How to Get KITAS in Indonesia: Types, Costs, Steps
Published 23 September 2026. Reading time: 9 minutes. By The Indonesian Lawyer.
To get a KITAS in Indonesia you need a sponsor, either an Indonesian company for a work or investor KITAS, a spouse or parent for a family KITAS, or your own retirement application if you are over 55 or over 60 depending on the scheme. The sponsor's immigration division applies for a visa index and telex approval first, you then enter Indonesia or convert your existing visa, and the KITAS card itself is issued after biometrics at the local immigration office. Total time from a complete file to a card in hand usually runs 4 to 8 weeks, and the card is valid 6 or 12 months depending on the category, renewable up to the limits of your sponsor's permit.
Table of contents
- What a KITAS actually is, and what it is not
- Which KITAS type fits your situation
- Documents you need before you start
- The application process, step by step
- How much a KITAS costs in Indonesia
- The mistake that costs people the most
- Frequently asked questions
What a KITAS actually is, and what it is not
KITAS stands for Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas, a limited stay permit card. It is not a work permit on its own. If you are working, you also need a valid RPTKA (foreign worker utilisation plan) and notification approved by the Ministry of Manpower before immigration will issue the work-related KITAS. People confuse the two constantly, apply for the card without the underlying manpower approval, and get stuck for weeks waiting on a second agency.
A KITAS is also different from a KITAP, the permanent stay permit. KITAP is available after several consecutive years on certain KITAS categories, typically after holding a marriage-based or investment-based KITAS for a set number of years, and it does not need annual renewal in the same way. Most first-time applicants only need the KITAS.
Which KITAS type fits your situation
The category you apply under decides your sponsor, your document list and your cost. Getting the category wrong at the start is the single biggest cause of delay.
| KITAS type | Who it is for | Sponsor | Typical validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work KITAS | Foreign employees of an Indonesian company or PT PMA | Employer | 6 or 12 months |
| Investor KITAS | Shareholders or directors of a PT PMA | The PT PMA itself | 12 or 24 months |
| Family KITAS | Spouse of an Indonesian citizen, or spouse and children of a KITAS holder | Indonesian spouse or primary KITAS holder | Matches the sponsor's permit, usually 12 months |
| Retirement KITAS | Foreigners aged 55 or above (60 for some sponsored schemes) | Self, sometimes through an agent registered with immigration | 12 months, renewable |
| Second Home visa (KITAS) | Applicants who place a qualifying deposit or property investment | Self | 5 or 10 years |
The Family KITAS does not permit paid work in Indonesia under any circumstance. If the spouse wants to work, they need a separate work-sponsored permit through an employer, which is a different application with a different sponsor entirely.
The Investor KITAS is tied to the company's own legal standing. If you are still setting up the entity, read our guide on how to set up a PT PMA in Indonesia before applying, because immigration will check the company's NIB and deed registration against the KITAS file.
Documents you need before you start
The list below covers what immigration asks for in most cases. Individual offices sometimes ask for one or two extra items, and it is worth confirming the current list with your sponsor or lawyer before you submit, since requirements shift a few times a year.
- Passport valid for at least 18 months from the application date, with at least two blank pages
- Recent passport photographs, usually red background, specific dimensions set by the local office
- Sponsor letter and company documents (NIB, deed of establishment, tax ID) for work or investor KITAS
- RPTKA and manpower notification for work KITAS
- Marriage certificate, legalised and translated, for family KITAS through a spouse
- Birth certificates for dependent children
- Proof of pension or savings, plus health and life insurance, for retirement KITAS
- Domicile letter or rental agreement showing an address in Indonesia
- Police clearance certificate from the home country for some categories, translated into Indonesian
Documents issued outside Indonesia generally need an apostille or consular legalisation plus a certified Indonesian translation. This step alone adds one to three weeks if you have not started it before you arrive, and it is the most common reason a complete-looking file gets sent back.
The application process, step by step
The sequence is the same nationally, whether the sponsor is based in Jakarta, Surabaya or a smaller city like Yogyakarta. What changes city to city is which immigration office handles your file and how busy that office is at a given time of year.
- Eligibility check and sponsor confirmation. Your sponsor, whether a company, spouse or yourself for retirement, needs to be correctly registered before anything is filed.
- Visa index and telex approval. The sponsor applies to the Directorate General of Immigration for approval to bring you in or convert your status. This stage typically takes 5 to 15 working days.
