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Exa: lmiconsultancy.com
Exa: lmiconsultancy.com
Bali Zero handles visas, company setup, tax and property compliance in Indonesia. Ask us directly on WhatsApp.
Chat with Bali Zero on WhatsAppIndonesia has formalized its legal pathway for foreign digital nomads through the E33G KITAS, a permit classification sitting under the broader Second
Indonesia has formalized its legal pathway for foreign digital nomads through the E33G KITAS, a permit classification sitting under the broader Second Home (rumah kedua) visa category. The foundational regulations — Government Regulations PP No. 40/2023 and PP No. 63/2023 — established the legal architecture, subsequently operationalized through Ministerial Regulation Permenkumham No. 22 Tahun 2023 and its 2024 successor, Permenkumham No. 11 Tahun 2024.
To qualify, applicants must hold a valid employment contract with a company registered outside Indonesia and demonstrate a minimum annual income of USD 60,000 derived entirely from foreign sources. The permit is valid for a maximum of 12 months, with no provision for multi-year issuance under current law. Critically, E33G KITAS holders are expressly prohibited from generating income from Indonesian entities, whether as employees, contractors, or service providers to local businesses.
One significant reform introduced by Permenkumham No. 11 Tahun 2024 (Article 191) and Permenimipas No. 5 Tahun 2025 removes the traditional requirement for an Indonesian individual or corporate guarantor (Penjamin). Instead, the applicant's demonstrated foreign income serves as the immigration guarantee — a change that substantially reduces administrative friction for applicants who lack Indonesian institutional contacts.
A further legislative update under UU No. 63 Tahun 2024 integrates the Multiple Exit Re-entry Permit (MERP) directly into the E33G KITAS at the point of issuance. This eliminates the historically cumbersome requirement to apply separately for re-entry permits each time a nomad travels internationally — a practical quality-of-life improvement for frequent travellers.
In Bali specifically, enforcement has intensified under the TIMPORA inter-agency immigration surveillance framework. Intelligence-led monitoring targets foreigners conducting digital work on tourist visas (C1 class) or Visa on Arrival status. Violations trigger joint raids (Sidak), immediate permit revocation, forced deportation, and placement on Indonesia's national immigration blacklist (Cekal). Separately, active E33G KITAS holders are exempt from the Rp 150,000 Bali Tourist Levy introduced under Perda Provinsi Bali No. 2 Tahun 2025, provided they register through the regional exemption portal.
The E33G KITAS framework represents Indonesia's most serious attempt to legitimize the digital nomad economy while protecting its domestic labour market. The USD 60,000 annual income threshold is deli
berately calibrated — high enough to filter out low-earning tourists misusing stay permits, but accessible to most professionals employed by Western firms.
What concerns us most for our clients is th
e enforcement gap. Many digital nomads arrive on VOA or tourist visa extensions genuinely unaware that their remote work — even for a company ten time zones away — constitutes a legal exposure in Indonesia. TIMPORA's surveillance capacity in Bali has materially improved since 2024, and we are seeing enforcement actions that were theoretical risks two years ago become operational reality.
The removal of the Penjamin requirement is a genuine win. Previously, applicants needed an Indonesian sponsor, which created a bureaucratic bottleneck for those without established local networks. The income-based guarantee model aligns with how comparable jurisdictions operate and removes a meaningful barrier to legal compliance.
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