Why foreigners are usually not allowed to work in Indonesia

Under Indonesian immigration and labor regulations, you are not allowed to perform paid work for a company or clients in Indonesia without the proper permit. This is because the Indonesian government wants:

• protect local jobs for residents

• limit foreign competition in the labor market

• apply clear tax and work permit regulations

If you want to work in Indonesia for an Indonesian company (or for clients based in Indonesia), you need a work permit and a work visa (such as a KITAS/IMTA), which usually must be sponsored by your employer. Without this permit, you are not legally permitted to work.

What does this mean for students and digital nomads?

Many people in Bali for study, internships, or remote work don't understand exactly what "working" means legally. If you're in Bali with a tourist or digital nomad visa and you're doing remote work for a company outside Indonesia, immigration is often acceptable, but it's not a substitute for an official work visa.

Important to know:

✖ You are not allowed to do paid work for Indonesian companies if you do not have a work permit.

✔ You are allowed to work online for companies outside Indonesia (e.g. your Dutch clients), provided you have the correct visa status.

If you work for clients or an employer outside Indonesia and your income comes from there, that's a different situation than local work, but legally, it remains part of the visa rules.

Digital Nomad & Remote Worker Visa (E33G)

To accommodate the growing number of remote workers, Indonesia has introduced a special visa: the Remote Worker Visa, officially coded E33G (also known as the Digital Nomad Visa).

What does it entail?

The Remote Worker Visa allows you to live in Indonesia and work online for up to about 1 year, as long as your income comes from foreign companies or clients.

The following rules apply here, among others:

• You must have a valid passport that is valid for at least 6 months.

• You must be able to prove that you work for a company outside Indonesia (e.g. a contract or proof of income).

• Financial criteria apply, such as proof of a minimum income (e.g., a certain amount per year — for example, around USD 60,000 depending on the rules).

• You may not receive any salary or compensation from Indonesian companies or clients .

Advantages

• You are legally residing in Indonesia while working online.

• In some cases you can bring family with you.

• You can enter and exit the country multiple times if your status allows it.

The exact rules are subject to change, and there are conditions attached, such as income requirements and proof of employment. It is not a substitute for a full work visa if you intend to work locally or for Indonesian clients.

Working with an official work permit

If you want to work for an Indonesian organization for pay or take on a local job, you will need a work permit (IMTA) and a work visa (KITAS).

This is a more intensive process than a tourist or remote visa and usually has to be arranged by the employer who hires you in Indonesia. Consider the following:

• approval of an employer plan (RPTKA)

• application for a work permit (IMTA)

• visa via Indonesian embassy or consulate

Important to understand

• Tourist and visitor visas do not allow you to legally do paid work in Indonesia.

• Remote work via a digital nomad visa is a special rule that allows you to work legally remotely, but only for income from abroad .

• Paid work in Indonesia itself requires an official work permit and visas, which go beyond what most expats and nomads can obtain without a local employer.