which visa?

Hello all,

I would aooreciate a little help/input about what visa I should apply for, when, and how. I will move to Kuta lombok with my Sasak wife and our 2 kids in approx 1-2 years. We have land in Kuta partially developed for tourist related business and will further develope it in the future.I was thinking of a kitas visa for foreigner with indonesian spouse. I want to help in the operation of the business and don't want officials coming with their hands out.

I suspect I should apply at the consulate in the U.S. well before we plan our move. Correct? I really know very little about the subject. I know there's alot to be read on the net but I think it may be easier to cut to the chase by getting advice from people who have first hand knowledge.

Hi Tom

As I recall I came in to Indonesia on a Social Visa which got converted to a Kitas at some point, I think it was on month 5.

I have used an agent for my Kitas in the past and would recommend him it cost Rp5.000.000 per year. his name is Taufic and his number is 081 836 3529 or 081 9052 50195.

However we would be interested to hear from anyone who has done their KITAS renewals themselves as we can not afford the agent fees this year and never having done it alone have no idea what is involved or needed.

Gemma, that 5J you quote - that is agent fee only?
Because KITAS is $US1200 per year I think.

The only advice i would give about reducing the chances of officials and their open hands is don't start a PMA company. It seems to be a beacon for all sorts of attention.

I would also say that if your wife is Sasak, your 'battle' is 50% won, or certainly life should be easier than if you were a crazy foreigner doing it all on their own!

I am not sure you would be 'entitled' to a KITAS because you are married to an Indonesian. You need to check. (Gemma?)
The rules, and the caveats about foreigners who are married to Indonesians, is in my opinion pretty old fashioned, certainly sexist if you are a woman- although there have been some very recent changes to the laws to redress that - again check.
A

My 5 juta is visa and agent fee and is for a spouse KITAS. (not sure what the correct term is) I know a business KITAS is around $1200 so that is the difference.

In some ways the regulations make it easier for a foreign woman to stay here as they expect the woman to "follow" the husband. I think it can be a bit harder for a foreign man married to an Indonesian but there are quite a lot of guys married to locals in Kuta and living here long term so it isn't too difficult.

Larry, Wati, and Kailana will be here from Kuta in June, insa Allah. I can grill him then, as he has lived there for years with the same situation.
In my experience, the Indo. consulate in Los Angeles hasbeen relatively easy to work with and straight forward. No stalling for...well you know. I would much prefer trying to sort it out here prior but don't know if that's possible. I think I will be going there for renewal of my wife's passport near the end of the year. I can enquire then. I will post any info I receive for anyone who's interested.
And thanks for the replys. Tom

Gemmas visa is a" KITAS ikut suami" (follow the husband). After the wedding a western women has 1 yr to apply for a Kitas ikut suami There is no similare visa for a western man married to an Indonesian woman as said women is expected to" follow" her western husband. The man is seen as the provider and the women is not expected to take care of her husband.

Hi Mimpikami, the visa laws did change a few years ago and now there is a spouse visa, essentially it meant that foreign men married to Indonesian women can now get the same visa as was previously only given to foreign women married to Indonesian men. Also, the one year from marriage is for a foreign woman married to an Indonesian man to apply for citizenship, not for an ikut suami visa. This is still only for foreign women married to Indonesian men.

Effectively there is no longer an 'ikut suami' visa, it is a spouse visa for all - but the purpose stated on the visa can be ikut suami, or ikut istri.

Tom, the sticky bit for you is the statement that you 'want to help in the operation of the business'. This is still very much a grey area that is favored more toward foreign women than men. It seems, done discreetly and behind the scenes, a foreign woman can "help" her husband in "his" business, but it is different when the man is the foreigner. You really should talk to the embassy/consulate and/or a visa agent to get some clarification and opinions on which visa is most suited to what you intend to do in Indonesia. There is a fine line between working and not working. You might also benefit from chatting to other foreigners men living and operating businesses in Lombok to ascertain which visa is the best for you.
For the most part, when it comes to working or operating businesses, being married to a local does not necessarily help you with visas. Which visa will also depend on how you intend to live - e.g. I have friends who own a villa operation, he has a standard business visa (not working visa), multiple entry. But he does not live full time in Indonesia. If he did live full time in Indonesia, he would need to make some other arrangement.
As I said, it is probably too complex to get a definitive answer here, and if you are applying in the US, even if someone relates what they have it might not be what the consulate you are dealing with is willing to do. So probably best talk to them.

As a post-script, to illustrate my point that it often comes down to individual consulates (and even consulate staff) when I first moved to Indonesia, I asked my local consulate in Perth about getting a spouse visa. They would not issue one and insisted that I go into Indonesia on a social visa and apply for a Kitas there. Once there, I met someone who had done the same thing except from Melbourne, and had been given a kitas in Melbourne without any problems (and visas for all their kids).

Yes very complex. Thanks for the advice and experience. It s very helpful. I know in Lombok even seemingly simple things can be difficult. Iwill consult expat friends and my local consulate. I really hope I can do it here.

Thank you Freo for putting me straight on the Kita issue. I wasn't aware of the change .


www.expat.or.id under Practical information has lots and lots of information regarding visas and many other issues concerning what you need while staying long term in indonesia.