KITAS + Work Permit — the visa stack for foreign founders + employees.
Once your PT PMA is incorporated, the next step is residence + work authorisation for the foreign people running it. KITAS Investor for shareholders + directors, KITAS Working (with IMTA + RPTKA upstream) for foreign hires, KITAS Family for dependents. Below — the difference between each, costs, timelines, and how to avoid the foreign-worker showing up before paperwork is ready.
KITAS Investor vs KITAS Working.
KITAS Investor
For shareholders + directorsFor foreign shareholders or directors of a PT PMA with qualifying share value. Cleanest path — no RPTKA, no IMTA, no labour quota.
- Foreign founders of a PT PMA
- Shareholders with IDR 1B+ share value
- Directors registered on the akta
- Faster process; no Kemenaker quota
KITAS Working (RPTKA + IMTA)
For foreign employeesFor foreign employees who are not shareholders. Requires RPTKA approval (Kemenaker quota) → IMTA per worker → embassy visa → KITAS conversion.
- Foreign technical specialists
- C-suite hires who are not shareholders
- Foreign chefs, engineers, instructors
- Multi-step process — plan 3 months ahead
Common mistake: foreign hire arrives in Indonesia on a tourist visa expecting paperwork to be sorted "later". KITAS conversion must happen within the visa\'s 30-day window after arrival; missing this means the worker is in irregular status and may need to leave + re-enter. Start RPTKA + IMTA 3 months before the intended start date.
How KITAS, IMTA, RPTKA, and KITAP fit together.
Upstream approval for the company to hire foreign workers. Authorises a quota of foreign-worker slots and the named positions. Required before any IMTA. Approved by Kemenaker (Ministry of Manpower).
Per-individual work permit issued against an approved RPTKA slot. Names the specific foreign worker and position. Valid 1 year, renewable. Required for KITAS Working.
The actual residence permit card. Two main subtypes: KITAS Investor (for shareholders/directors, no RPTKA needed) and KITAS Working (for employees, requires IMTA upstream). Valid 1-2 years, renewable. Plus KITAS Family for spouses + children of KITAS holders.
Upgrade from KITAS after 3-5 years of continuous residence. Valid 5 years, indefinitely renewable. Path to long-term residence; eventually qualifies for naturalization.
5 steps to KITAS Investor.
- 01
PT PMA registration complete
NIB + AHU registered, akta lists you as shareholder or director with qualifying share value (typically IDR 1B+ — the standard PT PMA paid-up of IDR 2.5b satisfies).
- 02
Investor visa application
Apply via Indonesian embassy/consulate in your country, or via the e-visa portal (visa-online.imigrasi.go.id). Documents: passport, PT PMA akta + NIB, share register, sponsor letter from PT, photos. 5-15 business days.
- 03
Travel to Indonesia
Use the issued investor visa to enter Indonesia. The visa typically allows 30-60 days initial entry.
- 04
KITAS conversion at immigration
Within 30 days of arrival, attend immigration office for biometrics + KITAS issuance. Bring passport, visa stamp, supporting PT documents. KITAS card issued in 2-3 weeks.
- 05
Annual renewal
KITAS Investor valid 1 or 2 years depending on category. Renewal must be initiated 30-60 days before expiry. Same documentation but faster process. Skip renewal = KITAS expires + irregular status.
Emerhub\'s immigration team handles KITAS Investor end-to-end for PT PMA founders we\'ve set up. Same team across incorporation + KITAS + LKPM + tax, so the document flow doesn\'t fragment across providers.
7 steps for hiring a foreign employee.
- 01
PT identifies the foreign-worker position + Indonesian counterpart
Define the specific role, salary range, qualifications. Identify the Indonesian counterpart (TKI Pendamping) being trained for eventual handover.
- 02
RPTKA submission to Kemenaker
File via Kemenaker portal (renstra.kemnaker.go.id). Submit position description, justification for foreign hire, training plan for counterpart. Approval 2-4 weeks first time, faster on renewals.
