Work KITAS 2026: employment, done lawfully
The work KITAS bundles a work permit with a residence permit and is the only lawful way to take a job with an Indonesian company. Your employer sponsors it: first they obtain RPTKA approval, then a VITAS entry visa is issued, which converts into a KITAS with biometrics after you arrive. The term is usually 6–12 months.
Updated: 25 August 2026 · Verified by the Malina Visa team
What the work KITAS is
The work KITAS bundles a work permit with a residence permit. No other visa grants the right to work in Indonesia or earn income here: not a tourist visa, not a business visa, not a multiple-entry one.
- ✓The only lawful route into employment with an Indonesian company
- ✓Usually 6–12 months, set by the position, and renewable
- ✓Your employer is the sponsor, not you
- ✓Dependent family KITAS are issued for your spouse and children
How the process runs
It is a two-sided process: some steps are the employer's, some are yours. And it starts not with a visa but with permits on the company's side.
The company obtains approval to engage a foreign worker — the RPTKA and related permits. Nothing moves until that exists.
On the strength of those permits, a VITAS entry visa is issued.
You enter Indonesia on the VITAS itself — not on a tourist visa and not visa-free.
After arrival the VITAS is converted into a KITAS; biometrics are mandatory.
The status is renewed as needed for as long as the employment relationship holds.
The core limitation: you are tied to the employer
The KITAS entitles you to work only for the sponsoring company. That is not a technicality — the whole permit structure is built around one specific employer and one specific role.
- !Freelancing and side work for other companies are not permitted on a work KITAS
- !Changing employer means redoing the permits and the KITAS itself
- !Changing role within the company may also require the permits to be revisited
Working remotely for foreign clients? That is the E33G, not this. Hold a stake in your own company? The investor KITAS lets you run your own business without a separate work permit.
Documents from both sides
From the employee:
- ✓A passport with plenty of validity left
- ✓A personal photo
- ✓A degree or proof of qualifications and a CV — matched to the role's requirements
From the employer:
- ✓The company's corporate documents
- ✓The RPTKA approval and its accompanying pack
We prepare both sides — the employee's file and, together with their team, the employer's permits. Pricing is individual: it depends on nationality, position and timing.
Common mistakes and how much time to allow
The work KITAS is the longest of the visa processes, because it starts not with you but with your employer's permits. Most mistakes are about the order of the steps.
- !Flying in on a tourist visa to 'sort it out here'. The standard route is entry on the VITAS itself, issued on the strength of permits already granted
- !Starting with yourself rather than the company. Until the employer holds the RPTKA and its accompanying pack, the employee's documents settle nothing
- !Overlooking qualifications. The degree and CV are filed against the requirements of the specific role — a mismatch stalls the process
- !Assuming a KITAS transfers. Change employer and the whole thing is done again
The practical takeaway: allow generous time and start with the employer. If the company is hiring a foreign worker for the first time, it makes sense to run both sides through one provider — the employee's file and the company's permits then come together in parallel rather than one after the other.
Entry during processing is covered by the C18 visa, and changing status without leaving by conversion to a KITAS.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work in Indonesia on a tourist visa?
No. Tourist, business and multiple-entry visas grant no right to work or earn inside the country. Working on a visit visa is one of the leading causes of deportation from Bali.
How long is a work KITAS valid?
Usually 6–12 months, with the exact term set by the position. It is renewable for as long as the employment relationship with the sponsoring employer continues.
What happens if I change employer?
The permits and the KITAS have to be redone: the whole structure is tied to one company and one role. You cannot simply move to another company on an existing KITAS.
Can I take side projects at the same time?
No. A work KITAS entitles you to work only for the sponsoring company. Freelancing and side work for other companies are not permitted on this status.
Can my family move with me?
Yes, dependent family KITAS are issued for your spouse and children for the term of your status. They do not carry the right to work.
We will walk both sides through it
We assemble the employee's file and help the employer with the RPTKA and related permits. We will send a quote within the hour.
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