Pre-Investment Visa in Bali (D12)
The D12 is the multiple entry visa for investors getting ready to commit. Up to 180 days in Bali per visit, across one or two years, for the research and preparation that come before a company exists.
What is the D12 pre-investment visa?
The D12 is a multiple entry visit visa for foreigners preparing an investment in Indonesia. It exists for the work that comes before a company does — market research, feasibility studies, site visits, meetings with partners. Each entry runs up to 180 days, and the visa stays valid for one or two years.
It is a preparation visa, not an operating one. You can scout, plan, and put a deal together, but you cannot run a business, hold a paid role, or earn income on it. Once you’re ready to be based here and operate, the route is a PT PMA and an Investor KITAS.
The groundwork before you invest
The D12 covers the research and preparation that lead up to setting up a company.
How long you can stay
Each entry runs up to 180 days. That’s three times what a standard D1 or D2 allows, which is what makes the D12 suited to drawn-out preparation. Enter and leave as often as you like across the one or two years it’s valid, but each visit has to end before the 180 days do.
Requirements and sponsor
The D12 sits above tourism and business visas on every dimension, in line with what it’s for.
- A passport valid for at least six months.
- Proof of funds: a three-month bank statement showing around USD 5,000.
- A letter of intent setting out the investment purpose and planned activities.
- A recommendation or invitation letter from an Indonesian company or government agency.
- A recent color photograph.
Who sponsors it
The recommendation letter has to come from an Indonesian sponsor — a company or a government body. At this stage you don’t have an entity yet, which is the whole point of the visa. So we sponsor it ourselves and draft the letter of intent with you. That keeps the document aligned with the PT PMA you’ll eventually file, which matters more than it sounds: a letter of intent that doesn’t match the company that follows raises questions at the KITAS stage.
From research to your investment
D12 is step one of four. The other three follow naturally if the research lands well.
Pre-investment visa
We sponsor the D12 and draft the letter of intent. You stop running tourist trips and start working with 180-day windows.
Market and feasibility work
Research, partner meetings, site scouting. Our Bali team is on the ground if you need introductions to banks, lawyers, or notaries.
Set up the PT PMA
We register the foreign-owned company that will hold the investment and let you operate. Same team that drafted your letter of intent picks this up.
Investor KITAS
You move from the D12 to an E28A KITAS, the residency for running your own PT PMA. Family permits filed alongside.
Most investors come to us before the company exists
The D12 is the visa you use to figure out what the company should be. We sponsor it, write the letter of intent with you, and stay on the same arc through the PT PMA setup and the Investor KITAS that follows.
Pre-investment visa questions
What investors ask before applying.
What is the D12 visa?
A multiple entry visa for investors preparing to invest in Indonesia. It covers research, feasibility work, site visits, and partner meetings, with up to 180 days per entry over one or two years. It does not allow running a business or earning income here.
How long can I stay on it?
Up to 180 days per entry, resetting each time you arrive. The visa is valid for one or two years with unlimited entries. You must leave before the 180 days end, then you can return on the same visa.
Can I run a business or work on it?
No. The D12 is for preparation only. No operating a company, no director-for-pay role, no employment, no income in Indonesia. Once you’re operating, the route is a PT PMA and an Investor KITAS.
How is it different from a D1 or D2?
Two things. The D12 allows up to 180 days per entry against 60 for a D1 or D2. And it’s tied specifically to investment preparation, which is why it asks for a letter of intent and a higher proof of funds.
What funds do I need to show?
A personal bank statement showing around USD 5,000 over the last three months. Higher than a standard visit visa, alongside the letter of intent and the recommendation letter.
Do I need a sponsor?
Yes. The visa needs a recommendation letter from an Indonesian company or a government agency. Since you usually have no entity yet, we sponsor the visa ourselves and draft the letter of intent with you.
What comes after the D12?
When the research is done and you’re ready to commit, you set up a PT PMA and move to an E28A Investor KITAS. The same team handles both.
Talk to our Bali team
The D12 is the visa most foreign investors use before the company exists. We sponsor it, write the letter of intent so it lines up with the PT PMA you’ll set up next, and stay on the same arc through to the Investor KITAS. Send us a rough idea of what you want to build and we can sketch out the timeline.
Jl. Sunset Road Kavling 4
Kuta, Badung Regency
Bali 80361, Indonesia