- 03
IMTA issuance
With RPTKA approved, file IMTA per individual foreign worker. Tie the IMTA to the specific person + RPTKA slot. 1-2 weeks.
- 04
Foreign worker visa application
Worker applies for VITAS (work visa) via embassy/consulate in their country, using IMTA as supporting document. 2-3 weeks.
- 05
Worker travels to Indonesia
Enter on the work visa. Immigration must convert to KITAS within 30 days.
- 06
KITAS conversion + biometrics
Worker attends immigration office in Indonesia for biometrics + KITAS card issuance. 2-3 weeks. Worker can start work after KITAS issued (technically allowed earlier with valid IMTA but practically wait for KITAS).
- 07
Annual cycle: IMTA + KITAS + DKP-TKA
DKP-TKA (foreign worker development levy) USD 100/month per worker due ongoing. IMTA + KITAS renewals annually. Skip any of these = compliance gap that triggers Kemenaker / Imigrasi audit.
First-year cost stack.
One-time first year. DKP-TKA included in govt fees.
Per family member. Children + spouse separately priced.
Includes RPTKA setup. Subsequent hires under same RPTKA cheaper (~USD 1,800-3,000).
Government fees are mandatory; professional handling fees vary by provider but are well worth the cost given the multi-agency coordination involved (Kemenaker for RPTKA, Imigrasi for KITAS, embassy for visa, plus PT documentation).
KITAS / RPTKA / IMTA practical questions.
What is KITAS and who needs it?
KITAS (Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas — Limited Stay Permit Card) is the residence permit for foreigners staying in Indonesia for periods longer than the 60-day visa-free or visa-on-arrival window. Two main categories relevant to PT PMA: (1) KITAS Investor — for foreign shareholders + directors of a registered PT PMA, valid 1-2 years, renewable. (2) KITAS Working — for foreign employees of any Indonesian company (PMA or PMDN), tied to an IMTA work permit and RPTKA approval. PT PMA founders typically take KITAS Investor to live + manage the company; foreign technical hires get KITAS Working sponsored by the PT.
KITAS Investor vs KITAS Working — which one do I need?
KITAS Investor — if you are a registered shareholder or director of a PT PMA with sufficient share value (typically the share value threshold is IDR 1 billion / ~USD 64K, satisfied by the standard PT PMA paid-up of IDR 2.5b). Doesn't require IMTA or RPTKA, doesn't require labour-quota allocation. Faster process. KITAS Working — for foreign employees who are not shareholders or whose share value doesn't qualify for Investor track. Requires the PT (sponsor) to first obtain RPTKA + IMTA, then visa application + KITAS issuance. More steps, more documentation, longer timeline. Investor track is cleaner when the foreigner is a real shareholder; Working track is the only path for non-shareholder employees.
What's IMTA and RPTKA?
RPTKA (Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing — Foreign Worker Utilisation Plan) is the upstream approval that authorises a company to hire foreign workers. The PT submits the RPTKA to the Ministry of Manpower (Kemenaker) listing planned foreign positions, durations, and the Indonesian counterparts being trained. Approved RPTKA gives the company a "quota" of foreign-worker slots. IMTA (Izin Mempekerjakan Tenaga Kerja Asing — Permit to Employ Foreign Worker) is the per-individual work permit issued against an approved RPTKA slot. Sequence: RPTKA approval → IMTA per-employee → foreign employee applies for KITAS Working using the IMTA as supporting document.
How long does the KITAS Investor process take?
Realistic timeline 4-6 weeks end-to-end: (1) PT PMA must already have NIB + AHU registered (1-3 weeks if not done); (2) Investor visa application via the Indonesian embassy/consulate or e-visa portal — 5-15 business days; (3) Travel to Indonesia on the visa, then conversion to KITAS Investor at immigration within 30 days of arrival — 2-3 weeks for the KITAS card itself. Some founders manage the whole thing in 3 weeks if the PT PMA is already registered and they're ready to travel; 6-8 weeks is more typical including coordination time.
How long does KITAS Working (with RPTKA + IMTA) take?
