Respek Bali
ENIDRU

The people

Questions foreigners ask about property in Bali.

Short answers to the questions foreigners ask most often about property in Bali. Each answer repeats what another page of this guide says, and links to the section that gives the law, the article number and the official source.

Last checked 6 October 2026

Draft, under notary review

General information, not legal advice.

How to read this page

These answers add no new legal facts. Each one repeats what another page of this guide says, and links to the section with the article numbers and the official sources. A short answer leaves out conditions and exceptions; the linked section has them.

This is general information, not legal advice. The answer for your case depends on your nationality, the type of land right and the date of each step. A notary (notaris) or land deed official (PPAT) has to check your case.

Owning land and buildings

What a foreigner may hold in Bali, and what the law makes void.

Can a foreigner own land in Bali?

A foreigner cannot hold Hak Milik, the strongest land right: only Indonesian citizens may hold it. A sale or other act meant to pass Hak Milik to a foreigner, directly or indirectly, is void by law and the land falls to the State. A foreigner can hold Hak Pakai, a right to use land, and a foreigner with immigration documents may own a house on it or an apartment unit.

In depth

What is the difference between Hak Milik, HGB, Hak Pakai and a lease?

Hak Milik is held by Indonesian citizens only. Hak Guna Bangunan (HGB) is the right to put up and own buildings on land that is not your own, and only Indonesian citizens and legal entities set up under Indonesian law and based in Indonesia can hold it. Hak Pakai is the right to use land, and foreigners are expressly named among those who may hold it. A lease is a contract: the land stays the owner's, and no land right is registered in the tenant's name.

In depth

How long does Hak Pakai or HGB last?

On State land or Hak Pengelolaan land, a time-limited Hak Pakai and an HGB run for up to 30 years, can be extended by up to 20 years and then renewed for up to 30 years, on application and if the conditions are met. On Hak Milik land they are granted for up to 30 years and renewed with a new deed made by a PPAT. Ask your notary which land your right sits on.

In depth

Can a foreigner buy a house, and is there a minimum price?

A foreigner who holds immigration documents (a visa, passport or stay permit) may own a landed house on Hak Pakai, but not on HGB in their own name. In Bali the minimum price is Rp5 billion for a landed house, and 75 percent of that for diaspora buyers. A ministerial regulation sets a 2,000 square metre cap and one plot per person or family, with more allowed by the Minister's permit; the text does not make clear whether these limits add up or are alternatives.

In depth

Can a foreigner own an apartment in Bali?

Yes, a foreigner who holds immigration documents may own an apartment unit (Hak Milik atas Satuan Rumah Susun), if the building stands on Hak Pakai or HGB land. In Bali the minimum price is Rp2 billion for an apartment unit. The regulation covers units built in special economic zones, free trade zones and free ports, industrial areas and other economic zones, and its elucidation says other economic zones include urban areas, areas supporting urban areas and tourism areas. Whether a given building qualifies is for the land office to say.

In depth

What is a nominee arrangement, and is it legal?

A nominee arrangement (pinjam nama) is one in which land is registered in one person's name while someone else, here a foreigner, is the real owner. The UUPA says every sale or other act meant to transfer Hak Milik to a foreigner, directly or indirectly, is void by law: the land falls to the State and money already paid cannot be reclaimed. Bali's Perda 4/2026 also bans nominee arrangements and bans acting as a broker or facilitator for one. Its own sanctions are administrative, from a written warning to closure, revocation of a permit and demolition.

In depth

What is a PT PMA?

PT PMA is the common name for a limited liability company used for foreign investment. Foreign investment must take the form of a PT under Indonesian law and based in Indonesia, and an agreement that shares are held for another person is void. A PT PMA needs total investment above Rp10 billion per five-digit KBLI code per project location, and paid-up capital of at least Rp2.5 billion. Whether item (5)(b) of Pasal 26 of BKPM Regulation 5/2025 covers the villa codes is not stated, and whether a PT PMA fits the villa activity codes is not settled by the texts the guide read.

