LIVING IN INDONESIA

  

Passports

Passports for your family members are issued by a passport office from your own country. While your government may allow children to follow on their mothers passports, it is better to have separate passports for every family member, just in case separate travel is required.
In order to apply for a KITAS visa (semi-permanent stay permit) to Indonesia, your passport must be valid for:

• 12 months passport validity remaining to apply for a 6 months KITAS
• 18 months passport validity remaining to apply for a 12 months KITAS
• 30 months passport validity remaining to apply for a 24 months KITAS

If your passport is nearing expiration, we recommend you renew it to the maximum time allowable before you begin procedures to apply for an Indonesian work permit and visa. You do not want to have your sponsoring office go through all the paperwork of getting your visa and work permit, only to have to repeat the procedure after six months because your passport has expired.

Company Sponsorship

Company sponsorship is required as a FIRST STEP in order for a foreigner who wants to work in Indonesia to be issued a work permit/visa. This sponsorship is required BEFORE a semi-permanent visa and work permit can be processed.

RPTKA (Expatriate Placement Plan)

The Indonesian government has strict guidelines on what foreign expertise is required for the development of the country. These guidelines determine who can be issued work permits. See Employing Expatriates for other info.
National, multinational or joint venture firms must submit a manpower plan to Kemenakertrans (Article 42 Manpower Act number 13 year 2003, Download detailing their annual foreign labor requirements. Foreigners can only get a limited stay visa/permit and a KITAS card if they already have been issued a TA01 recommendation (from the Manpower Department if the company is a domestic company; or from BKPM/Investment Board Department if the employing company is a foreign investment company, a so-called PMA company). A TA-01 is based on an approved Expatriate Placement Plan (RPTKA).
The IMTA - Ijin Mempekerjakan Tenaga Kerja Asing
This "Work Permit" is the authorization given to a company to employ a foreigner. If you are not holding an IMTA, you are not working legally in Indonesia.
If a company wants to employ foreigners, the company must submit an Expatriate Placement Plan, RPTKA - Rencana Penempatan Tenaga Kerja Asing- to the Manpower Department if the employing company is a domestic company; or to the BKPM (Investment Coordinating Board if the company is a foreign investment company. In foreign investment/PMA companies, work permits for senior positions (such as Director held by foreigners are for three years and can be renewed just before expiration. (Note: Directors positions held by foreigners is only applicable for foreign investment/PMA companies). Other position slots in the RPTKA are only for one year and can be renewed annually, usually up to a fixed number of years.
Based on the approval of the RPTKA (Expatriate Placement Plan TA-01 is issued, and then a work permit, Izin Kerja Tenaga Asing (IKTA is issued by the Manpower Ministry (Kementerian Tenaga Kerja or Kemenakertrans after your arrival and the issuance of the KITAS card and have paid your annual DPKK.
Small Indonesian companies incorporated as a CV are not allowed to hire expats. So-called "medium companies" are only allowed to hire two expats. In larger companies there is no limitation to the number of expats hired, as long as the ratio of 1 expat : 1 local expert as a counterpart is followed.
For more detailed information on the process, please see Employing Expatriates in Indonesia.

DPKK - Dana Pengembangan Keahlian dan Keterampilan - Skill & Development Fund Fee

Companies employing foreigners are charged $100/month (US$ 1,200/year per expatriate employee to offset the costs of training Indonesian nationals (Download Manpower Laws). This tax is administered through the Manpower Ministry. Proof of payment of the Skill & Development Fund fee to the BNI 46 bank for one year in advance, amounting to US $1,200 (non refundable) is needed before a Work Permit can be approved.
For positions other than Directors, a foreigners expertise must be proven, as government regulations limit the employment of foreigners in Indonesia to experts; which can contribute to the national development. Due to the high unemployment rate of nationals, it must be proven that the expertise of a foreigner can not actually be supplied by a national instead.
Manpower plans are only approved for one year. When a companys manpower plan is approved, a certain number of slots for positions held by foreigners are approved by Kemenakertrans. If a firm wants to add another foreigner to its staff, they must go back to Kemenakertrans and revise their manpower plan and wait several months for approval. It is not always easy for a firm in Indonesia to hire a foreigner and involves considerable expense and dealing with bureaucracy.
Deportations of foreigners for abusing their work permits is not uncommon. The usual offense is that the person is working in a position other than what is allowed by the work permit. If your work permit says you are the Production Director ... and your business card says you are the Managing Director - those are grounds for deportation due to abuse of work permit. Another problem is caused when the declared address of work on the IMTA differs from your actual work location. If it does not match, this could void the IMTA and put the employee at risk of a deportation. BEWARE and be cautious about what you put on your business card - make sure it agrees with your work permit!
One common misconception is that the IMTA belongs to the expatriate employee, actually they are issued to the company, NOT to the foreign worker. If a foreign worker loses his job, he is not entitled to work for any other company without processing a new IMTA, even if the previous IMTA still has validity. This very common misconception leads expats to think that they have a work permit - they don�t - the company has it!
A work permit issued for a foreigner does NOT entitle their spouse to work as well. A �dependent spouse� must obtain their own sponsor and work permit in order to work in Indonesia. This can be done, but depends on the demand for their expertise. Many working spouses find the transition difficult as they are used to working. There are, however, many opportunities for worthwhile and meaningful involvements in community and educational organizations and opportunities for everyone to hone new skills during their time in Indonesia.
If you want to keep your KITAP active, you must pay the DPKK.

