KITAS in Indonesia: What It Is, the Types and How to Get One in Bali
Sometimes a trip to Bali turns into the start of something bigger. You come for a holiday, come back for the winter, and slowly realise you want to live here. Then a practical question appears: how do you arrange a long stay in Bali? For long-term living you need a KITAS — the permit that lets a foreigner live in Indonesia legally for longer than a tourist stay.
But this is not one universal way for everyone who wants to live in Bali to legalise their stay on a "pay and live here" basis. There are different categories, and the right one depends on what you want to do in Indonesia: work on site, invest, live with family, work remotely or simply move for a longer period. Below we explain what the document is, what it gives you, which types exist and how to choose yours.
What a KITAS is, in plain terms
Indonesia issues every KITAS on a specific ground: work, investment, family, remote work, retirement age and other purposes. The official term is ITAS — Izin Tinggal Terbatas (limited stay permit). The name comes from the ITAS card — Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas. It is now issued electronically: the e-ITAS arrives by email.
KITAS Indonesia is the general name for limited stay permits for foreigners in Indonesia. The conditions depend on the type: the work permit is tied to employment, the investor permit to investment, the family permit to family circumstances, and E33G is for people who work remotely for a foreign company.
How a KITAS differs from a visa, a KITAP and residency
This term causes a lot of confusion, because online it is called both a visa and a residence permit. These are different things, even though they are connected.
A visa is needed first of all in order to enter Indonesia on certain conditions. Depending on the purpose of the trip, the foreigner receives the corresponding stay status after entry.
KITAS is the common name for a limited stay permit. When people say "get a KITAS", they usually mean arranging limited stay status in Indonesia. That is why phrases like "KITAS residency Bali" come up so often in conversations and search queries: it is essentially a temporary residence permit that can be extended.
Holding such a permit does not in itself mean the holder can work anywhere. The right to work depends on the type of permit and its conditions.
KITAP is a permanent stay permit, officially ITAP (Izin Tinggal Tetap). You can move to it after several years on a KITAS, if the conditions for your category are met. More on this in the "Extensions and the move to KITAP" section below.
Types of KITAS in Indonesia
There are several options. They differ in the ground, the term and the holder's rights, so if you are planning a move, start by deciding on your purpose of stay in the country.
Type | Who it is for | Example category | Term |
Work | Foreigners working in Indonesia | E23 and specialised work categories | Depends on the category |
Investor | Foreign investors | E28A | Up to 2 years |
Family | Family members in cases provided for by law | E31 and subcategories | Depends on the category |
For remote workers | People working for a company outside Indonesia | E33G | 1 year |
For older foreigners | Foreigners aged 55 and over | E33E, E33F | Up to 5 years or 1 year |
Second Home | Foreigners with confirmed funds | E33 | Up to 5 years |
Contract work as a performer | Musicians, DJs, actors, dancers | E23 | Same as work |
Work
A work KITAS (also called a work visa) is needed by a foreigner who is going to work officially in Indonesia.
This permit is tied to specific employment. Separate types exist for different professions and positions, so simply getting one is not enough — the work has to match the permitted type of activity and the requirements of immigration law.
If the foreigner works for an Indonesian company, the documents are prepared together with the employer. The company must meet the set requirements; the employer draws up the foreign manpower utilisation plan (RPTKA) and pays the DKPTKA levy — USD 100 for each month of the foreigner's employment.
You can read more about the requirements in Work KITAS in Indonesia.
Investor
The investor KITAS in categories E28/E28A is for foreigners who invest in an Indonesian company. It is issued for 2 years initially, and with extensions the total ITAS term can reach 6 years.
It differs from the work permit in its ground: it is granted for investment, and no employment contract with an Indonesian employer is required.
To get it you need to confirm a shareholding in the sponsoring company worth at least IDR 10 billion. This means the value of the shares owned by the investor — having that amount in a personal bank account is not enough. Company documents and the company's bank statement are also required.
This permit lets you not only stay in Indonesia but also carry out investment activity. If the investor is appointed director or commissioner of their own company, E28A allows them to perform those functions. Operational work — for example in your own cafe or as an instructor — is not covered by this permit and requires a work KITAS.
More about the option for investors in Investor KITAS.
Family
A family KITAS is issued on the basis of family relations. For example, the foreign spouse of an Indonesian citizen can obtain one on family grounds. Separate categories exist for other family members, depending on the specific situation.