In depth

Leasing

Many foreigners lease land or a house instead of buying it.

How long can a lease run: 25 or 30 years?

We found no national rule that sets a maximum or minimum term for a private lease of land. The Civil Code asks only for a fixed period, and terms such as 25 or 30 years come from practice and from the contract, not from a statute. A lease is different from Hak Pakai, a registered land right that a foreigner may hold.

In depth

Can a long lease be used to get around the ownership rules?

A lease is not a way around them. A lease that is a lease in substance, for a fixed time and a price, is lawful, but the law gives no test for when a lease becomes a nominee arrangement. Bali's 2026 regulation bans acting as a go-between or facilitator in arrangements where someone holds land on behalf of a foreign beneficial owner. Ask your notary to check any side agreement, loan or power of attorney.

In depth

Costs, taxes and the land office

The amounts in your deal depend on its value, so ask your notary for a written estimate.

What taxes does a buyer pay?

The buyer pays BPHTB, an acquisition duty the law caps at 5 percent. In all nine kabupaten and kota of Bali the rate is 5 percent of the acquisition value minus a tax free amount of Rp80,000,000, which applies only to the buyer's first acquisition in that kabupaten or kota. The seller pays a final income tax of 2.5 percent of the gross value of the transfer. A developer charges VAT on a new house or apartment.

In depth

How much can a notary or a PPAT charge?

A PPAT may charge at most 1 percent of the transaction value in the deed, witness fees included. A 2021 regulation lowers the cap as the value rises, down to 0.25 percent above Rp2,500,000,000. A notary may charge at most 2.5 percent of the value of the deed up to Rp100,000,000, 1.5 percent from Rp100,000,000 to Rp1,000,000,000, and above that an agreed fee of at most 1 percent.

In depth

How long does the land office take to register a sale?

Peraturan Kepala BPN 1/2010 gives the land office at most 5 working days to register a transfer by sale, counted from the moment the file is complete and the fee is fully paid. The days before that, such as agreeing the deed with your PPAT or paying taxes, are not included, so the whole purchase takes longer. A 2026 pilot called PERINTIS 10 Hari runs in Bali at the land offices of Badung and Buleleng, and since 24 September 2026 also Denpasar, Tabanan, Jembrana and Gianyar. The 10 days in its name are a ministry target, not a deadline written in the decision.

In depth

Financing and paying

A bank or a developer sets its own terms, so ask for them in writing.

Can a foreigner get a mortgage in Bali?

A non-resident can borrow only under exceptions: Bank Indonesia's rule bars banks from lending to a person not domiciled in Indonesia, or domiciled there for less than one year, and its implementing rule exempts consumer credit or financing in Indonesia without defining it. Bank Indonesia's loan-to-value rule calls a home loan consumer credit for its own purposes, so on that reading a home loan to a non-resident can fall within the exception, but no text says so directly; ask the bank how it classifies the loan. For a resident foreigner we found no banking rule that bars lending, so in both cases whether to lend is the bank's own decision. The property must be able to carry a Hak Tanggungan (a Hak Pakai with a term or an apartment unit's certificate can, a lease cannot), and a notary or PPAT and the lender have to check your case.

In depth

Can I pay for a house or villa in Bali in dollars?

Rupiah must be used in payments inside Indonesia, by residents and non-residents alike, and prices must be shown only in rupiah. A sale of land or a house is not among the exceptions in the law. A payment by transfer in a foreign currency must be received in rupiah, and a foreign currency deposit at a bank is exempt. The texts do not say how a deed or a PPJB with a foreign currency price is treated, so ask your notary how to write the price and the payment.

In depth

Checking before you sign

Seven checks, in the order a deal usually runs.

How do I check a land certificate?

Find out which title the land has and who holds it, then compare the parcel on BHUMI ATR/BPN with the copy of the certificate you were shown. BHUMI shows the shape, area and type of land right of a registered parcel, but not the owner's name. Ask your notary to check the certificate at the land office before you sign; a certificate check costs Rp50,000. After a transfer, you can verify an electronic certificate with the Sentuh Tanahku app.

