INDONESIA: New Regulations for Residence Permit Renewals to Avoid Overstays

November 16, 2016


The Immigration Office has announced new provisions for renewing residence permits (KITAS), establishing a new three-month interim KITAS which can be obtained while the work permit (IMTA) renewal application is being processed in order to avoid overstays.

There is also a change to the validity period of a KITAS.

Validity Period of KITAS

The standard validity period of an initial KITAS is now calculated from the date of issuance of the work permit (IMTA), rather than from the date of entry into Indonesia, as previously.

For example, if a twelve-month IMTA is issued on 1st January, but the holder enters Indonesia on 1st April, then they will be issued with a KITAS valid for only 9 months (until the IMTA expires).

Renewals Procedure

The new renewal process applies to a holder of a KITAS residence permit which has almost expired, who has already submitted an application for a renewal work permit (IMTA) and is waiting for the renewal IMTA to be issued.

A full twelve-month renewal KITAS can only be granted once the renewal IMTA has been issued, and this has previously led to foreign national applicants having to pay an overstay penalty or even being deported if their renewal IMTA was not issued quickly enough.

Under the new provisions, a holder of a KITAS that has almost expired, who has already submitted an application for a renewal work permit (IMTA), should apply for a three-month renewal KITAS, which will be issued along with a multiple-exit re-entry permit (MERP) for the same period.

The three-month renewal KITAS can be issued before the renewal IMTA is issued, but it does not allow work to be undertaken.

Once the renewal IMTA has been issued, the applicant can apply for a twelve-month renewal KITAS.

It is important to note that:

  • The twelve-month validity period of the renewal KITAS will be calculated from the issuance of the three-month KITAS so that the total duration period is twelve months. A biometric interview will be required for both the three-month and the twelve-month KITAS applications
  • The applicant must pay IDR 1,305,000 for a three-month renewal KITAS and IDR 2,055,000 for a twelve-month renewal KITAS
  • There is no longer any overstay penalty – if the renewal KITAS application is submitted even one day after the previous KITAS has expired, the applicant will have to leave Indonesia

Our advice

Companies employing foreign nationals in Indonesia should ensure that their employees enter Indonesia soon after obtaining an IMTA, to maximise the period of stay.

Employers should ensure that foreign national employees wishing to remain in Indonesia obtain a three-month renewal KITAS before their existing KITAS expires, to avoid deportation.

For further information on this topic or for advice on Indonesian immigration in general, please contact us at [email protected].