Investor KITAS process explained

Introduction to the Investor KITAS (Index 313 & 314)

(Last edited: 18th November 2020)

As we slow roll into the last quarter of 2020, business owners that are financially vested in Indonesia are seeing numerous positive sentiments, indicating that the omnibus law and positive Government policies has significantly improved from previous years. The Presidential decree no.20/2018, and the subsequent Board of Foreign Investment (BKPM) amendments to the Presidential decree BKPM no.5/2019 offers a multitude of benefits, and ease of application for the Investors KITAS, which is a stay permit issued to Investors wishing to reside and work in Indonesia.

In this article, I will be providing a general overview,  including a walk-through of the application process for the Investors KITAS.

There are two variations of the Investors KITAS:

• The 1 year  Investor KITAS  (Index 313)
• The 2 year Investors KITAS (Index 314)

The duration granted, whether 1 year or 2 year,  is based on the applicant’s passport validity. With a minimum of 32 months validity, you will be granted a two year Investors KITAS. If your passport validity falls below the required minimum duration, then the 1 year Investor KITAS will be granted.  If the applicant is applying for a conversion from Working KITAS (Index 312) to Investor KITAS (Index 313),  then the process of status change for All KITAS applications are applied to for with a multiple exit and re-entry permit.

The major benefits of the Investor’s KITAS is the ease of application, and the waiver of the hefty work permit fee of US$1200 per year.  Prior to this, Investors had to wait months on end, after making their initial investment, before being allowed to work.

In previous years, it was necessary for an Investor to apply for a Working KITAS (Index code 312), along with a working permit which costs US$1200/year. Working permits are no longer necessary for Investors that meet Investment requirements.

Do you qualify for an Investors KITAS?

Before an Investors KITAS can be obtained, an investor should first have a minimum value of 1 billion rupiah in personal shares invested in a PMA company, and hold a title of either Director or Commissioner.  The company’s authorized capital should exceed 10 billion rupiah, and there should be a minimum of 25% of its authorized capital paid up. For companies that were set up prior to 2009, a lower capital investment is possible.

As an Investor that holds no position in a PMA company, but with personal shares of over IDR 1.125.000.000(one billion one hundred and twenty five thousand rupiah), you will also be eligible to apply for an Investors KITAS, however work is not permitted.

The company can start sponsoring Investors once it has obtained a business registration number (NIB) and trading licenses (Ijin Usaha). For an existing business, it  takes around 2 weeks to obtain the necessary NIB and Company licenses through the newly introduced Online Submission System (OSS).

Applying for an Investor KITAS

As of today, Investors no longer need to apply for a recommendation letter from BKPM, applications now go through the Directorate General of Immigration’s office and this cuts the Investor e-visa turnaround time to about 5-10 working days.

An e-visa will be issued to the registered OSS account email, and once issued, you will be given up to 90 days to enter Indonesia.

Once you’ve entered Indonesia, the final steps of converting your Investor VITAS to an Investor KITAS will take a further 10-14 working days, do bear in mind you will need to initiate the process within 7 days of arrival.

During the application process you will not be allowed to work. Once your passport is submitted to an Immigration office closest to your place of residence, you will need to attend a photo and fingerprint session and wait for the final steps of completion. After the process, you will receive your New Investor KITAS which allows you to live and manage your company in Indonesia.

If you are currently holding a Working KITAS (Index 312),you have of applying for a change of KITAS type within Indonesia.This is now a quick and simple process, and saves you a trip overseas and significant travel time given the current quarantine situation with border closures globally.

A Working KITAP holders will also need to change over to Investors KITAP as there are no options to extend associated Working Permits (Notifikasi or IMTA) as of October 2018.

Can one work with an Investor KITAS or Investor KITAP?

The Investment board of Jakarta, and Immigration offices in Bali confirm this frequently asked question –  a Director is able to work and manage all aspects of the business in Bali with this KITAS, as long as the scope of work aligns with the company’s scope of business and fair opportunities are offered to locals to earn a living.  At present, a Commissioner on an Investors KITAS is not permitted to work. However, an appeal can be submitted to the Manpower agency for further considerations.

Costs and Inclusions

A 1 year Investor KITAS now costs IDR 12 million/per person,  and a 2 year Investor KITAS costs IDR 17.5 million/per person.

Fees include Immigration processing fees,  a 2 year multiple exit and re-entry permit for a 2 year Investors KITAS, a police registration and a domicile registration. Additional banjar fees may apply when requesting your domicile letter from your village.

With attractively low tax tariffs,strong investment policies and rapid socioeconomic growth, we are confident that Indonesia will be one of the quickest to see economic recovery in the region post COVID.

Not an Investor? Read more about the Working KITAS process here.