In depth

How do I check the seller, the notary and the PPAT?

Search the seller company at AHU Online and check that its name and address match the contract; the free search shows no status, and the full profile is a paid request that your notary can order. Search the PPAT in the ATR/BPN register, which is public and needs no login. For a notary, the Ikatan Notaris Indonesia site lets you search notary offices by name and region, but the guide found no public verification tool for notaries on ahu.go.id, so ask to see the letter of appointment (SK pengangkatan) and the working area. The page on checking a developer or seller covers the owners and the court and insolvency records.

In depth

How do I check a real estate agent, and what can the agent charge?

A property agent must work for a licensed agency (a P4). By the Ministry of Trade's position the agency holds an NIB and a verified Sertifikat Standar, though one licensed before PP 28/2025 may rely on an older licence, and each broker holds a competency certificate and must be an Indonesian citizen. Ask for the agency's licence number and the broker's certificate number, test the NIB in OSS and the certificate on the BNSP form, and read the written agreement: for a sale the commission is at least 2 and at most 5 percent of the transaction value, and for a rental at least 5 and at most 8 percent (by our reading a long lease counts as a rental). An agent is also a reporting party under the anti-money-laundering rules and will ask for your identity and the source of your funds.

In depth

How can I find out whether the land is in a court case?

Search the court registers before you pay. Cases are searched in SIPP, the public case search of each court: search the owner's name and the seller company's name in the court for the regency where the land lies, and in the court of the owner's or seller's domicile. A search that finds nothing proves little, because names appear as filed and some parties are masked, so ask your notary to check the land office record for blocks, lawsuit notes and seizures. A company's bankruptcy and PKPU cases are heard in a commercial court, which for a company seated in Bali is the one at the Pengadilan Negeri Surabaya.

In depth

Is there a checklist I can take to my notary?

Yes. The page 'A checklist before you sign' is made to print and take to your notary or PPAT. It gathers the questions and documents from other pages of this guide, and each check comes word for word from another page, which is named at the end of its section. What you cannot check yourself, ask your notary to check before you sign.

In depth

Zoning, farmland and building

What decides whether a plot can be used, and what a house needs before you build or use it.

How do I know whether I can build on a plot?

First the use of the land must fit the zoning, which is confirmed through a KKPR. Where the area has a detailed plan (RDTR) integrated into the OSS system, you get a Konfirmasi KKPR, which must be issued within 1 working day of a complete application and payment of the state fee. Where there is no RDTR, or it is not yet integrated, you get a Persetujuan KKPR, which must be issued within 20 working days. You can look at the plans on GISTARU RTR Online, where areas without a detailed plan show as gaps, but what a plan allows is set by the code of the zone and the plan's table of allowed activities: a colour only labels the zone and differs between plans.

In depth

Can I buy rice field land and build a villa on it?

Land designated as LP2B, protected farmland, may not be converted to another use, except for the public interest or a national strategic project. A rice field that is on the map of protected rice fields (LSD) but not yet designated LP2B may not be converted before the minister gives a recommendation to change land use. Bali's Perda 4/2026 bans converting productive land designated in the spatial plan to non-agricultural use, with sanctions up to demolition and restoration of the land. Ask for written confirmation that the land is not protected rice field.

In depth

Do I need a building permit?

Yes. A house needs its use confirmed against the zoning (KKPR), then an approval to build (PBG) before construction starts, and a certificate that the finished building is fit for use (SLF) before anyone uses it. You apply for the PBG through the national SIMBG system; planning consultation is free, then the technical office sets a fee and DPMPTSP issues the PBG once it has proof of payment. The PBG replaced the old IMB.

In depth

What if the house I want to buy has no PBG, or only an old IMB?

An old IMB stays valid for a building that is built and unchanged, but it was not converted into a PBG, and any change of function, floors, floor area or facade needs a PBG. The statute makes it the owner's and user's duty to demolish a building that has no PBG, and a buyer becomes the owner. Building or using without PBG or SLF also brings administrative sanctions, from a written warning to a stop of use and revocation. Ask the seller for the PBG or IMB and the SLF, with their registration numbers.

