Working in Bali legally: work permits, remote work rules, freelancing and company options in 2026

This guide is for foreigners who want to earn money in Bali: employees of Indonesian companies, business owners, remote workers, freelancers and digital nomads. Indonesian immigration and labour rules change often, so confirm the current requirement with an immigration office, the manpower ministry or a licensed professional before you start work. Recent points: a joint decree signed on 9 September 2026 integrates the online business licensing system (OSS) with the manpower and immigration systems for approving foreign worker plans; on 6 October 2026 the investment minister said the investment ministry would take over issuing limited stay permits (KITAS) for foreign workers within two months, with a six day processing target; and Bali immigration has been running patrols and deportations over misused permits throughout 2026.

The rule in one paragraph

The activity you do must match the permit you hold. Official pages for the tourist, business visit and visa on arrival types say holders may not sell goods or services or receive payment, wages or similar compensation from individuals or companies in Indonesia. Immigration enforces this: in 2026 it deported 25 foreigners who used visa on arrival or residence permits to run commercial photography and videography, deported an American in 2025 for a paid retreat held on a visa on arrival, detained foreigners working as DJs in Canggu, and sought two foreigners suspected of running motorbike riding lessons. The immigration minister has said a visa on arrival cannot be used for work or income.

Ways to work legally

Your situation	Usual route	Main limits
Employee of an Indonesian company	Work visa (E23) and limited stay permit, with an approved foreign worker utilisation plan (RPTKA) from the employer	Sponsor required, job must be a position open to foreigners
Director, commissioner or shareholder of a foreign investment company (PT PMA)	Investor visa (E28A) if shares are at least Rp 10 billion, or a work visa for the director role	Company must exist and meet its licensing and capital rules
Employee of a foreign company working remotely	Remote worker visa (E33G)	Income of at least USD 60,000 per year, employment agreement with a company outside Indonesia
Short business meetings	Business visit visa (C2)	Meetings, purchasing and negotiations only, no payment from Indonesian sources
Young Australian visitors	Working holiday visa (E35)	Listed only for Australia, certain work for up to six months
Retiree or second home holder	E33E, E33F or E33	The E33, E33E and E33F pages prohibit work that does not match the permit, and the E33 and E33E pages say work or study must be reported to immigration
Family member of an Indonesian citizen	E31 family visas	Work outside the scope of the permit is prohibited

Employer sponsored work (E23 and the RPTKA)

Foreigners can only be employed in an employment relationship for certain positions and for a set time, and an employer must hold an approved RPTKA (Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing, the foreign worker utilisation plan) under Government Regulation 34 of 2021. The regulation says positions are open to foreigners when Indonesian workers cannot fill them, and that the domestic labour market is considered. The Minister sets the lists of positions foreigners may and may not hold.

What the employer must do (Government Regulation 34 of 2021):

• Apply online for approval of the RPTKA, with the company's identity, reasons for hiring a foreigner, the position, the number of foreign workers, the period and work location, an Indonesian counterpart, and a yearly plan to employ Indonesians.
• Attach the application letter, the business registration number or licence, company deeds, a manpower report, a draft employment contract, an organisation chart and statements on the counterpart, training and Indonesian language support.
• Submit the worker's data with an education certificate, a competency or experience certificate, the contract, a guarantor statement and a bank account.
• Pay the compensation fund for foreign worker utilisation (DKPTKA) for each foreign worker. The regulation says payment is a requirement for approval and that the amount follows other legislation, so check the current figure.
• Appoint an Indonesian counterpart to receive technology and skills transfer, train the counterpart, facilitate Indonesian language training for the foreigner, and send the foreigner home when the contract ends. These duties do not apply to directors, commissioners, heads of representative offices and workers hired for temporary work.
• Register workers staying more than six months in the national social security programme, and cover workers staying less than six months with insurance.

Restrictions: individuals cannot employ foreigners; a company cannot employ a foreigner in several positions in the same company; foreigners cannot hold positions in charge of personnel affairs; and single-person companies are left out of the list of limited liability companies that may employ foreigners.

Durations: RPTKA approval for temporary work is up to 6 months and cannot be extended; for work over 6 months it is up to 2 years and can be extended. The regulation exempts directors and commissioners with a certain shareholding, diplomatic staff, and some short-term categories such as emergency repairs, vocational activities, technology based start-ups, business visits and research.

Timing in the regulation: the manpower ministry assesses a complete application and issues the feasibility result within 2 working days, and verifies the worker data within 2 working days. After approval the employer or sponsor applies for the visa and stay permit.

Visa side: the E23 work visa offers 180 days, 1 year or 2 years, requires a sponsor and the manpower ministry permit, and lists total government fees of Rp 5,250,000, Rp 7,000,000 and Rp 9,500,000. For most work permits an extension cannot exceed the original period and total time on the limited stay permit is capped at 6 years.

