Paket izin kerja TKA baru: RPTKA, visa kerja, dan ITASNew expatriate work permit package: RPTKA, work visa and ITAS

Getting an expatriate work permit in Indonesia is not a single document. It is a chain of approvals: the employer's foreign manpower plan (RPTKA), a work visa, and a limited stay permit (ITAS, still widely called KITAS). If one link is weak, the whole chain stalls, and your new hire waits abroad while the project in Jakarta, Bali or Surabaya waits too.

This article explains how the process works, what the employer and the foreign employee each need to prepare, and where a service provider can take the administrative load off your HR team.

How the expatriate work permit in Indonesia is structured

Indonesia regulates foreign workers through two separate authorities. The Ministry of Manpower decides whether your company may employ a foreigner in a given position. The Directorate General of Immigration decides whether that person may enter and stay. The main legal framework is Government Regulation (PP) 34/2021 on the use of foreign workers and Law 6/2011 on Immigration, together with their implementing rules.

1. RPTKA approval. The employer submits a foreign manpower utilisation plan for the position, the duration, the work location and the Indonesian counterpart who will learn from the expatriate.
2. Compensation fund (DKPTKA). Once the plan is assessed, the employer pays the foreign worker compensation fund for the approved period. It is a state charge, paid separately according to the prevailing regulations.
3. Work visa. The approval data is passed to immigration, and an electronic work visa is issued for the employee.
4. ITAS. After arrival, the employee receives an electronic limited stay permit tied to the sponsor company and the approved position. Immigration fees (PNBP) are also paid separately according to the regulations.

Who can sponsor a foreign worker

The sponsor must be an Indonesian legal entity or a recognised representative office, such as a PT PMA (foreign-owned company), a local PT, a foreign representative office (KPPA) or certain foundations and international bodies. Individuals cannot sponsor a work permit for a household employee in the same way a company sponsors a director or engineer.

Your company also needs an active business identification number (NIB) and a business line that matches the job. A mining engineer sponsored by a trading company, for example, raises immediate questions during review.

Job analysis comes first

Many delays start with the job title. Not every position is open to foreigners; certain roles, particularly in human resources, are reserved for Indonesian citizens. The position also needs to match the employee's education and experience. In general, the expatriate should hold a relevant qualification and either a competency certificate or several years of experience in the field.

Before anything is filed, ALLMAR reviews the job title, the organisational chart and the candidate's CV to check that the role is permitted, that the description is consistent, and that the Indonesian counterpart is realistic.

Documents you will usually need

From the company

• Deed of establishment and the latest amendments, with ministry approvals
• NIB and business licence data, plus the company tax ID (NPWP)
• Organisation chart showing the foreign position and the Indonesian counterpart
• Statement letters required for the plan, signed by an authorised director

From the employee

• Passport with sufficient validity and blank pages
• Diplomas and, where needed, legalised or apostilled copies
• Employment references or certificates proving relevant experience
• Recent photograph and proof of health insurance

What ALLMAR handles at each stage

For foreign companies new to Indonesia, the hardest part is often coordination rather than the forms themselves. Our team prepares the RPTKA application in the online system, follows up on technical questions from the ministry, monitors the payment step for the compensation fund, and tracks the visa issuance. When the employee arrives, we help with the ITAS stage and the follow-up registrations, such as reporting the employee's residence and, for stays longer than six months, enrolment in the national social security programmes.

We also keep a permit calendar for you, because the RPTKA period, the ITAS validity and the passport expiry date rarely line up neatly.

How long it takes and what affects the cost

When documents are complete and the position is clearly permitted, the full chain typically takes a few weeks. It can take longer when the ministry asks for clarification, when diplomas must first be legalised abroad, or when the employee's passport is close to expiry.

Service fees depend on the number of foreign workers, the permit duration, whether the company is already registered in the manpower system, and whether family members need permits at the same time. State charges are always paid separately.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Letting the employee start work on a visit visa while the permit is in progress
• Using a job title in the visa that differs from the actual role
• Choosing a work location in the plan that does not match where the employee will work
• Forgetting that a change of position or employer usually requires a new or amended approval

If you are planning to bring a manager, engineer or specialist to Indonesia, the ALLMAR Workforce team can map the steps with you, prepare the files and accompany the process from job analysis to the first day of work.