Why did all the Indonesian visa codes change?
The system went from 133 indices to 110 in 2025, and employer-sponsored work visas from 31 to 6. Old advice is now wrong.
If you are reading a blog post, a forum thread, or an agent's brochure written before mid-2025, the visa codes in it are probably wrong.
The Directorate General of Immigration restructured the classification system in 2025 under Decree M.IP-08.GR.01.01/2025:
- Total indices reduced from 133 to 110
- Employer-sponsored work visa types cut from 31 to 6
- Twenty former sector-specific corporate work codes (E23B–E23W) unified into a single E23 index
Then in January 2026, GCI was launched on top of it.
The rule underneath the whole system
This is the part that survives every reshuffle:
Do not choose a visa based on how long you want to stay. The first legal question is always what you will actually do in Indonesia.
Work, investment, family, study, medical treatment, remote employment, ancestry, or simply visiting. The activity determines the index, the sponsor requirement and the legal basis. Length of stay falls out of that answer. It is not the input.
Using a visitor status for unauthorised work is an enforcement risk, not a technicality.
The current families, in brief
| Family | Purpose |
|---|---|
A | Visa exemption: short qualifying visits |
B / F | Visa on arrival: 30 days, one 30-day extension |
C | Single-entry visitor, purpose-specific |
D | Multiple-entry visitor, including D12 pre-investment |
E23 family | Work for an Indonesia-based sponsor |
E28 family | Investment |
E30 family | Study |
E31 family | Family / marriage |
E32 family | Former citizens and Indonesian descent |
E33 family | Second Home, and E33G remote work |
E34 | Medical treatment |
E35 | Reciprocal work and holiday |
Four things constantly conflated
| What it is | |
|---|---|
| ITAS | Ordinary limited stay. Temporary, renewable, tied to a specific basis. Most "KITAS" holders |
| ITAP | Permanent stay, converted from a qualifying ITAS after the required period |
| GCI | 2026 pathway straight to indefinite ITAP via Indonesian ancestry or family ties. Retains original citizenship. Confers no work rights |
| Golden Visa | 5 or 10 year tiers inside E28 and E33. Still an ITAS, not permanent residence |
What this means practically
Two things follow from a restructure of this size.
Old advice is unreliable. An agent quoting a code that no longer exists has not updated since 2025. That is a reasonable thing to check before trusting anything else they tell you.
The official index is the authority. Not a summary, not a brochure, and not this page. Every index has an official Ditjen Imigrasi listing, and the current requirements live there.
Figures in circulation, income thresholds, deposits, minimum investments, are revised periodically. Anything you read anywhere, including here, should be confirmed against the live official page before you file or transfer money.
The permits, at a glance
| Permit | For | Work permitted |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa | Tourism, property viewing, meetings | No |
| E33G | Remote work for a foreign employer | Foreign income only |
| E28A investor KITAS | Shareholders in an Indonesian company | Depends on role and authorisation |
| Work KITAS | Employment by an Indonesian company | Yes, with the sponsoring employer |
| Family KITAS | Dependants of a sponsor | No |
| Retirement route | Qualifying retirees | No |
| Second Home | Self-supporting long stay | No |
| Golden Visa | Investors at defined thresholds | Depends on structure |
| KITAP | Permanent stay after qualifying periods | Depends on category |
The pattern worth noticing
Most of these permits do not allow you to work. The visitor visa, family KITAS, retirement route and Second Home visa all grant presence, not the right to earn.
That is the single most misunderstood feature of the Indonesian system, and since the Dharma Dewata task force became operational on 15 April 2026 it has become the most consequential. Roughly 100 officers across Canggu, Ubud, Seminyak, Kerobokan and Uluwatu detained 62 foreign nationals in the first three weeks.
Overstay
Daily fines accrue from the first day. Longer overstays escalate toward detention, deportation and a re-entry ban.
It is not a fee you can elect to pay in exchange for staying longer, and treating it that way has become considerably more expensive.
Rules change often
Thresholds, categories and criteria in this area have been revised repeatedly, and several of the newer routes have already had their requirements adjusted after launch.
Anything you read about Indonesian visas, including here, should be checked against the current official source before you act on it. The direction of travel has been toward more defined categories and firmer enforcement, but the specific numbers move.
Choosing
Start from the activity, not the duration. Decide what you will actually do here, find the permit that authorises it, and hold the evidence supporting it. Choosing a permit because it lasts longer, and then doing something it does not cover, is how people end up deported.
Common questions
What visas are available for Indonesia in 2026?
Visitor visas, the E33G remote worker permit, investor and work KITAS categories, family and retirement permits, Second Home, Golden Visa and KITAP. Each has different conditions and different things it does not permit.
Which Indonesian visa is easiest to get?
The visitor visa, by a wide margin. It is also the one with the narrowest permitted activity, which is where most people get into trouble.
How often do Indonesian visa rules change?
Frequently enough that any figure you read should be verified against the current official source before you rely on it, including the figures here.
What happens if you overstay in Indonesia?
Daily fines accrue, and longer overstays escalate toward detention, deportation and re-entry bans. It is not a fee you can simply choose to pay.
Want me to find you the right one?
Tell me what you are looking for and I will come back to you personally. Four questions, about ten seconds, then it opens straight into my WhatsApp.
Kai, Bali property adviser