What is changing in 2026: officials describe OSS as the single entry point for the RPTKA, visa and stay permit steps, using Government Regulation 28 of 2025 and joint decrees of the manpower, immigration and investment ministries. The target is about four to six days and automatic issuance once the process finishes. These are announcements, so ask the employer or sponsor which route applies to your application.

Remote work (E33G)

The E33G remote worker visa allows living in Indonesia while carrying out duties for a foreign company. Published conditions:

• One year stay, extendable online. The official page does not state the extension fee or the number of extensions.
• Bank records showing at least USD 60,000 per year in salary or income, and an employment agreement with a company established outside Indonesia. The Ngurah Rai office describes the income test as USD 60,000 per year or USD 5,000 per month for conversions.
• Bank statements for three months showing at least USD 2,000, a passport valid for six months, a photo, a CV and an itinerary.
• No sponsor. Government fees total Rp 7,000,000.
• The limited stay permit and re-entry permit are issued automatically when an immigration officer admits you.
• Prohibited: overstaying, work outside the scope of the permit, and selling goods or services unless the job requires it.

The visa is designed around a foreign employer paying you. Income from Indonesian clients or selling goods or services in Indonesia is not what the official page describes.

Freelancing and self-employment

The official pages opened for this guide do not describe a route for self-employed freelancers who bill several clients, and the E33G page requires an employment agreement. For visit visa and visa on arrival holders the pages say selling goods or services or receiving payment from Indonesian individuals or companies is not allowed. A content creator visit visa (C5A) is listed on the official visa list, but its page showed no details in October 2026. Foreigners with clients abroad who do not have a foreign employer should ask an immigration office or a licensed professional which permit fits, and should not rely on a tourist visa. Running the business through your own PT PMA, with a proper investor or work permit, is the established legal alternative.

Working through your own company (PT PMA)

A foreign investment company can employ foreigners if it holds an RPTKA, and its owners can obtain an investor visa. Key published points: shares of at least Rp 10 billion in the sponsor company for the E28A investor visa, and, if the foreigner holds less than that but serves as director or commissioner, a work visa for that position instead. According to a law firm summary of a 2025 investment ministry regulation, a foreign investment company must have at least Rp 2.5 billion in issued and paid-up capital, and its investment value is generally expected to exceed Rp 10 billion per business line, excluding land and buildings. The company is set up by a notary and licensed through the online business licensing system (OSS), and a notary or licensed adviser should confirm the figures that apply to your business lines.

Tax and registration basics

• An individual who is present in Indonesia for more than 183 days in any 12 months, or who lives or intends to live there, is a tax resident, according to a PwC summary reviewed in June 2026. Residents are generally taxed on worldwide income, with progressive rates from 5% to 35%, and a rule for skilled foreigners may limit this to Indonesian source income for the first four years.
• Non-residents are generally subject to 20% withholding tax on Indonesian source income, with treaty relief where available.
• For an individual tax number (NPWP), a foreigner provides a copy of the passport and the limited stay permit (KITAS). The tax directorate says the number is issued at the latest one business day after a complete application, and registration can be done online, at a tax office or through a notary appointed by the directorate.
• The annual personal tax return is due by the end of the third month after the calendar year.

Whether foreign remote work income is taxed in Indonesia depends on residency, treaties and your home country rules. Ask a tax adviser before you decide.

What breaking the rules costs

• Administrative action under the Immigration Law (Article 75): placement on a watchlist or entry ban list, limits on or cancellation of a stay permit, and deportation.
• Misuse of a stay permit or doing activities that do not fit its purpose (Article 122): up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp 500,000,000. The same penalty applies to anyone who orders or gives a foreigner the chance to misuse a permit.
• Hiding or giving a job to a foreigner whose permit has expired, when this is known or should be known (Article 124): up to 3 months in custody or a fine of up to Rp 25,000,000.
• Cases in 2026 reported only deportation and entry bans for most violations. Two Dutch nationals with work and investor permits were put on a re-entry ban after they organised an event without the required permits.

Checklist before you start

1. Write down exactly what you will do, for whom, and who pays you.
2. Match that to a permit type, using the table above.
3. For employer sponsored work, ask the employer for the RPTKA approval and the sponsor account details before you travel.
4. For remote work, gather the employment agreement and three months of income records.
5. Check that the stay permit allows the activity, and keep the stay permit valid.
6. If you stay long enough to become a tax resident, register for an individual tax number.

Where to get it done

• Immigration office (kantor imigrasi): for questions on permits, conversions and extensions. Ngurah Rai immigration office in Jimbaran serves the south of Bali.
• Employer or licensed sponsor: for the RPTKA and the work visa. The employer submits the RPTKA application through the online system.
• Manpower ministry and its regional offices: for RPTKA and the foreign worker compensation fund.
• Notary and licensed lawyer: for company setup, contracts and investor visas.
• Tax office or licensed tax adviser: for the individual tax number, residency and returns.