- Entry or conversion. If you are outside Indonesia, you enter on the approved visa. If you are already in the country on a tourist or business visa, some categories allow conversion without leaving, others require an exit and re-entry.
- Biometrics and card issuance at the local office. In Yogyakarta this is handled at the Kantor Imigrasi Kelas I TPI Yogyakarta on Jalan Solo. Expect fingerprints, photograph and an interview in straightforward cases; the card is usually ready within a week or two after this appointment.
- STM and further reporting. Some categories require registering with the local police (Surat Tanda Melapor) and, for work KITAS holders, reporting through the online manpower system.
- Renewal before expiry. Start the extension 30 to 60 days before the KITAS expires. Renewing late, even by a few days, can mean starting parts of the process again rather than a simple extension.
How much a KITAS costs in Indonesia
Government fees are set nationally and do not vary by city. What varies is the professional fee charged for handling the file, and that depends on complexity, not location, so a Yogyakarta-based applicant generally pays a similar service fee to one in Jakarta for the same category.
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Work KITAS, government and processing fees | Varies by duration and nationality, confirm current rate |
| RPTKA and manpower notification fee | Set by government, paid per foreign worker per year |
| Investor KITAS | Similar government fee band to work KITAS, plus company-side costs |
| Family KITAS | Lower government fee than work-based categories |
| Retirement KITAS | Comparable to family KITAS government fees |
| Document translation and legalisation | Charged per document, varies by language and length |
Treat any number you see quoted online, including ranges above, as a starting point rather than a fixed price, because government fee schedules are revised from time to time and a lawyer's quote should reflect the current schedule plus your specific document situation. Ask for a written quote before you commit to a sponsor arrangement.
The costliest mistake: letting a sponsor or agent submit the visa index application before your underlying eligibility is actually confirmed, for example applying for a work KITAS before the RPTKA is approved, or applying for an investor KITAS before the PT PMA's NIB is active. Immigration will reject or freeze the file, the fees already paid are usually not refunded, and you restart the clock. Confirm every underlying approval is in hand before the KITAS application itself is filed.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a KITAS in Indonesia?
Most complete applications take 4 to 8 weeks from visa index approval to card collection, though work and investor categories can take longer if the RPTKA or company documents need correction. Document legalisation done outside Indonesia before you apply can shorten the total timeline by one to three weeks.
Can I convert a tourist visa to a KITAS?
Yes, for some categories, mainly investor and certain family cases, you can convert without leaving Indonesia. Work KITAS conversion from a tourist visa is generally not allowed, and you will need to exit and re-enter on the correct visa category. Confirm the current rule for your specific visa type before assuming conversion is possible.
Can I work in Indonesia on a Family KITAS?
No. A Family KITAS only permits residence, not employment, regardless of who sponsors it. Working on a Family KITAS is a common source of immigration problems for expats. If you want to work, you need a separate work KITAS sponsored by an actual employer, alongside the RPTKA and manpower notification.
What is the minimum age for a retirement KITAS?
The commonly used threshold is 55 years old, though some sponsored retirement schemes set the minimum at 60. Applicants also need to show proof of pension income or savings, hold health and life insurance, and provide a rental agreement or proof of accommodation in Indonesia. Confirm the current age threshold, since retirement visa rules have changed more than once in recent years.
What happens if a KITAS application is rejected?
Immigration will state a reason, commonly an incomplete document, an expired underlying approval such as the RPTKA, or a mismatch between the sponsor's registered activity and the stated purpose of stay. In most cases you can correct the issue and reapply. Government fees already paid are not usually refundable, which is why getting the file right the first time matters more than speed.
Does a KITAS let me buy property in Indonesia?
Holding a KITAS does not itself grant land ownership rights, since foreigners cannot hold freehold (Hak Milik) title regardless of visa status. A KITAS does support Hak Pakai title for a home in your own name in some cases, and it is often used alongside a leasehold or nominee-free structure. Get a proper property due diligence check before signing anything, through a service such as our Indonesia property lawyer team.
Get the right KITAS category the first time
The categories, sponsors and document lists above hold nationally, but the office handling your case, whether in Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Medan or anywhere else, will have its own pace and its own preferences on document formatting. That local knowledge is what shortens the process. If your case involves a new PT PMA, review our overview on PT PMA company registration in Indonesia, and if you already have a company and need the visa side handled, our work permit and residence visa page covers the employer-sponsor process in more detail.
Send us your situation on WhatsApp at +62 877-9626-0478, or use our contact page to describe your case in writing. The first consultation is free, and we will tell you which KITAS category actually fits before any fees are paid.