KITAS and long-stay visas in Bali: the 2026 guide to choosing the right status

To stay in Bali beyond 180 days, the visit visa is no longer enough: you need a long-stay residence permit (KITAS) or a wealth-based visa suited to your profile. In short: employee of an Indonesian company = E23 work KITAS; investor = investor KITAS or Golden Visa; retiree = retirement KITAS or Silver Hair Visa; remote worker = E33G remote worker KITAS; wealth-based profile = Second Home Visa; spouse of an Indonesian citizen = spouse KITAS; student = student KITAS. Each status has its own income, deposit and work-rights conditions. The common rule is simple: the right status exists — you just have to pick the one that truly matches your situation.

Short stay or settling in: which visa are we talking about?

This article covers only long-stay statuses. For a stay of a few weeks to six months (tourism, occasional remote work, testing out local life), the answer is still the visit visa: that's the topic of our dedicated guide, B211A visa (C1 visa) in Bali in 2026, which details durations, extensions and biometrics. As soon as the plan becomes "I'm settling in", the visit visa hits its 180-day limit and you have to switch to a KITAS.

A word on vocabulary, since Indonesia has changed its nomenclature. The KITAS (Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas) is the temporary residence permit card, generally valid one to two years and renewable. The KITAP is the permanent residence permit, accessible after several years of continuous residence depending on the category. Since 2025, immigration has also shifted from its old C-series code system to an E-series index nomenclature (E23, E28, E31, E33…): that's what you'll see on documents and agency sites in 2026. As the mapping between letters and sub-indexes is still evolving, treat the codes below as common reference points, not as fixed references.

Comparison table: every long-stay status in Bali

Here, at a glance, are the main long-stay residence permits. The amounts are given as a guide: sourced from immigration agencies, they vary with the exchange rate and regulatory revisions, and are to be confirmed case by case.

Working for a company: the E23 work KITAS

The E23 is the work KITAS: it concerns the foreigner employed directly by a registered Indonesian company (PT, PT PMA or representative office). It's the only status that opens a local right to work, and only in the approved role. Key point: an individual cannot sponsor themselves. The sponsor is necessarily the employer, who must obtain the RPTKA (the foreign-manpower employment plan) and the work authorisation from the Ministry of Manpower.

On the budget side, the employer pays a monthly foreign-worker levy of around 100 USD per month (roughly 1,200 USD a year). Adding the RPTKA, this levy, the e-visa, the KITAS card, the biometrics, the re-entry permit and agency fees, budget, as a guide, 2,500 to 4,000 USD for a first year, with a four-to-eight-week timeline. Two rules to know: a frequently cited ratio of about one foreign worker to ten Indonesian employees, and the absence of transfer — any change of employer, role or location means redoing the whole procedure.

This is the normal route if a local company hires you, or if you set up your own structure and formally employ yourself within it. On the marketplace side, the Jobs & Services section lists professional ads from the community.

Investing: investor KITAS and Golden Visa

Two logics coexist. The first, the investor KITAS commonly labelled E28A, is for the foreigner who holds shares in an Indonesian company. Agencies mention a personal shareholding of around 10 billion IDR, which lets you reside as an investor or director, valid for one to two years. Be careful not to confuse this personal threshold with the capital of a PT PMA (foreign-owned company): the latter requires a minimum paid-up capital of around 2.5 billion IDR (roughly 150,000 USD) and an investment plan above 10 billion IDR per line of business — two distinct notions.

The second logic is the Golden Visa. In its investor version, commonly labelled E28C, it offers a permit of five years for an investment of around 350,000 USD (government bonds, listed shares or funds) and ten years around 700,000 USD, or via a property of about 1 million USD. Its appeal: no sponsor, no physical-presence requirement, application entirely online. It's the status for wealthy profiles who want the stability of a long stay without running a structure day to day. These amounts are indicative and depend on the official thresholds in force at the time of application.

Retiring: retirement KITAS and Silver Hair Visa

Two options stand out depending on age and means. The retirement KITAS, often presented under the index E33F, is for the 55 and over who can show a pension or passive income of around 1,500 USD per month (roughly 18,000 USD a year). It is generally valid for one year and renewable, with frequent requirements: a one-year lease, health insurance, sometimes employing a local staff member.

Above it, the Silver Hair Visa, generally attached to the index E33E and classed among the Golden Visas, targets the 60 and over. It requires a deposit of around 50,000 USD in a state bank, a monthly income around 3,000 USD, and offers five years extendable to ten, without a sponsor. In both cases, the retiree has no right to work: these statuses fund a stay, they don't authorise paid local activity. Indicative amounts, to be checked before any procedure.

