How to Properly Extend, Close KITAS, and Transition to KITAP or Citizenship in Indonesia in 2025: A Complete Guide – Visa Agency

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How to Properly Extend, Close KITAS, and Transition to KITAP or Citizenship in Indonesia in 2025: A Complete Guide

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How to Properly Extend, Close KITAS, and Transition to KITAP or Citizenship in Indonesia in 2025: A Complete Guide

Indonesia, with its unique culture, nature, and opportunities, attracts an increasing number of foreigners wishing to stay long-term. The foundation for legal residence is the KITAS (Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas) – a Limited Stay Permit Card. However, managing immigration status, especially in 2025, requires understanding the procedures for extension, closure, and the pathways to a permanent residence permit (KITAP) and citizenship. This guide, based on current information, will help you navigate all the nuances.

1. KITAS Extension: Challenges and Alternatives

A common question, especially for families: how to extend a child’s KITAS if the parent has a different type or duration of KITAS (e.g., a 2-year Investor KITAS while the child has a 1-year one)?

  • In-Country Extension: Yes, it’s possible. However, the process of extending a KITAS within Indonesia in 2025 involves bureaucratic steps that might be unfamiliar:
    • Obtaining STM (Surat Tanda Melapor): A police report certificate from your local police station. Formally free and quick (5 minutes), but in practice, an “administrative fee” (IDR 50,000-100,000) might be requested.
    • Visit to the Banjar: The local community council, where you need to submit the STM to get a Domicile Letter. Delays (1-2 days) can occur if the necessary officials are unavailable.
    • Immigration Account: For extension (especially when changing agencies or if you previously handled it yourself), access to your sponsor’s online immigration account is required (for investors, this is the PT PMA company account). Access to the sponsor’s account has been necessary since December 2024, as most immigration procedures are now conducted online. Standard recovery takes about a week; expedited recovery (1-2 days) costs IDR 1.5 million.
  • Timing and Expedited Extension:
    • Extension is possible starting 30 days before the current KITAS expires.
    • Flado Visa Agency offers expedited extension for an additional fee (check with specialists).
  • Alternative: Closure and Opening a New KITAS: Visa agencies, including Flado Visa Agency, often recommend this path as simpler and faster, especially if you plan to travel out of the country.
    • Procedure: Obtain an Exit Permit Only (EPO) and leave Indonesia; or close the old KITAS remotely (via TSP, see below) and apply for a new visa/KITAS.
    • Advantages: Avoids local bureaucracy (police, Banjar), allows synchronization of child’s and parent’s KITAS validity periods, option to apply for a different type of KITAS (e.g., student).
  • Offshore vs Onshore: Issuing a visa/KITAS for entry (Offshore) usually takes only 5-10 working days, as it’s handled by the central Jakarta immigration office (ditjen). Extensions and conversions are processed through local immigration offices (kanim), known as the Onshore route – this is typically longer, requires more documents, and is slightly more expensive. This leads to the rational suggestion: close the KITAS, travel outside Indonesia, and return with a new, quickly obtained Offshore KITAS.

2. Recommendation: Student KITAS for a Child

If you hold an Investor KITAS and your child is studying, consider obtaining a Student KITAS for them instead of a dependent one:

  • Requirements: Just one document – a Letter of Acceptance from the school/kindergarten (the agency will provide a template). If the educational institution doesn’t understand what is required, you can give them our contact details, or provide us with theirs, and we will explain everything. Kindergartens often think they cannot provide a Letter of Acceptance, but in reality, any institution can.
  • Advantages:
    • Independence: The child’s KITAS is not tied to your investor status or the fate of your company.
    • Flexibility: Can be issued for 1 or 2 years.
    • Reverse Dependency: If you decide to change your Investor KITAS, you can obtain a Parent KITAS (dependent on the child’s Student KITAS) for up to 2 years.
  • Limitation: A Student KITAS cannot be converted into a KITAP and does not lead to citizenship. If your goal is long-term naturalization, the investor route is preferable.

3. Closing KITAS: Mandatory Procedure (EPO vs. TSP)

Before obtaining a new visa or upon expiration, a KITAS must be officially closed. In 2025, this requires access to the sponsor’s immigration account (for investors – the PT PMA account, requiring company documents and the director’s passport).

