A recent immigration case went viral across Bali communities.
A 32-year-old French woman was deported after working as a club manager in North Kuta — while staying in Indonesia on a simple VOA tourist visa.

She told officers that her work KITAS was “in process”.
But immigration made one thing clear:

Being “in process” does NOT give you the right to work.
You can only work after your Working KITAS is officially approved.

Result: deportation + entry ban.

What’s behind the rise of deportations?

Indonesia has significantly intensified immigration checks in:

— cafés and clubs
— yoga studios and gyms
— beauty salons and spas
— coworking spaces
— PT PMA offices
— villas where foreigners conduct work

Working without permission violates Article 75 of Law 6/2011.
Even one day of work without a KITAS can result in deportation.

What legally counts as “work” in Indonesia

You are considered working if you:

— provide any service
— perform tasks of an employee
— teach, coach, train, photograph, sell
— run business operations
— interact with clients
— receive money or benefits

This is still considered work even if you say:

— “I’m just helping a friend”
— “It’s only two clients”
— “I’m testing the market”
— “I work in my own PT PMA”

Yes — even in your own company, you cannot work without a Working KITAS.

Why you cannot work in your own PT PMA without a KITAS

A foreign owner of a PT PMA has the right to:

— own the company
— manage it at the investor level
— receive dividends

But does not have the right to:

— coach
— manage clients
— do photography
— be a barista
— be a beautician
— do sales
— run operations

All this requires a Working KITAS.
Investor rights ≠ work rights.

Investor KITAS is not a work permit

Yes, you can legally open a business through PT PMA:
https://flado.id/ptpma

And you can apply for an Investor KITAS:
https://flado.id/investor

Investor KITAS allows:

— living in Indonesia
— owning a business
— receiving dividends

But it does NOT allow working.

If you want to work physically, serve clients, or perform any professional activity — you need:

Working KITAS
https://flado.id/working

How to avoid deportation

— never work on VOA/eVOA
— do not work while “your KITAS is processing”
— do not work under Investor KITAS
— do not take clients informally
— do not trust agencies that say “you can work while we’re processing your KITAS”

Indonesia checks actively — protect yourself.

How Flado Indonesia helps foreigners stay 100% legal

Flado Visa Agency is a trusted immigration partner for thousands of expats, families, entrepreneurs, and international organizations.

Why clients choose us:

✔ over 5 years of experience
✔ 7600+ visas, KITAS, and permits issued
✔ trusted by corporate clients
✔ recommended by schools & families
✔ 800+ real reviews
✔ no grey schemes — only legal, compliant processes
✔ direct work with Indonesian immigration

We help you:

— open a PT PMA
— obtain Investor KITAS
— apply for a Working KITAS
— fully legalize your business activities
— avoid checks, fines, and deportation risks

Contact Flado Visa Agency

WhatsApp: +6281239134485

Telegram: @visabyflado

Email: visa@flado.id