How to Apply for a Work Permit in Indonesia

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Foreigners who come to Indonesia to work are required to obtain a work permit in order to work legally. It is also mandatory for these individuals to apply for a limited stay permit (VITAS) as well as the Electronic limited stay permit (ITAS) from the Indonesian Immigration before commencing work.

Alternatively, there are also travellers that come to Indonesia for business activities and no intention of earning an income. This group would then apply for a Business Visa instead of a Work Permit.

For those who have other reasons, it is recommended to understand the various types of visas in Indonesia to find a suitable one that aligns with your needs.

Here we will dive deeper into the requirements a foreign worker in Indonesia must comply with and up to date regulations in Indonesia.

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Requirements to Obtain a Work Permit in Indonesia

If you’re an employer looking to hire foreigners in Indonesia, Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing (RPTKA) is the work permit that you will need to apply for your foreign hires.

In order to obtain a work permit, there are requirements for the employer as well as for the foreign hire.

For the employer:

According to Article 3 of MOM Regulation No. 8/2021, there is a list of eligible business entities that are permitted by the law to employ foreign workers. These include and are not limited to:

Government agencies, international bodies
Social, Religious, Educational and Cultural Institution
Entertainment management companies
Foreign Private Companies

Eligible employers are required to submit include:

Detailed information of the employer’s identity
Reasons for employing foreign workers
Details of the position the foreign worker will undertake in the organisation structure
Contact details of the foreign worker employed

Advice: Self Proprietorship Companies (CV) are not permitted to hire foreign workers.

For the Foreign Hire:

Educational Background and Qualification are met for the position
Competency certificates or a minimum of 5 years’ work experience related to the position applied for
Willing to transfer the knowledge and skills of expertise to the local counterpart

Applying for a work permit in Indonesia does not have any age requirement in most industries and positions. However, as stated by the Indonesian Ministry of Energy, workers in the gas and oil industry are required to be of age between 30 and 55 to work in Indonesia.

This requirement does not extend to those of higher positions such as President Director, General Manager or Commissioner.

Procedure and Documents Required to Obtain Working Permit

Before you can apply for an Indonesian Work Permit, there are some other types of visas and permits a foreign hire and employer have to obtain. These include:

Expatriate Utilisation Plan (Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing – RPTKA)

The first document to submit is RPTKA. The company who intends to employ a foreign worker must obtain a formal government approval by submitting RPTKA to the Ministry of Manpower of Republic of Indonesia.
Working Permit (Izin Mempekerjakan Tenaga Asing – IMTA)

After the approval of RPTKA, the company may apply for IMTA including the personal data information and documents of the candidate including gender, name, passport number and validity, education, and work experience to the Ministry of Manpower.
Limited Stay Visa (Visa Izin Tertinggi Terbatas – VITAS)

With the approval of RPTKA and IMTA, the employer must apply for VITAS to BKPM. Following that, BKPM will issue a letter of recommendation to the department of immigration – notifying the issuance of VITAS to the foreign employee.
Temporary/Limited Stay Permit (Izin Tinggal Terbatas – ITAS)

Upon arrival to Indonesia, the VITAS will be converted to ITAS. ITAS is the immigration status itself. The Indonesian Immigration Office will annually stamp the foreign workers’ passport to show that they have temporary stay residence status.
Temporary Stay Permit Card (Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas – KITAS)

After the ITAS is approved, KITAS will automatically be issued to the foreign worker by the Indonesian Immigration. KITAS is simply an identification card that indicates that the foreign worker has an ITAS immigration status.

How Long is the Validity of Work Permit?

An Indonesian work permit is valid for a period that ranges between 1 to 12 months. The duration is dependent on the type of industry the candidate works in as well as the type of sponsorship company’s RPTKA.

Here are some types of work permits and their respective validity:

Urgent or Emergency Work Permit

With a validity of 1 month, this work permit is for urgent jobs and jobs that need immediate action. This permit is allowed in order to prevent any type of detrimental consequences the sponsor company or society may face as a whole.
Temporary Work Permit

The validity of this permit varies from 2 to 6 months, it is applicable for foreigners in industries such as trading, service, and consulting. It is also applicable for workers in sectors such as maintenance and installation of machinery.
Long Term Work Permit

The validity varies from 7 to 12 months. This permit is also known as the normal work permit and is usually applicable for expats at higher management levels such as managers, directors, and commissioners.

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FAQs

What happens if I break a law in Indonesia as a Work Permit Holder?Timothy2021-11-02T10:33:15+08:00

What happens if I break a law in Indonesia as a Work Permit Holder?

If the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Manpower and other concerned authorities are violated, the work permit of any individual can be removed. Due to the fact that the work permit allows a foreign individual to live and work in Indonesia, it is important for a foreigner to avoid this negative circumstance. 

Can the work permit be extended?Timothy2021-11-02T10:32:41+08:00

Got other questions?

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Join the discussions

Darien TOCK August 23, 2022 at 9:29 am - Reply

Good day Sir/Madam,

I am Darien, Human Resource Manager from Addon Systems Singapore. we would like to set up a business (Retail) and an employment in Indonesia, what are the various procedures that we need to do before application submission.

Please advise.
- Paul Hype Page August 23, 2022 at 11:17 am
  
  Hi Darien, thanks for reaching out to us. Please drop us a WhatsApp message (https://wa.me/6584833084) or email to sales@php-cpa.com.sg to discuss.
  
  I believe that Addon Systems has a Singapore presence – could also consider tapping on the MRA grant for this business expansion.
  
  Looking forward to chat with you on WhatsApp/ Email.
  
  Thanks!

How to Apply for A Work Permit in Indonesia

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