Longer than Investor. Realistic 8-12 weeks: (1) RPTKA application via Kemenaker — 2-4 weeks for first-time submission; (2) IMTA issuance after RPTKA approval — 1-2 weeks; (3) Foreign worker visa application at embassy/consulate — 2-3 weeks; (4) KITAS conversion at immigration after arrival — 2-3 weeks. PT employers should plan 3 months ahead of the foreign worker's intended start date; rushing this process means the worker shows up in Indonesia ready to start but the immigration paperwork isn't complete.
How much does KITAS Investor cost?
Government fees plus DKP-TKA (foreign worker development fund) levy: roughly USD 1,200 per year of validity (USD 1,200 for 1-year, USD 2,400 for 2-year). DKP-TKA is USD 100 per month per foreign worker even on Investor track. Plus optional professional handling fees if using an immigration consultant — typically USD 500-1,500 per individual. For a foreign founder doing the math: ~USD 1,800-2,000 first-year all-in for KITAS Investor with professional handling.
How much does KITAS Working + IMTA + RPTKA cost?
Government fees: RPTKA application ~USD 100-300 per company per year; IMTA ~USD 1,200 per worker per year (similar DKP-TKA); KITAS issuance government fees similar to Investor. Plus professional handling fees ~USD 1,000-2,500 per worker for end-to-end (RPTKA + IMTA + visa + KITAS). Total per foreign hire: ~USD 2,500-4,500 first-year all-in.
What about KITAP — the permanent residence permit?
KITAP (Kartu Izin Tinggal Tetap — Permanent Stay Permit) is the upgrade from KITAS available after holding KITAS continuously for several years (typically 3-5 years depending on category). KITAP is valid 5 years and can be extended indefinitely; eventually leads to permanent residence-equivalent status. For most PT PMA founders, KITAS Investor is sufficient for years 1-5; KITAP makes sense once the Indonesia commitment is long-term and the founder wants to spend more time there or eventually qualify for citizenship.
Can my family come on KITAS too?
Yes — spouses and children of KITAS Investor / Working holders qualify for KITAS Family (KITAS Penyatuan Keluarga). Sponsored by the primary KITAS holder. KITAS Family allows residence but not work — spouse with KITAS Family who wants to work needs their own KITAS Working sponsored by an Indonesian employer. Children up to 18 are covered. Government fees for KITAS Family roughly USD 700-1,000 per family member per year.
What's the catch with the "Indonesian counterpart" requirement?
RPTKA approval requires the company to identify an Indonesian counterpart (TKI Pendamping) for each foreign worker — an Indonesian employee who is being trained to eventually replace the foreign worker. The intent is technology transfer + local capacity building. Practical reality: this is paperwork compliance more than operational reality for most positions, but the counterpart must be a real employee on the books with proper job description. For senior foreign technical hires, naming a junior Indonesian who won't actually be ready to take over for years is acceptable — the RPTKA is approved for renewable durations.
What positions can't be filled by foreign workers?
Indonesia maintains a "negative list" of positions reserved for Indonesians — typically HR, legal, certain operational management roles in specific sectors. The list is published by Kemenaker and updated periodically. Most technical, executive, and specialist positions in PMA companies are open to foreign hire. The default for foreign workers is "open with RPTKA"; the negative list is the exception, not the rule. Always check the current list before drafting an offer to a foreign hire.
What does Emerhub help with for KITAS / IMTA / RPTKA?
Full immigration-services package for PT PMA clients: (1) KITAS Investor for founders + shareholders — application end-to-end including embassy visa, immigration conversion, and renewal. (2) RPTKA + IMTA + KITAS Working for foreign hires — handles the Kemenaker submission, IMTA issuance, embassy visa, and KITAS conversion as a single workflow. (3) KITAS Family for dependent spouses + children. (4) Annual renewals — set up reminders and handle the bureaucracy so KITAS holders don't end up in irregular status. (5) KITAP upgrade when the founder hits the eligibility window. Most clients bundle immigration with corporate compliance — same team handles incorporation + KITAS + LKPM + tax.