TA01 Recommendation

After the RPTKA has been approved, the TA01 recommendation has to be applied for at the Manpower Ministry in order to get a temporary residence visa. The original approval letter on the TA01 recommendation will be needed to apply for the VITAS or VBS (Visa Tinggal Terbatas).
The RPTKA & TA01 recommendation are only necessary for foreigners working in Indonesia. Dependent family members; accompany spouse and children up to 17 years old will be under the sponsorship of the working spouse. Dependent family members are only entitled to stay with the working spouse/parent - this visa does NOT entitle them to work. If a spouse is also working in Indonesia he/she will have to apply for a separate Work Permit and independent Stay Permit from their sponsoring company.
For more information, see the Manpower Act of 2003.

Working in Indonesia Without a Work Permit (IMTA)

The new immigration regulations (2011) which have been passed and which should be legalized in May 2011 require a MUCH more coercive than UU 9/1992 if a foreign citizen is caught working without proper visa and work permit. Dont risk five years in jail .. get the proper documents before you start working in Indonesia! The wording of the new regulations:
Dipidana dengan pidana penjara paling lama 5 (lima) tahun dan pidana denda paling paling banyak Rp500.000.000,00 (lima ratus juta rupiah):
a. setiap Orang Asing yang dengan sengaja menyalahgunakan atau melakukan kegiatan yang tidak sesuai dengan maksud dan tujuan pemberian Izin Tinggal yang diberikan kepadanya;
b. setiap orang yang menyuruh atau memberikan kesempatan kepada Orang Asing menyalahgunakan atau melakukan kegiatan yang tidak sesuai dengan maksud atau tujuan pemberian Izin Tinggal yang diberikan kepadanya.

Indonesian Visas

To read the Indonesian governments description of the various visas, see Consular and Visa Services on the Foreign Ministry website.

Visas

- Visa Kunjungan (SosBud, Business) valid for 60 days
- Visa Kunjungan Beberapa kali Perjalanan (SosBud 12 months)
- Visa Tinggal Terbatas 6 months
- Visa Tinggal Terbatas 12 months

2. Izin Keimigrasian

- Sosbud Visa/business visa extension 30 days.
- Izin Tinggal Terbatas or extension 6 months

3. Izin Masuk Kembali (for KITAS/KITAP holder)

Single exit
Multiple exit for 6 months
Multiple exit for 1 year

4. Overstay fine : Rp. 200,000 per day
Some of these services will also incur a charge of between Rp. 5.000 and Rp. 25.000 for the required folder, depending on where one applies.
Source: Peraturan Pemerintah nomor 38 tahun 2009 - see article IV to IX for immigrations related fees
The above fees are the official ones as of 9/2008. If you keep all your papers in order and are up to date with all necessary document renewals and taxes/fees, and follow the proper procedures, then that it is what you will pay if you do the paperwork yourself (in person). Service companies may charge you in between 3 to 10 times the official fees to cover their services. Considering the hassle of dealing with a new bureaucracy in a foreign language, this fee may be worth it. Long-timers who speak fluent Bahasa Indonesia may be able to (and choose to) handle the bureaucracy themselves.

