Who can sponsor your visa in Indonesia?
Visa sponsors are as important as they are misunderstood when it comes to finding how to stay in Bali or in Indonesia in general.
In this article, we’ll clarify the purpose of a sponsor for your visa in Indonesia, where to find them and who can sponsor which visa.
What is a visa sponsor?
In Indonesia, a visa sponsor is an Indonesian permanent establishment or citizen that will formally “invite” you for longer stays and be responsible for you while you are in Indonesia.
Do all Indonesian visas require sponsors?
No, not all Indonesian visas require you to have a sponsor for your visa. Most touristic short stays do not require you to have any sponsor.
For instance, if your country of nationality is eligible for visa exemption or Visa On Arrival, you will not need any kind of sponsorship.
However, if you are willing to stay longer in Indonesia than the maximum length of a VOA, if you work in Indonesia, if you plan to become a resident and/or if your country of nationality isn’t on the VOA list, then an Indonesian sponsor will be mandatory in order for you to stay in Indonesia.
Main objectives of a visa sponsor in Indonesia
The sponsor of your visa is represents you and is responsible for the immigration aspect of your administration. You could consider it as the link between the immigration department and a foreigner.
A sponsor therefore serves several purposes for the immigration:
- Being able to monitor foreigners staying in the Indonesian territory for longer stays by tying them to a local entity or person
- Update the administration for all civil / immigration status changes
- Protecting certain jobs where foreigners aren’t allowed by ensuring only restricted entities can sponsor them
- Making sure foreigners working in Indonesia are complying with other regulations (taxes, work permits…)
The duties coming along with being a visa sponsor
Being a visa sponsor in Indonesia isn’t as easy as it seems.
When a local citizen or company sponsors a foreigner, it means that they become in part responsible for his/her activities in Indonesia.
This involves several trips to the immigration office and putting their faith into the sponsored foreigner as they become their official guarantor.
In short, the indonesian sponsor is responsible for navigating the regulation, performing visa extensions on time and meeting other legal requirements of the foreigner he/she is sponsoring.
This is one of the reasons it is usually recommended to only use visa sponsors you are directly related to (professional visa agent, company hiring you, spouse…) and to avoid using random Indonesian citizens you meet along the way as they might not be available to meet all the duties that come with visa sponsorship.
Likewise, using friends or romantic partners you aren’t married to as your visa sponsor can be a dangerous game.
In case of a conflict, you might lose your sponsor and will need to find a new one, which almost always means starting over your visa process from scratch.
Who can sponsor your Indonesian visa?
Now, let’s get into the details of who can sponsor what kind of visa in Indonesia.
Indonesian citizen that you know or are related to can sponsor some visit visas
Indonesian citizens can’t sponsor many types of visas.
They can however sponsor several kind of “visit” visas, with more or less longer terms:
- B211 visas: an Indonesian citizen can “invite” a foreigner for a maximum stay of 2 months x 3 = 6 months in total
- Spouse KITAS / KITAP: an Indonesian citizen MARRIED to a foreigner can sponsor its stay in Indonesia through a KITAS (1 year stay) or KITAP (5 years stay)
Indonesian companies can sponsor most visas
When it comes to visa sponsorship, Indonesian companies are a bit luckier than the individual Indonesian citizen.
In short, an Indonesian company can sponsor almost all visas, except the Visa On Arrival / Visa Exemption (that do not need sponsors) and the Spouse/Family KITAS as you can’t legally be married to a company or be its relative.
So an Indonesian company can sponsor the following visas:
- B211 visas for meeting, trades and other professional events requiring long stays up to 6 months without working (single entry)
- Business visa Multi-entry, also for meeting, trade-shows and conferences for up to one year but maximum 2 months in a row
- Working KITAS / KITAP: for companies that want to hire a foreigner (need a work permit on top of it to be allowed to work)
- Investor KITAS / KITAP: for companies who want to sponsor their investors / to sponsor the owner of an Indonesian company
- Entertainment KITAS: for artists, athletes and coaches
- Student KITAS / KITAP: for universities and other teaching institutions (not allowed to get a work permit)
What if you don’t have any contact with an Indonesian company or entity but need a visa requiring sponsorship? That’s when professional visa agents can become convenient, and become your sponsor.
A legal agent in Indonesia can sponsor almost all of your visas
As a company, your legal Indonesian agent can also be your sponsor for almost any kind of visa, except the ones requiring family ties.
The company of your agent will therefore be the one responsible for you in front of the immigration.
A professional visa agent can not only be your guarantor during your stay in Indonesia, but it will also process all of your paperwork for you, on time, without you having to sort through the laws and regulations.
Summary of potential sponsors per visa type in Indonesia
| Visa | Require sponsor | Indonesian citizen | Indonesian company | Visa agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa exemption | No ❌ | / | / | / |
| Visa On Arrival | No ❌ | / | / | / |
| B211 visit visa | Yes ✅ | Yes ✅ | Yes ✅ | Yes ✅ |
| Business multi-entry | Yes ✅ | No ❌ | Yes ✅ | Yes ✅ |
| Working KITAS / KITAP | Yes ✅ | No ❌ | Yes ✅ (several requirements to meet) | Yes ✅ If you are formally hired / on the payroll |
| Investor KITAS / KITAP | Yes ✅ | No ❌ | Yes ✅ (several requirements) | Yes ✅ If you are investing in a company managed by your agent |
| Entertainment KITAS / KITAP | Yes ✅ | No ❌ | Yes ✅ | Yes ✅ |
| Student KITAS / KITAP | Yes ✅ | No ❌ | Yes ✅ For schools/university, if it can be approved by ministry of Education | No ❌ |
| Spouse KITAS / KITAP | Yes ✅ | Yes ✅ Your Indonesian spouse only | No ❌ | No ❌ |
| Dependant KITAS / KITAP | Yes ✅ | Yes ✅ Relative of a Indonesian citizen or KITAS owner only | No ❌ | No ❌ |
| Retirement KITAS | Yes ✅ | No ❌ | No ❌ | Yes ✅ |
| 2nd Home Visa | No ❌ | / | / | / |