Working remotely: the E33G remote worker KITAS

This is the status most sought after by the nomad community, and the only route really designed for remote work. The E33G, introduced in mid-2023, lets an employee or freelancer reside in Bali while working for employers or clients outside Indonesia. The conditions reported by agencies: an income of at least 60,000 USD a year (roughly 5,000 USD a month) from exclusively foreign sources, and a personal bank statement showing a balance of at least 2,000 USD over the last three months.

Two limits shape this visa. First, the duration: it's valid for one year, and its direct renewal isn't guaranteed — in practice, extending most often means leaving the territory and filing a fresh application. Then the scope: it opens no right to work for an Indonesian company, the income having to remain entirely foreign. Official fees run, as a guide, around 530 to 700 USD, with an often-short timeline.

One point, put without drama: in 2026, Bali immigration tightened its controls on work carried out under a tourist visa (see the content-creators section). The E33G exists precisely to step out of that grey zone — for anyone working long-term remotely from the island, it's the status that sets the situation straight.

Living off your wealth: the Second Home Visa

The Second Home Visa, attached to the index E33, is the long-stay permit for wealth-based profiles. It's obtained against a financial guarantee: a deposit of around 2 billion IDR (roughly 130,000 USD) in an Indonesian state bank, or holding a property of about 1 million USD. In exchange, it offers five or ten years of stay, without a sponsor. As with retirement, it does not allow local work.

A few rules reported by agencies: the balance must be maintained for the whole duration of the visa and can be checked; a window of around 90 days after approval is allowed to build up the deposit or prove the property; the minimum age is 19. After a few years of residence, a move to the KITAP (permanent permit) becomes conceivable depending on the category. It's the choice for someone who wants a long stay backed by capital, without setting up a company or proving monthly income.

Joining a loved one: spouse, family, children

Marriage or family ties open their own statuses. The spouse KITAS of an Indonesian citizen, commonly labelled E31A, is valid for one or two years and requires a bank balance of around 2,000 USD. A point often misunderstood: it confers no formal right to work. The holder can run an independent activity to support the household, but for formal employment, a separate work permit is still required — the Ministry of Manpower's interpretation is strict on this point.

Other family indexes exist: foreign spouse of a KITAS or KITAP holder, unmarried minor child, or dependants attached to Second Home profiles. The labels vary from one source to another; the idea to keep is that a family can, in principle, be attached to the main member's status.

Studying: the student KITAS

Finally, the student KITAS, index E30 (or E30A), is for international students enrolled at an Indonesian institution, which acts as the sponsor. This status carries no right to work: it covers the duration of the studies, and nothing more. It's a supervised entry route, often chosen to learn Indonesian or to follow a specialised programme.

Special case: content creators and influencers

This is the topic that concentrates the most questions in Bali's community. Two distinct routes exist for image and media professions.

The first is a visit visa dedicated to content creators, commonly called C5A. Appearing in the official classification in 2026, it targets influencers, YouTubers, videographers, photographers and documentary-makers. According to the available information, it's a single-entry visa, with an initial duration of 60 days extendable twice for a maximum of 180 days. A word of caution: its implementation is not yet complete — the category is visible in the classification, but the practical details (application file, sponsor, fees, permitted scope) are not all published. Treat it as a novelty still being rolled out, not as an established procedure. The second route, for stage artists and performers, goes through an artist / impresario KITAS (sometimes cited under the index E23R), which falls under the work-permit logic.

That leaves the recurring question: where does personal content end and work begin? The distinction reported by agencies: creating personal travel content as a tourist is tolerated, but promoting a brand, running a campaign, a partnership, a sponsored stay, a commercial photo shoot or a paid placement — including in exchange for accommodation — is considered an activity creating economic value, which falls under a suitable visa. The line doesn't hinge on payment in money: an in-kind exchange follows the same logic.

This framing sits within a context of tightened controls, presented here in strictly factual terms. An immigration task force named Dharma Dewata was inaugurated in Denpasar on 15 April 2026, with around a hundred agents. According to figures reported by immigration and picked up by the press, 62 foreigners were reportedly apprehended during its first three weeks of activity, with social-media posts potentially serving as elements of assessment. Nationally, again according to press summaries citing immigration, several thousand enforcement actions were reportedly carried out over the first months of 2026, some of which led to deportations, permit cancellations or blacklistings. The sanctions mentioned range from fines to deportation, with re-entry bans that can extend over several years.

