Nearly every country has a visa program for skilled workers to temporarily live in the country. In most cases, the workers need to show how they can provide some sort of benefit to the country or fill a need that local workers can’t. KITAS, or Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas, is one such program for Indonesia. Here are six things you need to know about it.
1. KITAS Is a Card
KITAS refers to the identifying e-card that someone who has completed the entire process of registration in Indonesia. It is a yellow ID, similar to many issued around the world. This card identifies a person as someone who is permitted to live and work in Indonesia. Here are some of the other terms you will need to know:
- VITAS, or Visa Izin Tinggal Terbatas, is the sticker that a foreign passport would receive upon approval to stay in Indonesia
- ITAS, or Izin Tinggal Terbatas, is the actual permit itself. It shows itself as a stamp, received annually, in the passport
2. Who Can Apply
The Indonesian government issues this kind of visa to these people:
- Foreign investors doing business with the government or a private company
- Foreign workers invited to work in Indonesia
- Foreign workers fulfilling religious duties
- Foreign workers who are receiving training or doing research
- Foreign spouses who are living with their Indonesian spouse
- Minors who want to live with their foreign parent who already has a KITAS
- Former Indonesian citizens who want to immigrate back
3. The Process Before Arrival
The expat’s employers are responsible for filing all the paperwork for a work permit. The process is lengthy, separated into two parts: before arrival and after arrival. Before arrival, the employer:
- Applies for a visa at the Indonesian consulate
- Provides an Expatriate Placement Plan, called a Rencana Penempatan Tenaga Kerja Asing (RPTKA)
- After the RPTKA has been approved, the employer applies for a TA-01 recommendation
- Once the TA-01 recommendation has been approved, the employer applies for a VITAS
4. The Process After Arrival
The process continues after arrival in Indonesia:
- Upon arrival, the foreign worker receives the ITAS stamp in his or her passport
- Within three days, the worker must report to the local immigration office to apply for a KITAS
- The worker needs several documents for a KITAS: a marriage certificate (if the applicant is the spouse of an approved worker), the Indonesian sponsor’s ID card and a photocopy, a passport and a photocopy, and photographs on a red background
- Report to the Immigration’s Office for the Supervision of Foreigners to receive a Blue Foreigners Registration Book, which holds all official documentation of the worker’s activities in Indonesia
- The office of immigration issues a document that goes to the regional or district office, which issues a letter recommending a change of visa status
- All documents then go to the Head of Immigration, which issues a Letter of Decision
- The letter goes to the local Immigration office which processes the KITAS, and they take the applicant’s fingerprints
- The applicant receives a KITAS
- Within 14 days of receiving a KITAS, the worker and the sponsor must report to the local district mayor’s office. The requirements for this vary depending on local regulations
- Within 30 days of receiving a KITAS, the worker and the sponsor report to the local police station where they process the Certificate of Police Headquarters Registration
5. KITAS Validity Period
Normally it is a six month period visa, which means you have to go through the process every six months to renew the permit. However, if you are applying for an executive-level position, this period extends to one full year. It is recommended that you start preparing for the renewal of your work permit two to four weeks in advance before it expires.
6. Social Contributions for Expats
There are three amounts to be deducted from employees for payment to government authorities – tax, social security, and Health. Based on government regulations, foreigners can choose to opt-in in the BPJS Social Security and Health, or not, until it has been six months since an employee started working (on the 7th month after KITAS issued). This means that for the first six months, social contributions are not applicable in Indonesia, which makes for a good opportunity to save in costs for companies.
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