In depth

Renting a villa to guests

A villa let to tourists is a business, not only a house.

Do I need a licence to rent out a villa to tourists?

Yes. A villa business needs a business registration number (NIB) and a Sertifikat Standar through OSS, after the basic requirements: confirmation that the use fits the zoning (KKPR), an environmental approval, and the PBG and SLF. The tourism standard adds a self-assessment document (Dokumen Penilaian Mandiri) and a Sertifikat Laik Sehat. Bali's own regulation also requires a TDUP registration and registration on the province's tourism portal; how this fits with national licensing is not settled.

In depth

Can a foreigner rent out a villa?

An individual business actor in OSS must be an Indonesian citizen, and foreign investment must take the form of a PT PMA. The regulations do not settle whether a foreign-owned company may run a villa: the investment list allocates the villa codes to cooperatives and small and medium enterprises, and no text says whether a PMA may use an allocated field, so the guide draws no conclusion. A house a foreigner owns under PP 18/2021 is limited, among other things, to residential use, and the text does not say whether letting it to short-stay guests fits that limit. Ask a notary and OSS or BKPM before you rely on a structure.

In depth

What tax do I pay on villa rental?

A villa let to guests owes a regional hotel tax (PBJT) on what guests pay, and the operator calculates, files and pays it. Each kabupaten or kota sets its rate, capped at 10 percent; the four checked, Badung, Gianyar, Denpasar and Tabanan, set 10 percent. Income tax on the rent is separate, and the guide leaves open how it applies to a villa let to guests, so ask a tax adviser.

In depth

Does the Bali tourist levy apply to me or my guests?

Every foreign tourist pays Rp150,000 once per trip, cashless, through Love Bali; the payment is valid while the tourist travels in Bali, until they leave Indonesia. KITAS and KITAP holders are exempt, and so are holders of diplomatic, official, family reunification and student visas, and crew; a buyer who comes to view property as a tourist pays the levy. The levy is owed by the tourist, not the owner, and the guide found no duty on accommodation providers to collect it.

In depth

What happens if I rent out a villa without the licences?

A business that breaches its basic requirements or licence faces a warning, a temporary stop, an administrative fine, police coercive force and revocation, imposed through OSS. Breaking Bali's tourism registration rules is a minor offence: the regulation threatens up to three months in detention or a fine of up to Rp50,000,000, and since UU 1/2026 took effect on 2 January 2026 only the fine remains, but its Pasal 11(5) speaks of the TDUP, which PP 28/2025 replaced, and the texts do not show how it applies now or to villa owners. A foreigner who deliberately misuses a stay permit faces prison of up to five years and/or a fine of up to Rp200,000,000. No official text the guide opened says whether running or owning a rental villa fits a visit visa, a KITAS or another permit, so ask an immigration adviser.

In depth

Marriage and inheritance

Marriage and the death of an owner can each change who may hold land in Indonesia.

I am married to an Indonesian. Can my spouse buy land for us?

An Indonesian citizen who marries a foreigner may hold the same land rights as other Indonesian citizens (PP 18/2021, Pasal 70). That land right is not joint property, which is proven by a notarial agreement between the spouses separating their property (perjanjian pemisahan harta). With the agreement, the land belongs to the Indonesian spouse alone and the foreign spouse gets no right in it. Without such an agreement, a foreigner who acquires Hak Milik through mixing of marital property must release it within one year.

In depth

What happens to my house in Bali if I die?

A foreign owner's house can be inherited by the heirs, and a foreign heir must hold immigration documents in line with the law. The law is silent on what happens if a foreign heir has none: PP 18/2021 sets no deadline and no consequence. A will cannot give Hak Milik to a foreigner, and a foreigner who acquires Hak Milik by inheritance without a will must release it within one year. The guide does not answer which country's inheritance law applies to a foreigner's land, so a notary must answer it for your case.

