Which Indonesian visa do you actually need?
The index codes changed. Here is what each one lets you do, and which ones unlock property ownership.
Indonesia moved to alphanumeric index codes, so most of the advice online still uses names that no longer appear on any document. Here is the current map.
Visit visas: you cannot work or hold Hak Pakai
- VOA / e-VOA (B1): 30 days, extendable once for 30. Tourism only.
- C1, the old B211A. Single entry visit visa, up to 60 days, extendable. Social, tourism, family.
- C2 / C22, business visits and multiple entry. Meetings and negotiations, not working.
- D1 / D2 / D12, multiple entry visit and pre-investment.
Stay permits (KITAS): residency, and the route to Hak Pakai
- E28A: Investor KITAS. Two years. Requires qualifying shareholding in a PT PMA. The standard permit for someone who has set up a company to hold property.
- E33G: Remote Worker KITAS. Launched April 2024. One year. Requires employment with a foreign employer, income of at least USD 60,000/year, and roughly USD 2,000 in the bank across three months. You may not earn from Indonesian sources or be paid in rupiah.
- E33F: Retirement KITAS. Age 60+, around USD 3,000/month income and USD 2,000 in the bank, plus a lease and insurance.
- E31: Family / Spouse KITAS. Sponsored by an Indonesian spouse or family member.
- E23: Work KITAS. Sponsored by an Indonesian company, requires RPTKA approval and the USD 100/month foreign worker levy.
The investment visas
- Second Home Visa: 5 or 10 years, on roughly IDR 2 billion in property or a bank deposit. No business or employment rights.
- Golden Visa (E28C): USD 350,000 for 5 years or USD 700,000 for 10 in bonds, shares or deposits; USD 1,000,000 in residential property for 10 years. Corporate tiers run to USD 25–50 million.
- KITAP. Permanent stay, after several continuous years on a KITAS.
The bit that matters for property
Hak Pakai requires a KITAS or KITAP. Second Home Visa holders qualify. Visit visas, including a 60-day C1, do not. If your plan is to hold a certificate in your own name, your visa is the first step, not an afterthought.
Leasehold has no visa requirement at all.
Overstaying
IDR 1,000,000 per person per day, from day one, no grace period, charged for children as well. Sixty days or more means deportation and a blacklist. Under UU 63/2024 entry bans can run to 10 years and be extended to 20.
In the first seven months of 2025, Bali recorded 2,669 deportations. Immigration is not the sleepy department it was five years ago.
Leaving permanently, changing sponsor, or switching permit type requires an EPO, Exit Permit Only. Departing without one creates an overstay record you will meet again at the border.
Start from the activity, not the duration
Every mistake in this area comes from choosing a visa by how long it lasts rather than by what it permits. Indonesian permits are defined by activity, and the enforcement since April 2026 has been on activity.
| What you intend to do | The route |
|---|---|
| Holiday, view property, meet notaries | Visitor visa |
| Work remotely for a foreign employer | E33G remote worker KITAS |
| Hold shares in and run an Indonesian company | Investor KITAS (E28A) |
| Be employed by an Indonesian company | Work KITAS with a sponsoring employer |
| Join a spouse or parent who holds status | Family KITAS |
| Retire here | Retirement route, or Second Home |
| Long stay on committed capital | Second Home visa or Golden Visa |
| Settle permanently | KITAP, after qualifying periods |
The line that is being enforced
Since the Dharma Dewata task force became operational on 15 April 2026, roughly 100 officers have been deployed across Canggu, Ubud, Seminyak, Kerobokan and Uluwatu. In the first three weeks, 62 foreign nationals were detained.
The enforcement has treated activity as the test rather than payment. Unpaid volunteering, yoga instruction, wellness workshops and sponsored social posts have all been treated as work. A free villa stay in exchange for promotion counts as compensation.
Officers also monitor public social media and LinkedIn. A profile stating you are based in Bali while working for a company, on a visitor visa, is evidence.
Residency and property
Property purchase and residency are separate questions, but they intersect at one point: Hak Pakai, the only route by which a foreigner holds a registered land right in their own name, requires valid residency.
If personal ownership matters to you, the visa decision comes first. Leasehold and PT PMA structures do not carry that requirement.
Practical advice
Choose the permit that matches what you will actually do, apply for it before you arrive at the activity, and keep the evidence supporting it. The cost of the correct visa is trivial against deportation and a multi-year re-entry ban.
Common questions
Which visa do you need for Bali?
It depends entirely on what you intend to do here. Tourism, remote work for a foreign employer, investing in an Indonesian company, retiring, and joining a spouse are five different permits with five different conditions.
Can you live in Bali on a tourist visa?
You can stay, within the permitted duration and extensions. You cannot work, and enforcement of that distinction has tightened sharply since April 2026.
What is the longest visa for Bali?
KITAP offers the longest residence for those who qualify, with KITAS variants and the Golden Visa covering multi-year stays under different conditions.
Which Bali visa lets you buy property?
Property purchase and residency are separate questions, but Hak Pakai requires valid residency. Buying through a PT PMA can support an investor KITAS, which is a different route to the same outcome.
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