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:
- RPTKA (Foreign Worker Placement Plan): The first permit the company should apply for is the foreign worker placement plan (also known as RPTKA). The RPTKA is a corporate license which specifies the number of foreign workers in a company and the job titles available for them. It also specifies the duration of the assignment.
- Notification (work permit): After the RPTKA is issued by the Ministry of Manpower, the company will need to apply for the notification, which can be regarded as the work permit for each individual foreigner working at the company. The Notification specifies the foreigner’s name, job title, work location and validity period.
- eVisa (electronic visa): Once the work permit is obtained from the ministry of manpower, the company can apply for the eVisa at the DGI. The DGI issues the eVisa in PDF format. Foreigners will need to bring a printed copy of the eVisa when traveling to Indonesia. Foreigners are no longer required to collect a visa sticker at the Indonesian embassy abroad. The eVisa is valid for a period of 90 days since the date of issuance. Foreigners must enter Indonesia before the expiry date of the visa.
- ITAS (Stay Permit) and MERP (Re-entry Permit): Upon arrival in Indonesia, the foreigner will receive its stay permit (ITAS) and re-entry permit (MERP) at the immigration checkpoint at the airport. After the biometrics have been collected by the immigration officers, the permit will be placed in the passports of the foreigners in the form of a sticker.
- e-ITAS (electronic stay permit): A few days after the foreigner has received the stay and re-entry permit sticker in its passport, the local immigration office will issue the eITAS, in PDF format. We advise foreign workers to bring a copy of this document with them at all times.
- Police Report (STM) from the local police office.
- Certificate of Temporary Residence (SKTTS) from the civil registration office.
- Existence Report (L/K) from the local manpower office
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