In 2026, the processes for obtaining work permits in Indonesia have become significantly more automated and transparent. To legally work in the country, a foreign specialist must complete two main stages: obtaining a work permit (RPTKA / IMTA) and issuing the visa itself (E23) or stay permit (ITAS/KITAS).

Mandatory Requirement: Sponsoring Company (Employer)

A private foreign individual cannot act as an employer in Indonesia. Only officially registered Indonesian companies (PT / PT PMA) have the right to hire. Without a corporate sponsor, processing a work visa is impossible.

Important for local Indonesian companies: a company does not always have to be foreign-owned to employ a foreign worker. A properly registered local PT without foreign investment may also sponsor a foreign employee, provided the company meets the Ministry of Manpower requirements, has suitable business activities, proper manpower structure, local counterpart data, and sufficient corporate capacity.

As a practical pre-check for local PT cases, the company capital should generally be at least 1,000,000,000 IDR. If the authorized / paid-up capital shown in the company documents is lower, the employer should first consult a notary, prepare proof of sufficient funds, and update the company deed / corporate documents. After the company documents are adjusted, the process can continue with the Ministry of Manpower for RPTKA / Work Permit approval and then with Immigration for the Work KITAS.

The first step is the registration of the employer in the immigration system. If the employer company is already registered, an integration with the Flado system will be required for operational process management. Integration instructions are provided at the start of the process; this only requires access to the corporate email.

Offshore KITAS Cost (Applying from Abroad)

When applying from abroad, an Offshore E23 Visa is issued first. Upon entering Indonesia with this visa, it is automatically activated and converted into an ITAS (KITAS) — an electronic stay permit.

Important: the 5-10 working day or 5 working day estimate in the table refers to the immigration / E23 visa stage after the employer readiness and RPTKA / Work Permit stage are completed. The full corporate employment process is usually longer because it depends on Ministry of Manpower review, DPKK payment, corporate account readiness, and document completeness.

Two-year Work Permits: 2-year validity is not always approved automatically. In practice, the Ministry of Manpower may grant 2-year validity only when the position, company profile, project, or sector justifies a longer work permit. For many ordinary employment cases, 1-year validity is more realistic.

Onshore KITAS Cost (Onshore Conversion & Extension)

Conversion into a working ITAS inside the country is available for holders of VOA B1* (apply), C1 (apply), D1 (apply) visas — previously issued by the current employer, or the C18 Work Trial Visa.

*Critical condition: there must be at least 31+ days remaining until the current visa expires at the time of paying the government fee. If the remaining validity is less, mandatory processing of a Bridging Visa or a prior extension of the current visa is required.

Workflow with Flado Indonesia

The application procedure is primarily oriented towards the employer, for whom such paperwork is standard corporate practice. For the foreign employee, the process may seem extensive, but Flado specialists guide the client through all stages:

1. Payment and Folder Creation: After selecting and paying for the desired options, a dedicated Google Drive folder is created.
2. Document Collection: The client uploads documents according to a detailed checklist.
3. Review and Feedback: The manager verifies the provided files, offers recommendations, and requests any missing documents.

Processing Time and Cost for RPTKA / IMTA

• Standard (10-14 working days): Standard process with deep verification. RPTKA approval takes up to 7 working days, and Work Permit issuance takes an additional 4-7 days.
• Priority (5 working days): Expedited process with document adaptation and streamlined interaction with the MoM. RPTKA approval is issued in 3 working days, Work Permit in 2 days. Cost: +3,000,000 IDR added to the base price.

Realistic End-to-End Timeline

For planning purposes, it is better to separate the RPTKA / Work Permit stage, the DPKK / DKPTKA payment stage, and the Immigration / Work KITAS stage. These stages do not always run in parallel, so the total timeline should not be calculated by simply choosing the fastest number from each table.

Indonesian public holidays and local Balinese holidays may affect processing time. You can check our holiday reference here: https://flado.id/daysoff.

