Setting up a PT PMA: what to decide before you incorporate
Business lines, ownership and capital shape everything that follows. A guide to the decisions worth settling before the deed is signed.
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Investor KITAS or working visa: which permit fits your role
How your position in the company decides the permit you need, and what each one allows you to do in Indonesia.
Key points
- The investor KITAS (E28A) is for shareholders whose personal shareholding meets the threshold, reported as IDR 10 billion.
- The working KITAS (E23) is for employees and directors; the company needs approval to employ a foreign worker.
- The D12 pre-investment visa covers exploratory visits before you invest, without the right to work.
- Spouses, children and parents can follow on dependent KITAS.
Foreign investors moving to Indonesia usually compare two long-stay permits: the investor KITAS and the working visa. They are built for different roles. Choosing the one that matches your position avoids switching permits later.
The investor KITAS (E28A)
The investor KITAS is for foreign nationals who hold shares in an Indonesian company. It is sponsored by your PT PMA and is generally valid for one or two years, with extensions.
The key test is your personal shareholding. Immigration looks at the value of shares registered in your own name in the company deed. Public guidance from practitioners indicates a threshold of IDR 10 billion in personal share ownership. This is a separate requirement from the company's minimum paid-up capital, which was lowered to IDR 2.5 billion in 2025. A company that meets the lower capital figure does not automatically qualify its shareholders for an investor KITAS, so plan the shareholding with the permit in mind.
The working visa (E23)
The working visa is for foreign nationals employed by an Indonesian company, including directors who are not significant shareholders. The company sponsors the permit and must hold the approvals required to employ a foreign worker for that position.
It suits a hired manager, a technical specialist, or a director who runs the company without a large personal shareholding.
Family members
Spouses, children and parents can follow on dependent KITAS (the E31 series), sponsored through the main permit holder. Their permits are tied to the main permit, so renewals should be planned together.
Before you invest: the pre-investment visa
If you want to visit, meet partners and assess the market before committing, the D12 pre-investment visa allows multiple entries for this purpose. It does not authorise work.
Practical points
- Since mid-2025, KITAS applications have moved to an E-series classification, and applicants should expect an in-person photo and interview session at an immigration office.
- Keep track of expiry dates for every family member. Overstays carry fines and can affect future applications.
- Your role may change. A director who later becomes a major shareholder may move from a working visa to an investor KITAS.
Choosing
Ask two questions: do you hold, or plan to hold, a significant shareholding in your own name, and will you be employed by the company? The answers usually point to the right permit. Thresholds and procedures change, so confirm the current requirements before you apply. See our Immigration services for current fees.
This note is general information, not legal or tax advice. Regulations in Indonesia change often, so confirm the current requirements for your situation before acting.
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Guidance is general and does not replace advice on your specific situation.View all insights
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