Immigration & stay permits

Start with the right permission to stay.

Understand the difference between a visa and a stay permit, identify the route that fits your plans, and prepare for the next step.

Perwira Visa · Indonesia
Illustration of a passport, travel documents and a globe.
The short answer

Choose the immigration route around what you will do in Indonesia. A short visit, a job, an investment and joining family can require different permissions—even when the planned length of stay is similar.

Four terms worth understanding

Term What it means What to check
Visa The entry permission associated with an approved purpose. Permitted activities, entry conditions and validity.
ITK Izin Tinggal Kunjungan: visit stay permission. Your visit category and the available extension or conversion options.
ITAS / KITAS Limited-stay permission. KITAS is the common name for its documentation. The approved basis: work, investment, family, study or another eligible purpose.
ITAP / KITAP Permanent-stay permission for eligible categories. The qualifying basis and continuing obligations. It is not citizenship.

Which route fits your plans?

A short visit

Begin with the exact purpose of the visit. Tourism, family visits and professional activities should not be treated as interchangeable.

Employment in Indonesia

Review the employer, position and foreign-worker requirements alongside the immigration category.

Read the guide

Investment or company ownership

Review your investment and corporate role. Owning shares does not automatically settle your stay or work permissions.

Read the guide

Joining family

Check the relationship, principal person's status and supporting family documents. Each family member needs an appropriate basis.

Working for an overseas employer? The E33G route may be relevant for eligible remote workers. See the Work & Employment guide for the distinction from local employment.
Explore the guide

Extensions and changes need planning

Check your current document and expiry date before booking a move, changing employer or planning a longer stay. An extension continues an eligible status; a change of status moves to a different basis. They are not the same procedure.

A change of employer, sponsor, address, passport or family circumstances can require an update. Conversion to ITAP is an application for eligible applicants, not an automatic result of spending time in Indonesia.

  • Confirm the exact category shown on your current documents.
  • Identify the change you intend to make and the proposed timing.
  • Check eligibility and the required sequence before relying on an in-country change.

Prepare the details that matter

For the first conversation, a clear description is enough. You do not need to upload identity documents through the enquiry form.

  • Nationality and current country or city.
  • Intended activities and approximate arrival date.
  • Current visa or stay-permit category and expiry, if applicable.
  • Whether an employer, company or family member is involved.

How we help

  1. Review your situation

    Clarify your purpose, existing status and the people or organizations involved.

  2. Confirm the route and scope

    Identify the relevant requirements and explain the proposed assistance before work begins.

  3. Prepare and coordinate

    Organize the agreed documents and administrative steps, with updates on what happens next.

Questions & answers

Which visa should I start with?

Start with your main activity: a short visit, employment, investment, study or joining family. Then check the corresponding visa category, its permitted activities and your eligibility. Length of stay alone does not determine the right visa. Tell us your nationality, intended activity, arrival date and current status so we can identify the relevant options.

Are ITAS and KITAS different permits?

ITAS is the Indonesian limited stay permit. KITAS is the familiar term used for its associated card or documentation. They are commonly used interchangeably in conversation; they do not describe two separate immigration pathways.

What is the difference between ITAS and ITAP?

ITAS provides limited-stay status for an approved purpose. ITAP is permanent-stay status available to eligible categories of foreign nationals. ITAP is not citizenship, and moving from ITAS to ITAP requires a qualifying basis and an approved application.

Can my spouse and children join me?

Family-based immigration pathways exist for qualifying relationships, including certain spouses and children. The correct route depends on the principal person's status and supporting family documents. Each family member's permission should be checked separately, including any intention to work.

Can I change my immigration status while in Indonesia?

Some categories allow an in-country change of status, but this is not available from every entry or stay arrangement. Before making plans, check the exact visa or permit you hold, its expiry date and the category you want to move to. Do not assume that buying a flight or registering a company establishes eligibility.

Can Perwira Visa guarantee approval?

No. The relevant Indonesian authority decides the application. We can help assess the route, prepare documents and coordinate the administrative process. Any quote should separate the agreed service from the authority's decision.

Official references

Source links checked 24 September 2026. Confirm the current requirements for an individual application or transaction.

General information, not a decision on individual eligibility or a substitute for appropriate professional advice.

Discuss your immigration plans

Start with your situation. We can help identify the relevant process and the next questions to answer.

Discuss your plans