Setup guides for foreign-owned businesses
Each guide bundles the KBLI codes, sector permits, capital floor, and step-by-step sequence for one specific outcome — import & distribute, manufacture & export, set up a holding, etc. Faster than browsing the KBLI taxonomy if you already know what you want to do.
Import & distribute products in Indonesia
If you're shipping product into Indonesia and selling on to local distributors, hospitals, retailers or B2B customers, you'll register a PT PMA against one or more wholesale KBLI codes — plus the sector permit (BPOM, halal, SNI) that matches your product class.
Manufacture in Indonesia & export
If you're producing goods in Indonesia for export — or for export-plus-domestic — manufacturing KBLI codes (10000–33000) carry the strongest fiscal incentives the country offers: tax holidays under PMK 130/2020, KEK location stacking, and import-duty waivers on capital goods.
Set up a holding company in Indonesia
PT PMA holding companies are common for foreign investors managing Indonesian subsidiaries, regional ops, or Indonesian assets. KBLI 64200 covers the activity directly; the structural and tax decisions are where most setups need a real adviser.
Open a restaurant or café in Indonesia
F&B is one of the most common foreign-investor entries: Bali coffee chains, Jakarta concept restaurants, beach clubs. The structure is open (100% PMA under Pres. Reg. 10/2021) but the licensing stack is not light. Restaurants (KBLI 56101) sit at Medium-High risk in OSS RBA, so a verified Standard Certificate is required on top of NIB. Bars (56301) are Medium-High and event catering (56210) is Medium-High too. Halal certification under UU 33/2014 is mandatory for products containing meat (since October 2024), TDUP tourism licensing applies to most public-facing venues, and serving alcohol triggers a separate distribution-licence track that adds 2 to 3 months.
Run an e-commerce business in Indonesia
E-commerce as a foreign-owned PT PMA is open — but ownership caps shift with transaction value, and the Kominfo PSE (Penyelenggara Sistem Elektronik) registration is mandatory. The setup decisions are: are you a retailer or a marketplace, and where does that put you on the foreign-ownership tier.
Open a consulting firm in Indonesia
Foreign-owned consulting in Indonesia is straightforward in some lanes and meaningfully harder in others. Management consulting (KBLI 70209) sits at Low risk under OSS RBA, so NIB alone covers OSS-side licensing. Architecture (71101) is Medium-High and engineering (71102) is High risk, so both require a verified Standard Certificate or full Operating Licence on top of NIB. Legal services and notarial work are closed to foreign-owned firms entirely. Plan the licence stack against the specific KBLI before incorporating.
Open a hotel, villa, or tourism business in Indonesia
Hospitality is one of the most capital-intensive PMA categories — and one of the most regulation-heavy. Star-rated hotels (55110), non-star accommodations (55120), villas (55190), and tour operators (79110) each carry different KBLI rules, classification requirements, and Bali-specific zoning constraints.