Home  Facts For The Visitor  Resident Permit & Important Document

Ensure that passports of all family members are valid for your entire stay in Indonesia. Your visa will be stamped in your passport. If the passport expires and issuance of a new passport is necessary, you will have to go through a long process to get your work permit and visa re-stamped into the new passport.

Your company will normally apply for visas for your family. However, if the responsibility falls on you, you can do so by calling directory assistance in your nation's capital and ask for the phone number of the Indonesian Embassy. The embassy's consular section will provide instructions and forms to apply for your visa. Or, they may refer you to an Indonesian consulate general or consulate which has jurisdiction over the area in which you live. Alternatively you can leave the application of the visa and work permit to a professional agent in most big cities in Java who will complete the entire process for a fee.

If you are planning to work and live in Indonesia:
- Do not plan on entering the country on a tourist visa. Foreigners are not permitted to work in Indonesia on a tourist or business visa. If you are in Indonesia on a tourist or business visa, and apply for a work permit and KITAS, you will have to travel to an Indonesian embassy in another country (for example, Singapore or Australia) so that the new visa can be stamped in your passport.
- If your company's intention is for you to reside in Indonesia, do not apply for a business visa as it does not permit you to work in Indonesia. A business visa only permits you to conduct business such as evaluate products of Indonesian companies, participate in trade exhibitions, attend meetings and perform demonstrations of your products and services. A multiple-entry business visa can be valid for up to 12 months, but you have to leave the country every four months.
- Some companies will not allow their employees to ship their personal belongings to Indonesia without a valid KITAS and work permit. Proof of a valid KITAS is required to clear your household shipment through customs. This can be overcome by the posting of a bond, but this is not a simple or cheap procedure.
- Be very careful about the usage of business titles. You should not state on your business card that you are the General Manager of your company, if your visa/work permit applications list your position as Technical Advisor. This is a serious matter and can result in immediate deportation if discovered by the authorities.

For more information on what paperwork is required and how to get it, click to: http://www.expat.or.id/info/prepare.html#1

If you're thinking about working or studying in Java or Indonesia, photocopies of university diplomas, transcripts and letters of recommendation could prove helpful. A photocopy of your passport (data page & visa page) is also a good idea. Married couples should have their marriage certificate.

These and other important documents (credit cards, travel insurance policy, tickets, driving license etc) should be photocopied before you leave home. Leave a copy with someone at home and keep another with you, separate from the originals. It's also a good idea to scan your vital document and store it on your personal webmail in case you lose the photocopies or can't be bothered with them.

Related Links in the Facts For The Visitor Section
Customs | Dangers & Annoyances | Driving Licence | Embassies & Consulates | Miscellaneous Items | Money | Passport & Visa | Post & Communication | Resident Permit & Important Document | Travel Insurance |