Foreign entrepreneurs in Indonesia can apply for a business visa in Indonesia. What are the precise activities you can engage in?
For instance, come to Indonesia to conduct business activities and study the market. Meanwhile, note that being employed in Indonesia is not allowed. Although applying for a business visa is remarkably easier than it is for a work permit.
In this article, we describe the conditions a foreign national needs to meet to be eligible for the visa.
How Long Can You Stay in Indonesia With a Business Visa?
Business visa in Indonesia is valid for one year, and it allows a foreigner to stay in Indonesia for up to 60 days per visit. Therefore a business visa is perfect for frequent visitors.
The visa enables up to 60 days of stay with each arrival. The key benefit is that you can use the same visa unlimited times to arrive to the country. You do not have to extend the business visa in the immigration as you would for visa on arrival or the social visa.
Business Visa Sponsorship
All business visas must be sponsored by a legal entity registered in Indonesia. Who can act as a sponsor? Both foreign– and locally owned companies. Also, representative offices.
As mentioned before, this visa forbids any employment. You are not allowed to get paid in Indonesia.
In case you don’t have a local sponsor or do not wish to use them, it is also possible to use Emerhub as a sponsoring company. Fill in the form below to see if we can sponsor your visa.
Requirements For a Business Visa in Indonesia
To receive a business visa in Indonesia with Emerhub sponsorship, send us the following information:
- Passport copy
- Bank statement showing at least $US 1,500 (IDR 20,930,684.3) on the account (must be a foreign account)
- Return tickets showing when you enter into Indonesia and that you leave before 60 days pass
- Indonesian embassy where you plan to pick up the visa
Note that receiving telex takes around 20 business days. Hence, you should book your tickets not earlier than a month after starting the visa process.
Do you already have a sponsorship? If so, we need copies of all sponsor company incorporation documents and its letterhead. The process takes longer as we also must register the company in the online system unless it has sponsored visas before.
Application Process For the Business Visa in Indonesia
First, the sponsor company must submit visa application online. Any small mistake means a delay or rejection of the application.
It takes 5-10 working days for Indonesian Immigration to process the invitation, and to issue a telex. Next step is converting telex to a visa in an Indonesian embassy abroad.
Applying For the Business Visa in an Indonesian Embassy
Once you get the telex, you must take it to an Indonesian embassy abroad. If you are already in Indonesia the common embassy locations are Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. But you can choose any Indonesian embassy for this process.
Note that you will get your actual visa in the embassy. But if you have the approved invitation then there won’t be any reason for the embassy to reject the visa.
The embassy in Singapore will take about three working days to process your visa. It may take longer, for some embassies even 10-15 business days. Thus, avoid delays and check with the embassy in advance. Start the business visa invitation and application process at least two weeks before the expected arrival to Indonesia.
Nationalities That Cannot Apply For a Business Visa
Indonesian Immigration does not approve business visa invitations for the following nationalities:
- Afghan
- Guinean
- Israeli
- Iraqi
- North Korean
- Cameroonian
- Liberian
- Nigerian
- Somali
Note that having residence permit or a company in another country won’t ease the process. E.g. you have an Afghanistan passport but been conducting business in Malaysia for years. You still qualify as an Afghan national.
New in 2018! Pakistani Nationals Are Now Eligible For Business Visa
Recently Pakistani nationals were taken out of the clearance house list. This means that for the first time since 13 years Pakistani passport holders are eligible for a business visa given they meet the other requirements.
Ready to start? Visit Emerhub’s business visa page to go ahead with the application.
