Indonesia's Golden Visa: five- and ten-year residence for investors

Indonesia introduced its Golden Visa through Regulation of the Minister of Law and Human Rights No. 22 of 2023 on Visas and Stay Permits, later amended by Regulation No. 11 of 2024, and began issuing permits in July 2024. Since the 2024 government restructuring the programme sits with the Directorate General of Immigration under the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections. The Golden Visa is not a single visa but a bundle: a limited stay visa, a limited stay permit (ITAS) valid for five or ten years, and a re-entry permit. It is primarily aimed at investors, with separate categories for corporate sponsors, second-home holders, retirees, former Indonesian citizens and their descendants, and people with special skills. By 18 May 2026 the Directorate General reported 1,274 permits and around IDR 52.1 trillion of realised investment, most of it from corporate investors.

The investment must be made in the form the category prescribes and held for the life of the permit. Individuals who do not set up a business invest in Indonesian government bonds, shares of Indonesian public companies or mutual funds (visa index E28C); individuals who establish an Indonesian company commit capital through it (E28B); and directors or commissioners of an Indonesian subsidiary of a foreign group qualify through the parent's investment (E28D). Investment, second-home and repatriation applicants do not need a local sponsor. There is no published minimum number of days in Indonesia each year, but permit holders must keep their address and investment records current with immigration, and withdrawing the investment early can lead to cancellation.

Tax is a separate question from immigration status. An individual becomes an Indonesian tax resident by being present for more than 183 days in any 12-month period, or by being in Indonesia during a tax year with the intention to reside. Tax residents are in principle taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates. Since the 2020 Job Creation Law, foreign nationals who become tax residents and hold certain expertise may be taxed only on Indonesian-source income for their first four years of residence, subject to Ministry of Finance conditions. Golden Visa holders who spend limited time in the country may remain non-resident for tax purposes, which should be planned in advance.

Spouses and unmarried children under 18 can obtain family-union permits linked to the principal's Golden Visa, and parents may be included in certain cases. The Golden Visa does not convert automatically into citizenship. Under Law No. 12 of 2006 on Citizenship, a foreigner may apply for naturalisation after living in Indonesia for five consecutive or ten non-consecutive years, provided they speak Bahasa Indonesia, accept the state philosophy Pancasila, have a stable income and have no serious criminal record. Indonesia does not allow dual nationality for naturalised adults, so prior citizenship must be given up.