In depth

Visas and staying in Bali

In Indonesian law, holding a house and the permit to stay in the country are separate.

Which visa do I need to live in Bali if I own a house?

Owning a house does not give a right to stay: the land law asks for an immigration document and the immigration law sets the permits, and we found no visa on the official list that is issued because someone owns a house. A visit permit lasts up to 30 days on a visa exemption, 60 days on a visa on arrival and up to 180 days on a tourist visa. To live here longer you need a limited stay permit, for example the second home visa (a bank deposit or an apartment as guarantee), an investor visa, the version for people aged 55 and over, or the permit of the spouse of an Indonesian citizen. The page gives the conditions of each.

In depth

What happens to my house in Bali if my residence permit ends?

The law is silent. PP 18/2021 asks for an immigration document when a foreigner holds the house, and sets no deadline and no consequence when the permit ends. The nearest general rule says a Hak Pakai holder who no longer meets the conditions must release or transfer the right within one year, or it ends by law; we found no text that applies it to a lapsed permit, and the regulation defines a foreigner by presence, business, work or investment in Indonesia without saying whether someone who has left for good still meets that definition. A foreigner who stays on after the permit ends faces a charge or deportation under the immigration law, which does not mention the house, so a notary must say how the land office treats your case.

In depth

As a foreigner with a KITAS, must I register where I live?

Yes, in two places, under two laws. The population law makes a foreigner with a limited stay permit who plans to live in Indonesia report to the population office of the kabupaten or kota within 14 working days of the permit being issued; the office issues a residence certificate (SKTT) that the holder must carry when travelling. Separately, the immigration law makes a foreigner, and the sponsor, report a change of address, sponsor, civil status or citizenship to the local immigration office. The papers the three Bali offices we read ask for differ from the national text and from each other, so ask the office of your address for its list.

In depth

Can I work in Bali on my visa, and what must the employer do?

Not on a visit permit: the visa exemption, the visa on arrival and the visit visas bar selling goods or services and receiving pay for work from a person or company in Indonesia. A foreigner who works for an Indonesian employer needs a visa and a stay permit for work, and the employer must first hold a ratified foreign worker plan (RPTKA), pay a compensation fund of US$100 per person per post per month and, for most posts, name an Indonesian companion; an individual may not employ a foreigner. Directors and commissioners are excused from the companion, and a director or commissioner with a qualifying shareholding needs no RPTKA. If you work for a company abroad, the remote worker visa (E33G) is the one built for it, and the texts we read do not settle paid work for Indonesian clients.

In depth

Driving and vehicles

Driving licences, rented and owned vehicles, accidents and police stops raise questions that the property pages do not answer.

Can I drive in Bali on my home driving licence?

Indonesian law requires a SIM for the type of vehicle, and a licence issued by another state is valid only where an agreement exists between that state and Indonesia (UU 22/2009, Pasal 77(1) and 85(4)). One agreement is the 1985 ASEAN agreement, which covers the domestic licences of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand for a temporary stay. For other countries we did not find a list of the countries or conventions under which a foreign licence or an international permit is accepted, so ask the traffic police in writing before you drive.

In depth

Can a foreigner own and register a car or a motorbike?

Neither the traffic law nor the registration regulation sets a nationality bar. For an individual owner the regulation names the identity documents: the KTP for an Indonesian citizen, the KITAP card for a foreigner with a permanent stay permit, and a residence letter with the KITAS card for a foreigner with a limited stay permit (Perpol 7/2021, Pasal 10(6)(a)). It names no document for a foreigner who holds neither.

In depth

What should a scooter or car rental contract say, and who pays after a theft or an accident?

The Civil Code makes the renter answer for damage during the rental unless he proves it was not his fault, but its articles on hire speak of damage and do not say who bears a theft, so the contract has to say (KUHPerdata, Pasal 1564). After an accident the traffic law makes the driver and the owner responsible for the loss of a third party caused by the driver's negligence, and how they share it is for the contract (UU 22/2009, Pasal 234(1)). The page lists what the contract should state: the condition at handover, theft, claims of others, fines and seizure, your licence, helmets, the deposit and insurance.

