Visa Sponsorship in Indonesia: A Brief Guide

A free Indonesia visit visa for 30 days will be granted to most foreigners visiting for tourism purposes. 

However, foreigners traveling to Jakarta or other cities in Indonesia for employment, relocation, business meetings, and other social activities must apply for the relevant visas that require a Visa Sponsorship. 

Based on your reasons and activities in Jakarta and across Indonesia, this article aims to provide interested applicants with must-have knowledge about Visa Sponsorships in Jakarta and other cities in Indonesia. 

Visa Sponsorship in Indonesia: What Is It For?

In Indonesia, a Visa Sponsorship indicates that your visa application is supported by a local individual or company in the country. Below are the various visas that require sponsorships.

• Work Visas are sponsored by your employer – a legal company established in Indonesia for which you will work at.
• Spouse Visas are supported by your Indonesian spouse – for foreigners migrating to Indonesia to permanently be with their spouse.
• Spouse Visas can also be applied for by a company – if your spouse is migrating to Indonesia on a Work Visa.
• Social Visas are sponsored by any Indonesian institution –
• Business Visas are supported by a legal company where you conduct business activities for over 6 months or less.

Types of Visas & Its Sponsorship

Visa Sponsorships in Jakarta and across Indonesia come in the form of a Sponsorship Letter and are to be submitted with your Visa applications. In addition, certain visas in Indonesia must get local sponsorship. 

InCorp Indonesia has summarised a list of these visas for you:

Social-Cultural Visa

A social-cultural visa is most suitable for family visits, social-cultural exchanges, or short-term stay activities (e.g., cultural research). This Visa requires an Indonesian individual to be your Visa Sponsor. 

Upon issuance, this Visa is valid for 60 days only. However, should you need to extend this Visa, you can do so for 30 days. 

It is also important to note this Visa is only extendable a maximum of 4 times. This means the longest you can stay in Indonesia without leaving the country is 6 months. This Visa is considered invalid the minute you leave Indonesia.

Temporary or Limited Stay Permit (KITAS)

A KITAS (Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas) is a Resident Permit Card for a temporary or limited stay in Indonesia for work, retirement, and living in Indonesia. 

Each KITAS has a different length of stay, and the validity is between 6 to 12 months. Therefore, it can be extended every 12 months with a five-year validity. 

Unlike a Visa, KITAS has Multiple Exit Re-entry Permit (MERP) statuses. Therefore holders are free to travel in and out of Indonesia anytime.

Permanent Stay Permit (KITAP)

A KITAP (Kartu Izin Tinggal Tetap) is a permanent stay permit that allows the holder to stay in Indonesia and is valid for 5 years. 

It is extendable with a total validity of 25 years. Frequently, a KITAP is sponsored by an Indonesian spouse and offered to foreigners who plan to settle in Indonesia with their Indonesian spouse.

Business Visa (Single-entry or Multiple-entry)

A business visa, whether single-entry or multiple-entry, allows the holder to enter Indonesia once or multiple times. 

A single-entry business visa is valid for 60 days, and a multiple-entry visa is valid for 12 Months. In addition, a business visa has to be sponsored by a local entity in Indonesia to attend a conference, seminar, training, and other business-related activities.

*All Multiple-entry Business Visas are currently suspended due to Covid-19 Pandemic.

Requirements for Obtaining a Visa Sponsorship Letter

Obtaining a sponsorship letter on your own can be tedious if you need to become more familiar with the latest procedures in Indonesia.

Here are some of the requirements you will need to meet to get one:

• Date of application
• Details of the applicant as shown in the passport
• Embassy of application and address
• Details of visa sponsor
• Supporting documents
• Signature of the sponsor

InCorp Indonesia as Your Visa Consultant in Indonesia

If you need more clarification about the type of Visa you need to enter Indonesia, get in touch with us through the form below or visit us in our offices in Jakarta, Bali, Semarang, Surabaya, and Batam.

Free Indonesia visit visa with a validity of 30 days will be granted to most foreigners visiting for tourism purposes. However, foreigners traveling to Indonesia for employment, relocation, business meetings, and other social activities, are required to apply for the relevant visas that require a Visa Sponsorship. In this article, we aim to provide interested applicants with must-have knowledge around Visa Sponsorships and the right Visa, based on your reasons and activities in Indonesia.

Visa Sponsorship in Indonesia: What Is It For?

In Indonesia, a Visa Sponsorship indicates that your visa application is supported by a local individual or a local company in the country. Below are the various visas that require sponsorships.

• Work Visas are sponsored by your employer – a legal company established in Indonesia that you will be working for.
• Spouse Visas are sponsored by your Indonesian spouse – for foreigners migrating to Indonesia to permanently be with their spouse.
• Spouse Visas can also be applied by a company – in the event, your spouse is migrating to Indonesia on a Work Visa.
• Social Visas are sponsored by any Indonesian institution –
• Business Visas are sponsored by a company – a legal company that you are conducting business activities with, over 6 months or less.

Types of Visas & Its Sponsorship

Visa Sponsorships come in a form of a Sponsorship Letter and are to be submitted together with your Visa applications. It is compulsory for certain visas in Indonesia to get local sponsorship. Cekindo has summarised a list of these visas for you:

Social-Cultural Visa

A social-cultural visa is most suitable for family visits, social-cultural exchanges or any kind of short-term stay activities (e.g.: cultural research). This Visa requires an Indonesian individual to be your Visa Sponsor. Upon issuance, this Visa is valid for 60 days only. However, should you need to extend this Visa, you can do so in period of 30 days. It is also important to note, this visa is only extendable a maximum of 4 times. This means the longest you can stay in Indonesia without leaving the country is 6 months. This visa is considered invalid the minute you leave Indonesia.

Temporary or Limited Stay Permit (KITAS)

A KITAS (Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas) is a Resident Permit Card for a temporary or limited stay in Indonesia for work, retirement and living in Indonesia. Each KITAS has a different length of stay and validity is between 6 to 12 months. It can be extended every 12 months with a total validity of five years. Individuals with a Unlike a Visa, KITAS has a Multiple Exit Re-entry Permit (MERP) status, therefore holders are free to travel in and out of Indonesia anytime.

Permanent Stay Permit (KITAP)

A KITAP (Kartu Izin Tinggal Tetap) is a permanent stay permit that allows the holder to stay in Indonesia and it is valid for 5 years. It is extendable with a total validity of 25 years. Oftentimes, a KITAP is sponsored by an Indonesian spouse, offered to foreigners who plan to settle in Indonesia with their Indonesian spouse.

Business Visa (Single-entry or Multiple-entry)

A business visa, depending on whether it is single-entry or multiple-entry, allows the holder to enter Indonesia once or multiple times. A single-entry business visa is valid for 60 days and a multiple-entry visa is valid for 12 Months. A business visa has to be sponsored by a local entity in Indonesia for the purposes of attending conference, seminar, training, and other business-related activities.

*All Multiple-entry Business Visas are currently suspended due to Covid-19 Pandemic.

Requirements for Obtaining a Visa Sponsorship Letter

Obtaining a sponsorship letter on your own can be tedious if you are not familiar with the latest procedures in Indonesia.

Here are some of the requirements you will need to meet to get one:

• Date of application
• Details of the applicant as shown in the passport
• Embassy of application and address
• Details of visa sponsor
• Supporting documents
• Signature of the sponsor

InCorp as Your Visa Consultant in Indonesia

If you are not sure about the type of visa you need to enter Indonesia, get in touch with us through the form below or visit us in our offices in Jakarta, Bali, Semarang, Surabaya, and Batam.