Indonesia Plans Six-Day KITAS Processing for Foreign Workers
Indonesia is moving to simplify one of the most important administrative processes for foreign companies and expatriate workers.
On October 6, Investment and Downstreaming Minister Rosan Roeslani announced that the Ministry of Investment plans to take a central role in issuing KITAS permits for foreign workers, with a target processing time of six days.
The change is expected to be implemented within approximately two months. Antara News
The initiative builds on an inter-ministerial agreement signed on September 9 between the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming, the Ministry of Manpower, and the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections.
The integrated system connects:
- OSS
- SIAPkerja
- RPTKA
- VITAS
- ITAS
- ITAP
The goal is to reduce the need for companies to move separately between different government systems and to provide clearer processing timelines for foreign-worker permits. ANTARA News Gorontalo
Why It Matters
For foreign companies establishing operations in Indonesia, immigration and employment permits can directly affect project schedules, hiring, and the timing of expatriate assignments.
A more predictable and integrated KITAS process could reduce administrative uncertainty and make it easier for companies to plan foreign-worker deployment.
This is particularly relevant for businesses preparing to establish a local PT company, bring in technical staff, or appoint foreign directors and specialists.
What to Watch
The six-day target is not yet a fully implemented nationwide procedure.
The government still needs to complete the system transition and clarify the final application flow.
Companies currently preparing KITAS applications should therefore continue to follow the existing process while checking with local immigration or administrative partners for updates.
The direction, however, is clear:
Indonesia is trying to make foreign-worker licensing faster and more predictable as part of its broader investment policy.