The takeaway is simple, without judgement: if your activity in Bali produces value — sponsorship, collaborations, services —, the right visa exists, whether it's the C5A for creators or a work KITAS depending on the case. Clarifying it upfront saves you the uncertainty.

How to choose: the decision tree

To decide quickly, start from your real situation rather than from the visa:

• An Indonesian company employs you → E23 work KITAS (the sponsor is the employer).
• You invest in or run a local company → E28A investor KITAS; large wealth without day-to-day management → E28C Golden Visa.
• You're 55 or over with a pension → E33F retirement KITAS; 60 or over with capital → E33E Silver Hair.
• You work remotely for foreign clients (income outside Indonesia) → E33G remote worker KITAS.
• You live off your wealth, without working → Second Home Visa E33.
• You're married to an Indonesian citizen → E31A spouse KITAS (work rights separate).
• You come to study → E30 student KITAS, sponsored by the institution.
• You create commercial content → C5A creator visa (being rolled out) or a work KITAS depending on the activity.

Two reflexes for every case: distinguish the duration you want from the right to work (many long-stay statuses open no local activity), and check the up-to-date financial thresholds, since they move with the exchange rate and regulatory revisions.

Before you get started

Choosing the right status is only the first step. For the rest — housing, bank account, insurance, transport, schooling —, our guide Moving to Bali: the complete expat checklist walks through the steps in order. And once you're on the ground, Lokalfinds' Jobs & Services section connects you with the expat community for a job, a provider or a neighbour-to-neighbour service.

Frequently asked questions

Which visa to work legally in Bali?

For a job at an Indonesian company, you need an E23 work KITAS, sponsored by the employer (who obtains the RPTKA and the work authorisation); an individual cannot sponsor themselves. For remote work with foreign clients, the suitable status is the E33G remote worker KITAS, which opens no local right to work.

Can you be a digital nomad in Bali fully legally?

Yes, via the E33G remote worker KITAS, designed for exactly that. Agencies mention an income of around 60,000 USD a year from exclusively foreign sources and a bank balance of at least 2,000 USD over three months. Valid for one year, it does not allow working for an Indonesian company: the income must stay foreign.

How much does a work KITAS cost?

As a guide, on the order of 2,500 to 4,000 USD for a first year via an agency, adding the RPTKA, the foreign-worker levy (around 100 USD per month), the e-visa, the KITAS card, the biometrics and the re-entry permit. Timeline generally four to eight weeks. These amounts vary with the exchange rate and the provider.

Which visa to choose for retiring in Bali?

Two options depending on age and means. The retirement KITAS (E33F) targets the 55 and over who can show a pension of around 1,500 USD per month. The Silver Hair Visa (E33E), for the 60 and over, requires a deposit of around 50,000 USD in a state bank and offers five years extendable to ten. Neither opens a right to work.

Can the spouse of an Indonesian citizen work?

The spouse KITAS (E31A) allows residence but confers no formal right to work. The holder can run an independent activity for the household, but formal employment requires a separate work permit. The Ministry of Manpower's interpretation is strict; better to check it with an agency.

What is the Indonesian Golden Visa?

It's a long-stay permit of five or ten years without a sponsor, reserved for wealthy profiles. In its investor version, commonly labelled E28C, it corresponds to an investment of around 350,000 USD for five years or 700,000 USD for ten years (or a property of about 1 million USD). The seniors' Silver Hair Visa belongs to the same family. The thresholds are indicative and to be confirmed.

Can you publish sponsored content on a tourist visa?

No. Creating personal travel content as a tourist is tolerated, but promoting a brand, a campaign or a sponsored stay — including in exchange for accommodation — is considered work activity requiring the right visa. The dedicated route is the C5A content-creator visa (new, being rolled out) or, depending on the activity, a work KITAS. Controls tightened in 2026; clarifying your status upfront is the recommended move.

Checking the official information

Regulations change fast: the E-series nomenclature is recent and the C5A creator visa is still being rolled out. Before any procedure, cross-check the information with official sources and an accredited immigration firm:

• Directorate General of Indonesian Immigration (imigrasi.go.id) — the reference authority for visas and residence permits.
• Official e-visa portal (evisa.imigrasi.go.id) — filing and tracking of e-visas, and the official fee schedule.

The statuses, indexes, durations and amounts presented above are 2026 orders of magnitude, drawn mostly from immigration agencies and not from an official decree read in a primary source. They may change with the exchange rate and regulatory revisions. Always check the up-to-date information with the evisa.imigrasi.go.id portal and an accredited immigration firm before starting a procedure.