VITAS - Temporary Stay Permit Visa (Visa Izin Tinggal Terbatas)

VITAS - This is the sticker visa put in a foreigners passport in a Indonesian Embassy/Consular Office abroad which will give the person the right to an ITAS (which they apply for after arrival in Indonesia).
Once the TA01 recommendation has been approved, the VITAS must be applied for, for the working spouse and his dependent family, at the Indonesian Immigration office in the intended city of residence. Upon approval, the Indonesian Immigration office will send a telex approval to the Indonesian Embassy where the foreigner and his dependent family want to pick up the approval and to get the VITAS/VBS stamped into their passports.
This VBS visa stamp permits your entry into Indonesia. Within 7 days of your arrival in Indonesia, you and your dependent family members must go to the Immigration office to report your arrival "lapor diri" and complete the necessary paperwork. Failure to do this within 7 days will constitute a violation of your status, a legal hassle that can only be overcome through a visit to the courts and will incur large fines. So dont delay your initial trip to the Immigration office to report your arrival. At the immigration office, you will be called to take a full set of fingerprints and to sign various documents and provide at least four 2 x 3 cm color photographs.
Note - the V stands for Visa ...!

ITAS/KITAS or Temporary Stay Permit and Buku Pengawasan Orang Asing (POA)

ITAS = Izin Tinggal Terbatas (Temporary Stay Permit). This is the immigration status/permit by itself. It is materialized by the stamp in your passport that the immigration offices stamps into your passport every year.
KITAS = Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas (Temporary Stay Permit Card). This is the yellow card that Imigrasi will give you after the ITAS has been granted.
KITAS can be issued for a variety of reasons:

• for foreign investors (PMA owner)
• for foreign experts - most of the expats have this kind of KITAS. They theoretically have skills that Indonesians dont have. Thus they are called tenaga ahli/expert.
• for foreign researchers who come for research, usually with an agreement of an Indonesian university
• for dependant foreign spouse/kids, sponsored by a foreigner, holder of a KITAS himself/herself or being an Indonesian citizen
• for religious clerics (foreign priests/imam, etc.)
• for retired foreign citizens
• for former Indonesian citizens, returning to Indonesia in the framework of repatriation to get back their citizenship

KITAS Flow Prior to Arrival [ PDF 384 KB]
KITAS Flow After Arrival [ PDF 92KB]
When all the paperwork on your Vitas visa is done, you will be issued a Limited Stay Permit - Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas, better known as a KITAS card for the working expatriate and each dependent for a one year period. The KITAS is the residency permit card which is issued by a KanIM in Indonesia, based on the VBS/VITAS Visa.
In order to avoid the risk of losing the original KITAS card and the resulting hassle, many expatriates keep the original at home in a safe place and carry only a photocopy.
With your KITAS you will also receive a Buku Pengawasan Orang Asing, or buku POA (Foreigners Control and Supervision book). Its a similar size as a passport. The Buku Pengawasan Orang Asing tracks changes in your immigration status. All changes of address, marital status, new children, etc. need to be notified to the Immigration Office and recorded in this book within a timely period.
This is a valuable document and should be kept safely. The KITAS card and POA book allow you to live in Indonesia for one year and may be renewed annually, allowing you to stay up to six years.

KITAS Visa

Advice from one applicant on documents needed to apply for a KITAS without paying any bribes:

1. Fotocopy of RPTKA and IMTA (2x each)
2. Fill out the three forms obtained at the immigration office (if I remember correctly form 22, 23 and 26). I got the forms for a fee of Rp. 10,000 One of the forms is the �surat permintaan dan jaminan� and has to have a meterai tax stamp (Rp 6,000) on it. You may also be charged Rp 5,000 for the red folder.
3. Surat permohonan (sponsor letter) (2x)
4. Fotocopy of the KTP of the sponsor (2x)
5. Fotocopy of all nonempty pages of the Buku Pengawasan Orang Asing (2x) and original book
6. Fotocopy of *all* pages of the passport (2x) and original
7. Fotocopy of KITAS (2x) and original

Do-it-yourself guide for KITAS renewal for children

ITAP/KITAP - Permanent Stay Permit/Card

ITAP = Izin Tinggal Tetap (Permanent Stay Permit). This is the immigration status/permit by itself. It is evident by the stamp that the immigration office stamps into your passport.
KITAP = Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas (Permanent Stay Permit Card). This is the blue card that immigration will give you after the ITAP has been granted.
KITAP are for foreign investors, CEOs or to workers in fields that require a specific skill. However, others, who dont fall under these categories, can also obtain a KITAP as well, with persistence and knowing the regulations. Special provisions are also available for foreign nationals to get an ITAP if they are married to an Indonesian.

Who can apply for a KITAP?