  • Method 1: EPO (Exit Permit Only)
    • When: If you are still in Indonesia and your KITAS is valid.
    • Process: You notify immigration of your intention to leave the country and not extend the KITAS. After receiving the EPO, you must leave within 7 calendar days, including the day the EPO is issued.
    • Important for New Visa Application: If your goal is to obtain a new visa/KITAS before leaving Indonesia (e.g., for a short trip), you can apply for the new visa immediately after receiving the EPO. Don’t overlook the visa acceleration option: Flado Visa Agency can submit the application on the day the EPO is received, and with acceleration, the visa can be ready in about 3 days. Standard Offshore visa issuance takes 5-10 working days (at least 7 calendar days), which might exceed your 7-day exit window. However, if you plan a longer trip abroad (not a one-day visa run) and are willing to wait for the new visa/KITAS during your trip, accelerating its issuance is not necessary.
  • Method 2: TSP (Termination of Stay Permit)
    • When: If you have already left Indonesia.
    • Process: Requires proof of departure (copy of boarding pass, exit stamp in passport, copy of passport, visa, e-ITAS).
  • Cost: Closing a KITAS costs IDR 1.5 million, but may be free when applying for a new KITAS through Flado Agency under a promotion.
  • Importance: An unclosed KITAS can lead to rejection of future visa applications. The procedure can be done online through an agency.

4. Overview of Popular KITAS Types in 2025

5. Using KITAS for Visas to Other Countries

Holding a KITAS in Indonesia can significantly facilitate obtaining visas for other countries (Schengen, USA, Japan, Australia, Russia, etc.), as it confirms your resident status. Flado Visa Agency has two offices, including one in Jakarta where embassies are located, and can assist with these processes.

6. The Path to Permanence: KITAP and Citizenship

  • KITAP (Kartu Izin Tinggal Tetap):
    • Permanent Stay Permit Card, usually valid for 5 years.
    • Transition: Possible starting 90 days before the current KITAS expires, but there must be at least 31 days remaining. (In practice, we know KITAP renewal can sometimes be initiated even with less than 30 days remaining, but we always recommend using the 90 to 31-day window).
    • Available after a certain period of holding KITAS: for investors (after 3 years), spouses of Indonesian citizens (after 2 years of marriage), retirees and former citizens after 4 years.
    • Advantages: Stability for 5 years without needing renewal. With an Unlimited KITAP, you just need to report to immigration every 5 years.
  • Indonesian Citizenship (WNI):
    • The next step after KITAP.
    • Requires long-term residence (5 continuous years with a residence permit or 10 intermittent years), knowledge of the language and state principles, renunciation of previous citizenship, and other conditions.
    • Preferential conditions exist for spouses of Indonesian citizens with children (citizenship can be obtained after 7 years with a residence permit, even with trips abroad).
    • Advantages: Grants full rights: ability to work without a KITAS, cannot be deported, and much more.

7. Obtaining KITAS for the Whole Family: An Important Detail

The process of obtaining or extending KITAS for the entire family is always sequential:

  1. First, the main KITAS (investor, employee, spouse, etc.) is processed/extended.
  2. Only after its approval are applications for dependent KITAS processed. Therefore, we recommend accelerating the approval of the main KITAS (check with consultants about availability).

This means the overall processing time will be longer. Plan ahead; start the extension process as soon as it becomes possible, 30 days before expiration, to avoid overstaying (fine of IDR 1 million/day).

8. Transitioning Between Visas: Bridging Visa

  • Purpose: A temporary solution for legally staying in the country when transitioning from one type of KITAS to another. Also, a Bridging Visa can be used to close a KITAS without EPO or TSP, while allowing you to remain in Indonesia for 60 days without leaving.
  • When needed: Allows you to stay in Indonesia while a new KITAS is being processed after the previous KITAS expires or when transitioning from a C or D visa.
  • Requirements: You must transition to the new KITAS (the old type is not permitted) at least 31 days before the Bridging Visa expires.

9. Advantages of Owning a KITAS

Contact Flado Visa Agency

Regardless of whether you have used another agency’s services or handled everything yourself — we will help you correctly process everything according to the law, saving you time, nerves, and money.

Remember that immigration rules can change. Always check for current information or consult with specialists at Flado Visa Agency.