You will need to confirm the family connection with the relevant documents. The requirements depend on the exact ground on which the permit is issued.
More about family visas and KITAS in Family visa to Indonesia.
For remote workers
For people who work remotely for a company outside Indonesia there is a special category, E33G Remote Worker — often called the digital nomad visa.
Unlike the work category, on E33G you work for a foreign company, that is, for an employer outside Indonesia. The work itself is done while you live in Indonesia.
E33G is issued for 1 year. To get this category you need to confirm that your annual income is at least USD 60,000, and provide an employment contract with a company outside Indonesia. No Indonesian employer or local sponsor is required for this category.
More here: Remote worker visa E33G.
For performers
There is no separate visa index for performers in the current visa classification. Performances and showing creative work are covered by visa category C7, while long-term contract work requires a work KITAS E23 with an employer as sponsor. This field includes musicians, DJs, actors and dancers, for example.
More: KITAS for performers in Bali.
For older foreigners
For foreigners aged 55 and over there is a retirement KITAS in two categories — E33F and E33E.
E33F is issued for 1 year. It requires a sponsor, a passport valid for at least 6 months and proof of income or a pension of at least USD 3,000 per month.
E33E is valid for 5 years straight away and needs no sponsor. But the financial requirements are higher: the applicant must place USD 50,000 in their account at an Indonesian state bank and confirm monthly income or pension provision of USD 3,000 or more.
More about retirement programmes and long-term status in KITAP and retirement visas in Indonesia.
Second Home
Second Home (E33) is for foreigners who want to live in Indonesia long term and can confirm funds. It requires a deposit of at least USD 130,000 in an Indonesian state bank, or the purchase of an apartment costing from USD 1,000,000 within 90 days of the permit being issued. The permit is issued for up to 5 years. You cannot work on this category.
Who can apply for a KITAS
A KITAS is available to a foreigner who meets the requirements of the chosen category.
The grounds for obtaining a permit can be:
work for an Indonesian company;
investment in an Indonesian business;
marriage or other family relations;
remote work for a foreign company;
age and financial standing;
professional activity as a performer;
other grounds provided for by immigration rules.
Requirements on age, income, documents, employer, investment and other circumstances differ. So first the suitable category is determined, and then it is checked whether it can be arranged in your particular situation.
Documents and the application procedure
The list of documents for a KITAS depends on the category. Usually you will need a passport and a photograph, plus documents confirming the ground for your stay.
For example, the work category needs documents from the employer and confirmation of employment. The investor category needs documents relating to the investment and the company. The family category needs marriage or kinship documents. E33G needs an employment contract with a foreign company and proof of the required income.
In some cases you will also need:
confirmation of your address in Indonesia;
bank documents;
a diploma or educational documents;
a CV and proof of professional experience;
documents of the Indonesian company;
medical insurance;
sponsor documents.
Before applying it is best to check the current requirements on the official website of the Directorate General of Immigration of Indonesia.
How to get a KITAS
Here are the steps to getting a KITAS in Bali:
Determine the ground for your stay and the suitable KITAS category.
Check the requirements for the applicant and the documents needed.
Prepare the document package.
Submit the application through the immigration system.
Pay the required government fees.
After approval, arrange the visa, if the chosen procedure involves entering on a new visa.
After entry, arrange the ITAS and your resident documents.
Sometimes you can start the process while already in Indonesia, but whether the status can be changed depends on the ground and the visa you are in the country on.
So before you submit documents, check not only the requirements of the category itself but also whether you can move to it from your current immigration status.
KITAS processing times
The official review period is 4 working days after payment is received. During that time the immigration service checks the documents, the payment and your data, and then issues the visa.
But those 4 working days are not the whole process. Before applying you need to prepare the documents, check the ground for your stay and pay the required fees — that takes extra time too.
The full cycle is noticeably longer than the immigration step and depends on the category: from a few weeks for E33G to two or three months for the work category, where the employer's documents are prepared first. We give an exact timeline after reviewing the specific situation.
If the permit is arranged while you are already in Indonesia, the procedure is different. For example, when changing status from ITK (temporary visitor stay status) to ITAS, immigration forwards the application to the Directorate General within 3 working days of payment. The decision is then taken within up to a further 5 working days of the application being received. If the package is incomplete when applying for the issue or extension of an ITAS, no more than 2 working days are given to complete it — otherwise the application is rejected.