Indonesian Law is, in fact, quite clear. But as in many cases in Indonesia, this is more a problem of getting the right text of law with all of its amendments to clearly understand who can apply for to a KITAP. Once you get the right context, everything becomes very clear and the only remaining difficulty is to explain the law to the ones who are supposed to know it: the Immigration officials, who in many cases seemingly ignore the law. Once you get past the lower echelons, things are much smoother, because at the higher levels (i.e., KanWil or DitJen), they know the law regarding KITAP issuance.
Concerning KITAP, here are the two main sources that you need to keep in mind:
1. Pasal 49, Peraturan Pemerintah nomor 32 tahun 1994 corrected by its second amendment as stated in the Peraturan Pemerintah nomor 38 tahun 2005:

(1) Izin Tinggal Terbatas dapat dialihkan statusnya menjadi Izin Tinggal Tetap.
(2) Pengalihan status sebagaimana dimaksud pada ayat (1) dapat diberikan atas dasar permintaan orang asing yang bersangkutan, dengan syarat telah berada di wilayah Negara Republik Indonesia sekurang-kurangnya 2 (dua) tahun berturut-turut sejak tanggal diberikannya Izin Tinggal Terbatas.
Basically, it means that (1) an ITAS can be transformed in an ITAP and that (2) this transformation of status can be given after a demand of the foreigner with the condition that he/she has already stayed a minimum of two full successive years in Indonesia since the date that his/her ITAS has been issued.

2. Pasal 72, Keputusan Menteri Kehakiman nomor M.02-IZ.01.10 tahun 1995 corrected by its second amendment as stated in the Peraturan Menteri Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia nomor M.01-IZ.01.10 tahun 2007:

(1) Izin Tinggal Terbatas dapat dialihstatuskan menjadi Izin Tinggal Tetap, kecuali Izin Tinggal Terbatas Kemudahan Khusus Keimigrasian;
(2) Alih status Izin Tinggal Terbatas menjadi Izin Tinggal Tetap sebagaimana dimaksud dalam ayat (1) dapat diberikan kepada orang asing dalam rangka:
a. menanamkan modal;
b. bekerja sebagai tenaga ahli langka;
c. bekerja sebagai pimpinan tertinggi perusahaan;
d. melaksanakan tugas sebagai rohaniwan;
e. menggabungkan diri dengan suami atau istri warga negara Indonesia;
f. menggabungkan diri dengan orang tua bagi anak sah pemegang paspor asing dari seorang warga negara Indonesia;
g. menggabungkan diri dengan suami atau istri pemegang Izin Tinggal Tetap;
h. menggabungkan diri dengan orang tua pemegang Izin Tinggal Tetap bagi anak yang berumur di bawah 18 (delapan belas) tahun dan belum kawin;
i. memperoleh kembali kewarganegaraan Republik Indonesia berdasarkan Undang-Undang Nomor 12 Tahun 2006 tentang Kewarganegaraan Republik Indonesia; atau
j. wisatawan lanjut usia mancanegara.
(3) Alih status Izin Tinggal Terbatas menjadi Izin Tinggal Tetap harus memperhatikan aspek kemanfaatan orang asing tersebut bagi pembangunan nasional dan aspek kemanusiaan.

This is the article of law which lists the category of KITAS holder that could be entitled to be issued a KITAP. They are:

a. investors
b. rare foreign experts
c. top foreign manager of a company
d. foreign churchmen with religious duties
e. foreign spouse joining an Indonesian husband or wife more info
f. legitimate child who holds a foreign passport joining an Indonesian parent
g. foreign spouse of a foreigner holding a KITAP
h. legitimate unmarried foreign child (under 18 years old) joining a foreign father/mother who is a KITAP holder.
i. Former Indonesian willing to regain Indonesian citizenship as per Citizenship law number 12/2006
j. Retired foreigner

However, belonging to one of the above categories may not be enough. If you read point (3), it says that the change of status (from ITAS to ITAP) must consider the benefits that this foreigner brings to the nation in terms of national development and must consider the human aspects. This is for the very least highly subjective, and apart for the one belonging to the category e.), f.), g.), h.) and i.) it may well remain a demand without automatic approbation.
If your change of status is accepted, you will receive a KITAP which allows you to remain in indonesia for five years - which may be worth all the paperwork hassles.
*definition of �retired� is given in Keputusan Menteri nomor M.04-IZ.01.02 Tahun 1998 tentang Pemberian Visa dan Izin Keimigrasian Bagi Wisatawan Lanjut Usia Mancanegara
If you think you may qualify or be interested in a KITAP status someday, you might want to save all the documents you receive from the immigration office/s throughout the years, as they will help you to prepare your application.

