged:
- Hasil Penilaian Kelayakan RPTKA (HPK RPTKA): The first stage in obtaining a Work and Stay Permit is the Feasibility Assessment Result, also known as Hasil Penilaian Kelayakan RPTKA (HPK RPTKA). This document outlines key details such as the number of foreign workers requested, job title(s), work location, number of accompanying Indonesian workers, and the validity period of the HPK RPTKA.
- Pengesahan RPTKA (Attestation of RPTKA): Once the HPK RPTKA has been issued, the company may proceed with the application for the Attestation of RPTKA through the Ministry of Manpower’s online system. This document outlines details such as the foreigner’s name, job title, work location and validity period.
- e-Visa (Electronic Visa): Upon issuance of the Attestation of RPTKA, the company may proceed with the e-Visa application accordingly through the Directorate General of Immigration’s system. The e-Visa is required for foreign nationals to enter Indonesia and is automatically converted into an e-ITAS (Electronic Limited Stay Permit) upon entry into the country. The e-Visa is valid for 90 days, foreigners must enter Indonesia before the expiry date of the visa.
- e-ITAS (Electronic Limited Stay Permit): Upon entry into Indonesia, foreign nationals will undergo a biometric process at the immigration checkpoint, either through an automated gate or a manual immigration counter. Following this process, the e-ITAS (Electronic Limited Stay Permit) will be automatically issued by the system and can be accessed through the immigration system. The automated gate is only available for individuals over 6 years old with an electronic passport and visa/stay permit.
- Police Report (SKK) from the local police office (applicable to certain region/city where foreigner stay and thus further checking is required).
- Temporary Residence Permit (SKTTS) from the civil registration office.
- Existence Report (L/K) from the local manpower office (certain locations only).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: We wish to send staff to Indonesia, however we don’t have a company in Indonesia. What are my options?
A foreigner who wants to work in Indonesia must be sponsored by an Indonesian company. In case the foreign company does not have an entity in Indonesia, the foreigner can be sponsored through a third party Indonesian company. It is important that there is a clear connection between the place of working of the foreigner and the sponsoring entity. This is usually done by a set of agreements and statement letters.
Q: For a project we need to send a large number of foreign workers to Indonesia. Our local company has only a few Indonesian employees. Will this cause a problem?
This is not a major problem as long as the company applies for short term work and stay permits. For these types of permits the Ministry of Manpower does not require a ration foreign workers to local workers, and will therefore easier approve short term work permit applications.
Q: Our foreign worker will work on several sites in Indonesia. Will this cause any risk?
In case a foreigner is working on multiple locations, there are a few actions which need to be undertaken:
- The working locations must be stated in the work permit of the foreign worker;
- The foreigner likely will require a travel permit to visit the sites; and
- The company may need to report the arrival of the foreign worker to the local police, manpower and immigration authorities