The C18 visa: a bridge to a work KITAS
The C18 is the candidate foreign worker visa: for people an employer is already waiting for, while the company obtains its permits. It gives 60 days on entry, extendable in 60-day steps to a ceiling of 120. It is arranged on the employer's initiative and converts into a work KITAS without leaving. Working and earning begin only once the KITAS is issued.
Updated: 25 August 2026 · Verified by the Malina Visa team
Why a separate visa exists
The situation is standard: you have an offer from an Indonesian company, but a work KITAS is not instant — the employer must obtain permits first. Flying in 'on a tourist visa for now' and sorting it out later is not an option: working on a visit visa is a breach carrying fines and deportation.
The C18 exists for exactly this window. You are in the country lawfully as a candidate while your employer prepares your full work status.
Timing: 60 days extendable to 120
In the official classification the C18 is the candidate foreign worker visa, single entry.
- ✓60 days on first entry
- ✓Extendable in 60-day steps — up to 120 days in total
- ✓Converts into a work KITAS without leaving the country
How the path looks
The starting point is an offer from an Indonesian company.
The visa is arranged on the employer's initiative, on the basis of an invitation.
You are in the country lawfully as a candidate: meeting the team, completing the final stages of hiring.
In parallel the company obtains the RPTKA and its accompanying pack.
Once approved, you move to full work status without flying out.
What is and is not allowed
- ✓Being in the country as a candidate for a role
- ✓Attending interviews, meeting the team and learning the processes
- ✓Preparing documents for your work status
- !Working and earning — only after the work KITAS is issued
- !Providing services to other companies
The full picture of work status is in our work KITAS article: RPTKA, entry on a VITAS and the employer lock-in.
Documents
- ✓A passport with plenty of validity left
- ✓A personal photo
- ✓An invitation or confirmation from the employer
- ✓Qualification documents matched to the future role
Timing and parameters depend on how ready the company's paperwork is. We work with both sides — the candidate and the employer — so the two files come together in parallel.
Common mistakes
- !Flying in on a tourist visa to 'sort it out here'. Working on a visit visa is a breach, and a correct declared purpose makes both this application and every future one easier
- !Confusing the C18 with the C2 business visa. The C2 is for meetings and negotiations; you cannot arrive on it to work
- !Not allowing time. The C18 ceiling is 120 days, and if the employer's permits are not ready that runs out faster than you expect
- !Starting with yourself rather than the company. Without an invitation and permits there is nothing to base the visa on
The practical takeaway: once the offer is signed, run both tracks at once — yours and the employer's. Then 120 days is a buffer rather than a deadline.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I stay on a C18?
60 days on first entry, extendable in 60-day steps to a ceiling of 120 days in total. Beyond that you need the work KITAS itself.
Can I work on a C18?
No. The C18 legitimises a candidate's presence during processing, but the right to work and earn arrives only with the work KITAS.
Who arranges the C18?
The visa is arranged on the initiative of the Indonesian employer, on the basis of an invitation. A candidate cannot obtain it alone.
Do I have to leave to get the work KITAS?
No, the C18 converts into work status without leaving the country.
How does the C18 differ from the C2 business visa?
The C2 is about meetings and negotiations; the C18 is about starting a specific job on an offer. Arriving to work on a C2 is not allowed.
We take both sides through it — candidate and company
We arrange the C18 on the employer's invitation, help with the RPTKA and see it through to the work KITAS with no extra flights.
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