Visa on Arrival - VOA (Izin Kunjungan Saat Kedatangan)

The Visa on Arrival are for persons who are visiting Indonesia for a short period (30-60 days) as a tourist, for business, or to attend a conference or meeting. This visa is NOT for expatriates intending to work and live for an extended period of time. The VOA is a single entry visa; it terminates when you leave the country and you must get a new VOA on your next visit.
Remember that both the date of arrival and the date of departure will count as one day each in the 30 day stay limit. Overstaying your visa is a punishable offense and you WILL incur a fine for each day you overstay.
211 is the index for a visit visa (non-working purpose) that can be issued for various reasons including governmental, business, tourism and socio cultural (sosbud), and allows you to stay for a maximum 60 days. Of these types, only the tourist VOA can not be extended, the others can.
Once the visa is issued, you have 3 months (90 days) to use it to enter Indonesia. Once you arrive, its good for 30/60 days (see whats stamped in your passport!). If you want to renew it, start the process at least 7-10 days before it expires.
On some Garuda Indonesia medium-long haul flights, there is an �Immigration Onboard� program through which an Indonesian immigration officer will process your Visa on Arrival before you leave the departure airport. At the time you arrive in Jakarta, you can skip the Visa on Arrival counter and head straight to Immigration counter.  In these cases, the Visa on Arrival is payable in local currency at the departure airport (e.g. for flights departing from Sydney, you can pay with AUD instead of USD).

Extension of VOA

• 2 forms ("Formulir untuk perpanjangan pertama visa Sosbud" and "Formulir Perubahan Data Orang Asing") and a folder.
• a Rp 6,000 meterai tax stamp (you can purchase from the post office), or you can use two Rp 3,000 stamps
• a sponsors letter "Surat Permintaan dan Jaminan" saying that theyll cover your expenses while you are in Indonesia (typed - but no translation is required)
• copy of the sponsors KTP (identity) card
• photocopies of your outbound air ticket
• your departure card (that you received on arrival)
• original and photocopy of passport front/signature page, and original visa page, and the pages of any subsequent extensions
• black pen

Note: you may need different numbers of copies of the above (or maybe not all of them) for different extensions. Best to have all the originals and copies with you each time, to be safe and save processing time and return trips!

Free Visa for Short Visit (BVKS)

Visa-free facility is granted to the citizens of 12 countries whose governments extend visa free facility to Indonesian nationals would continue to enjoy short visa-free stays. Included in the 12 countries and administrative districts that are granted the 30-day visa-free facility are:

• Brunei Darussalam
• Chile
• Ecuador
• Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region)
• Macau SAR (Special Administrative Region)
• Malaysia
• Morocco
• Peru
• Philippines
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Vietnam

Visitors with the visa-free facility will be able to proceed directly to the immigration clearance counter after deplaning. Passport must be valid for a minimum of six months from the date of arrival. Onward or return tickets must be shown on arrival. Additionally, APAC cardholders may be entitled to a free visa on arrival under the terms of their scheme.

Beware ... of the 30-day counting trap! The way they immigration officials count the 30-day period is: you arrive on the 1st day with, for instance, a 30-day visa, and you must leave on the 30th day (not the 31st or the first of the next month, as you might think). This is actually their policy for how to count the days. and, after getting burned once and learning my lesson, I see their point and follow their definition of 30 days.

Visa Kunjungan Sosial Budaya (SosBud)

Persons coming to Indonesia for short term stays (longer than 60 days allowed on VOA), not as tourists and not for business, should apply for another category of visa - the Visa Kunjungan Sosial Budaya or SosBud (Social/Cultural Visit Visa or SosBud) at an Indonesian consular office overseas. A letter of invitation/sponsorship from a sponsor in Indonesia is required. This can be an Indonesian citizen or a foreigner with a Temporary (KITAS) or Permanent (KITAP) Resident permit. You should also have a photocopy of the sponsors ID card (KTP or KITAS/KITAP) to present along with the letter. This visa status is used by persons coming to study, for research, training programs or to visit family members (for example, expat college age children who want to stay longer than a VOA visa would allow).
The letter of invitation/sponsorship must include:

• the full names and addresses of your visitors
• their passport numbers
• describe the purpose of their visit
• principal addresses during their visit and estimated duration
• guarantee that the sponsor will cover all living expenses, transportation costs and any other costs incurred during the visitors time in Indonesia.