Additional Government and Corporate Fees

The final cost may increase by several million rupiah if additional process setups are required:

• DPKK Tax: If paid through the agency, a +20% service fee is added to the final USD amount. Conversion is based on the xe.com rate strictly on the day the payment document is received from the MoM. Independent payment at the designated bank (BNI/Mandiri/BRI) is made without markup.
• Immigration Account: Created for free (under the Standard package) provided a one-time payment of all KITAS and Work Permit fees is made. With installment payments or when using the Priority package (acceleration to 3 days), the cost is 1,500,000 IDR.
• TKA Online Account (MoM): 1,500,000 IDR if technical adjustments or registration assistance are required.
• BPJS Registration: If the company lacks BPJS Manpower and Healthcare certificates, registration costs 1,500,000 IDR per institution.
• New WLK / WLTK registration and report approval: 2,500,000 IDR. This may be required when the employer does not yet have a valid manpower report suitable for foreign worker sponsorship.
• Simple WLK / WLTK update: 3,000,000 IDR. This is usually suitable for a simple update with a small number of employee records and report approval generation.
• Extended WLK / WLTK update: 4,500,000 IDR. This is used when the company data, employee structure, or multiple employee records must be updated before RPTKA submission.
• MoM expose meeting online guidance: 2,500,000 IDR when an online expose meeting with the Ministry of Manpower is requested or required for the case.
• Annual Report for Expatriate to MoM: 2,500,000 IDR. For renewals / extensions, this report may need to be submitted before the RPTKA renewal process.
• Immigration data update after Work ITAS changes: 2,500,000 IDR. This may be required after changes in address, passport, marital status, job title, company data, or other foreigner records.

Specifics of 6-Month Permits (Freelance KITAS)

Work permits issued for 6 months are non-extendable. For short-term projects (e.g., a few performances by an artist or DJ), it is more practical to apply for the C7A (Artist Visa) rather than a full working KITAS.

Examples of Issued Work Permits

Notification Letter of DKPTKA Payment

Approval of RPTKA / IMTA

Document Specifics: New Application vs. Renewal

Renewal note: an expose meeting is generally not required for a regular renewal / extension if there are no material changes. However, the Ministry of Manpower may request additional review if there are significant changes in the RPTKA structure, work locations, company name, company address, job title, local counterpart, or other key employment data.

Full List of Required Documents

1. Documents from the Sponsoring Company:

• Deed of Establishment and its amendments (SK Kemenkumham).
• Business License (NIB).
• Corporate Tax ID (NPWP).
• For local PT employers: company capital should generally be at least 1,000,000,000 IDR; if lower, notary document updates may be required before the manpower process.
• Indonesian employee / local workforce data, when requested for manpower compliance and local counterpart structure.
• Responsible Staff Details (Indonesian National): KTP, Job Title, email, phone number, ID Badge.
• Local Counterpart Details: KTP, Job title, email, phone number, and job description.
• For Technical Director position: the employee’s name must be registered in the company’s Deeds. Alternatively, the job title can be chosen from MoM Regulation No. 228/2019 based on the industry.

2. Documents from the Foreign Specialist:

• Passport ID page (valid for at least 18 months).
• Recent Photograph (semi-formal attire, clear background, at least shoulder-length, not showing teeth).
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) with e-signature.
• Education Certificate. If the document is not in English or Indonesian, translation may be required: https://flado.id/translation.
• Reference Letter proving min. 5 years of work experience. If the document is not in English or Indonesian, translation may be required: https://flado.id/translation.
• Complete Home Country Address and Indonesian Address.
• Insurance (health or travel), valid until the KITAS is obtained.
• Latest 3 months of Bank statement with a minimum balance of USD 2,000.

Classification of Work Visas (E23 – E27)

The specific visa category and code are assigned automatically by the Immigration Office as a direct consequence of the job title approved in the RPTKA. All declared professions must be supported by previous professional experience.

Important Compliance Requirement

The 90-Day Rule: Any changes to the foreign specialist’s data (change of residential address, new passport, change of marital status, or job title) must be registered with the Immigration Office within 90 calendar days to avoid penalties and sanctions.