What a KITAS gives you: bank account, rights, renting, leaving and returning
A KITAS lets you live in Indonesia legally for the set term. Depending on the category, it also lets you handle the practical side of long-term living: rent housing, use banking and other services, and arrange documents connected with your stay in the country.
These rights are not the same for every holder of a temporary residence permit. For example, a remote worker and an employee of an Indonesian company are in the country on different grounds and have different working conditions.
Can you open a bank account?
Yes. With a KITAS it is usually easier for a foreigner to open an account at an Indonesian bank, because the document confirms their long-term status in the country. In practice the bank may ask for a passport, the KITAS, an Indonesian tax number NPWP, proof of address and documents on the source of funds.
There is no single rule for all banks: each bank sets its own requirements for foreign clients, so holding a permit does not guarantee that an account will be opened.
Can you rent housing?
Yes. A KITAS does not limit a foreigner in renting housing — an apartment or a house can be rented on ordinary contractual terms with the owner.
Renting should not be confused with buying property. A temporary residence permit does not give ownership rights to land, and the purchase of property by a foreigner is governed by separate rules.
Can you leave Indonesia?
Yes. A Re-Entry Permit is issued together with the KITAS for the same term as the main permit, with the right to multiple entries. For a KITAP such a permit is valid for 2 years. With a valid KITAS and Re-Entry Permit you do not need to get a new visa after every trip abroad. Before leaving, check the validity of both documents.
Extensions and the move to KITAP
A KITAS can be extended, but the maximum term depends on its category. For many common ITAS categories the initial term is 180 days, 1 year or 2 years, and the total stay on such permits, including extensions, can reach 6 years. This group includes the work categories and E28/E28A for investors, for example.
The move to a KITAP is a separate procedure, which can be arranged if the requirements for the specific category are met.
For workers, investors and pensioners the main condition is at least 3 consecutive years on an ITAS; for spouses of Indonesian citizens, a marriage of at least 2 years. All the conditions and the procedure are in KITAP in Indonesia.
Common reasons for refusal
The most common problem is that the applicant does not meet the requirements of the chosen category.
A refusal can be caused by:
the wrong visa category chosen;
an incomplete document package;
errors in the documents;
discrepancies in personal data;
missing financial confirmations;
documents that do not match the declared activity;
problems with the employer's or sponsor's documents;
no confirmation of the ground for the stay.
Pay particular attention to the activity the applicant intends to carry out after receiving the permit. One type of permit cannot be used as a universal ground for any kind of work in Indonesia.
For example, E33G is intended for remote work for a foreign company. If a person is going to work for an Indonesian employer, they will need the corresponding work category.
Frequently asked questions
KITAS is a limited stay permit for Indonesia. It lets a foreigner live in the country legally for a set term on a specific ground. Which permit you need depends on the purpose of your stay: work, investment, family, remote work and other circumstances. There is no separate Bali KITAS: the permit works within Indonesian immigration law.
The first is a limited stay permit that has to be extended, while a KITAP is permanent. Temporary status does not turn into permanent status automatically when the term expires. To move across, you have to meet the conditions of the specific ground.
For remote work for a company outside Indonesia there is the E33G category. It lets you live in Indonesia and keep working for a foreign employer, provided the set requirements are met, including proof of the required income and of the employment relationship with the foreign company.
Yes, not having an employer does not in itself mean a permit is impossible. There are investor, family, retirement, remote and other categories where the ground is not employment with an Indonesian company. The main thing is to meet the requirements of the chosen ground.
There is no single timeline for all categories. It depends on the category, the application route and how ready the documents are. The review of the application itself can take several working days, but the full process includes preparing documents and other stages. Depending on the category it takes from a few weeks to two or three months.
How to choose the right KITAS
If you want to live in Indonesia for a long time, you first need to determine the ground for your stay. Almost everything else follows from it: the documents, the term of the permit, the right to work, the income or investment requirements and the possibility of extending later.
An employee of an Indonesian company, an investor, the spouse of an Indonesian citizen and a remote worker for a foreign company all need different categories. So it is better to start with a review of the specific situation — the name of the visa on its own tells you very little.
Legal Indonesia helps you get a KITAS: choose the right category, prepare the documents and go through every stage. If you are not sure which option suits you, we will look at your situation and propose a solution.