You might have to include a bank statement to guarantee availability of funds for covering their expenses. They may also have to provide proof of return or onward ticket (onward ticket to any destination booked for a date no later than 6 months after your date of entry into Indonesia for the maximum stay of the sosbud. An onward ticket means any plane, boat or bus ticket for any destination outside Indonesia.
So, in list form, you need:
- a letter of sponsor which invites to stay in Indonesia (see above bulleted list for contents of letter).
- a photocopy of the Indonesian sponsors KTP/paspor RI or a copy of the expat sponsors KITAS and passport.
- a copy of your airline ticket (return trip)
- your passport
- a couple of pics
- fill out the form that the Indonesian Embassy will provide to you
- pay the visa fee (60 days: USD 45 or 12 months USD 100)

If, after 60 days, the guests want to stay longer, you will have to apply for a visa extension for them. Be careful, as you must apply for the extension in the same wilayah (district) as the address stated by your sponsors KTP (Identity card). This means that if the KTP of your sponsor has been issued in Makassar, you must apply for all extensions in Makassar and are not allowed to apply for an extension in Bali.
Visa extension are granted for 30 days each. You can extend your sosial budaya visa up to 4 times for a total maximum stay of 180 days. The two first extensions will be granted by the Kantor Imigrasi, while the two last will require a prior approval from the Kantor Wilayah before issuance by the Kantor Imigrasi. Each extension has a legal fee of Rp 250.000. They may ask you to buy the forms for anything between Rp 10,000 to 30.000. Though this last fee has no legal basis, it is customary.
Extensions are not guaranteed. You can only submit a �permohonan� (request). However, if you do follow the procedures carefully, you will minimize the chance of a refusal. If they decide to refuse it (they may threaten you with that in order to get some additional money from you), ask your sponsor to request a Surat Keterangan Penolakan remitted to him, stating the reasons why the immigration department refused the extension. This is the law; they must list the reasons why they refused you the extension. If they do refuse, go with your sponsor to the Kantor Wilayah and ask to talk to the Kepala Divisi Keimigrasian. If you have initiated the procedure of the extension no later than 7 days before the expiration of your visa, if you have submitted all of the requested documents, if you dont do anything illegal (working), if you have submitted a copy of your onward ticket, and if you have proven that you or your sponsor have enough money to pay for your expenses, the Imigrasi usually wont risk your sponsor filling a complaint to the Kantor Wilayah (district office).
Regulations necessitate a 3-working day processing for these visas in Singapore, Bangkok, or your home country ... but from some reports, this process only takes ONE working day in Kuala Lumpur. Wherever you choose to process the application, be sure to allow the correct amount of time.
Some expats have reported to us that facilitating agencies can in fact still process visas in one working day in Singapore, and that the staff in the Consular section at the Singapore embassy can refer you to these companies. Of course, the fees are significantly higher than the usual method.
List of Visa Agents for Indonesia in Singapore
Dont forget also to get a SKLD (Surat Keterangan Lapor Diri) if youre planning to be in Indonesia and staying in a private house.
Important Note: While some cultural and education activities are covered by this class of visa, paid employment for any Indonesian legal entity is not allowed to holders of this class of visa, Sosial Budaya. You can be in Indonesia on a variety of visas, but you cannot legally work on a sosbud visa - even if your employer is processing your IMTA.  You can not work legally while waiting for the work permit unless the government issues a special permit to allow you to work on a non-work visa.
SAVE money ... on visa runs through Batam
Sample Letter to request a SOSBUD Visa (for expat spouse of an Indonesian)
Sample Letter to ask for an extension to a SOSBUD Visa

Business Visa

All persons coming to Indonesia for business purposes (as opposed to just a short term tourist or study trip) for a period to exceed 60-days are required to obtain a business visa.
A business visa does not allow a foreigner to work or be gainfully employed in Indonesia, but only to conduct business negotiations, short term work assignments, or training assignments. If you plan to work in Indonesia for a period of time, you must have a KITAS and a proper IMTA.
A single entry business visa can be extended two times after a one-month stay (one month for each extension). If you have a multiple entry business visa (MBV), after a 60-day stay the visa can be extended four times (one month for each extension). You can enter Indonesia as many times as you want in a one year period on the multiple entry business visa, as long as you dont stay more than 60 days on each visit.
If you enter on a multiple-entry business visa, you are not required to get an exit permit each time you lea

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