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CNN Indonesia Immigration
CNN Indonesia Immigration
Bali Zero handles visas, company setup, tax and property compliance in Indonesia. Ask us directly on WhatsApp.
Chat with Bali Zero on WhatsApp**The Liga Indonesia has claimed the top spot as the most competitive football league in Southeast Asia this season, a milestone that reflects years of **
The Liga Indonesia has claimed the top spot as the most competitive football league in Southeast Asia this season, a milestone that reflects years of investment in club infrastructure, talent acquisition, and league governance. The rise in competitive quality has been accompanied by a significant influx of foreign players and coaches, all of whom are subject to Indonesia's foreign worker employment framework.
Under Indonesian law, specifically Kepmenaker No. 228 Tahun 2019 and Government Regulation PP No. 34 Tahun 2021, professional football clubs function as official sponsors for their foreign employees. Before any foreign national can legally play or coach on a salaried basis, the employing club must obtain an approved RPTKA — a Foreign Worker Utilization Plan — from the Ministry of Manpower. The sporting and recreation sector (KBLI 93) is explicitly listed in the positive sector list, permitting the specific job titles of Professional Athlete and Professional Sports Coach.
On the visa side, the rules are unambiguous and frequently misunderstood. Permenkumham No. 22 Tahun 2023 and its 2024 amendment (Permenkumham No. 11 Tahun 2024) make clear that any foreign national receiving a salary from an Indonesian club is categorically barred from using the Sports Visit Visa (index C8). That visa category is reserved exclusively for participation in non-commercial, unpaid sporting competitions. Salaried Liga Indonesia professionals must hold a KITAS E23 — a work-based limited stay permit — without exception.
A significant logistical improvement came with the passage of UU No. 63 Tahun 2024, an amendment to the Immigration Law that automatically integrates a Multiple Exit Re-entry Permit (MERP) into the KITAS from the date of issuance. This eliminates the previously cumbersome requirement to apply for separate re-entry permits each time a player travelled abroad for international matches or national team call-ups — a practical reform that directly addresses the mobility demands of professional sport.
For clubs based in or near Bali, the enforcement environment is notably stringent. TIMPORA — the Joint Team for Supervision of Foreigners — conducts active field inspections, and immigration intelligence operations in Bali are described by authorities as particularly rigorous. The most frequently cited violation is foreign athletes conducting paid professional sporting activity on tourist visas, Visa on Arrival, or the C8 sports visit visa, bypassing the mandatory KITAS E23. Consequences include immediate arrest, deportation, national blacklisting (Cekal), and serious administrative penalties for the sponsoring club.
The Liga Indonesia's rise is genuinely exciting for the regional football ecosystem, but it has created a predictable compliance blind spot. Foreign players and their agents often arrive in Indonesia
on the path of least resistance — a tourist visa or VOA — intending to formalise their status 'later.' In Indonesia, later can mean deportation.
What makes this particularly consequential for Bali is
the TIMPORA enforcement posture. Bali's immigration authorities do not wait for complaints; they conduct proactive field operations. A foreign player training with a Bali-based club on the wrong visa is not just personally at risk — the club itself faces sanctions that can affect its operating licence and ability to field foreign talent in future seasons.
The 2024 immigration law reform integrating MERP into the KITAS is a genuinely positive development and one that Bali Zero welcomes. It removes a procedural barrier that previously penalised players for doing their jobs — travelling for matches. But it does not change the fundamental requirement: get the KITAS E23 in place before the first training session, not after.
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