In depth

What happens if the police stop me, and how are fines paid?

At a road check the driver must show the STNK and the SIM, and the officer may issue a ticket (Surat Tilang) and seize the SIM, the STNK or the vehicle (UU 22/2009, Pasal 106(5); PP 80/2012, Pasal 32). A ticket is settled by attending the hearing or by depositing the fine at the bank the Government designates, and the deposit is the maximum fine for the offence (UU 22/2009, Pasal 267). The texts name no way to settle a ticket by paying the officer.

In depth

Phone and SIM card

A phone and a SIM card follow two separate registrations, and the property pages do not cover either.

Can a foreigner register a SIM card with a passport?

Yes. The staff of the operator's outlet register a foreigner from the passport, the KITAP or the KITAS, and the operator must switch the number on within 1 x 24 hours after it verifies the identity (Permenkomdigi 7/2026, Pasal 3, 6 and 11). A starter card must be sold inactive, and a number on a false or someone else's identity can be burned (Pasal 2(4) and 16). The regulation describes self-registration in an app only with the Indonesian NIK and a face match, so ask the operator whether a passport route exists.

In depth

Do I have to register my phone's IMEI?

The 90 days is the active period of a foreign tourist's local number (Permenkominfo 1/2020, Pasal 3(5) and 6(2)(a)); the text does not say from which day it runs or whether a KITAS holder counts as a tourist, and the phone may also stay on a foreign SIM card on roaming. If you may stay longer, register the phone with customs at arrival, with the electronic form, the passport and a ticket, because customs cannot register it after 60 days. Personal goods up to USD 500 per person per arrival carry no duty, and above that customs charges duty of 10 percent on the excess, plus VAT (PMK 203/PMK.04/2017 as amended by PMK 34/2025). If you left the airport without registering, you have 60 days with no allowance.

In depth

Where can I check the status of an IMEI?

Customs has a public status check, which shows the IMEIs registered through its own registration form. The Ministry of Industry's page, which many sites name, said on 6 October 2026 that access for the public is closed. The operator must give you information on the IMEI status in its own records (Permenkominfo 1/2020, Pasal 2(3)(d) and 8(1)(a)).

In depth

Selling and leaving

Selling a house or a lease, and leaving Indonesia, raise questions that the buying pages do not answer.

Who can I sell my house in Bali to?

A foreigner's Hak Pakai house can go to an Indonesian citizen or an Indonesian-law legal entity, or to another foreigner who holds an immigration document and meets the same limits as a buyer of a new house, the minimum price included (PP 18/2021, Pasal 49 and 69 to 72; Kepmen ATR/BPN 1241/2022). An HGB can go only to an Indonesian citizen or an Indonesian-law legal entity (Pasal 34). Depending on the land under the house, the Hak Pengelolaan holder, the owner of the Hak Milik or the land office may have to agree. A Hak Tanggungan on the certificate is cleared by the lender and struck by the land office (roya).

In depth

Can I take the money out of Indonesia after I sell?

The Foreign Exchange Act lets residents hold and use foreign exchange freely and has no clearance for sending money abroad; it leaves the detail to Bank Indonesia (UU 24/1999, Pasal 2 and 3). The price is paid in rupiah, and a bank that sells you foreign currency for rupiah above a monthly amount per party (a company counts too) needs an underlying transaction shown by documents; from 1 July 2026 that amount is the equivalent of US$10,000. We found no text on which document a bank accepts for a house sale, and none that requires a tax clearance certificate. An immigration officer may refuse a foreigner's exit while an obligation such as tax is open.

In depth

Banjar and desa adat

Bali has two systems of authority side by side, the state administration and the customary village.

What are a banjar and a desa adat, and do they matter for my purchase?

A desa adat is a customary law community in Bali with its own territory, rules and authority to manage its own affairs, and a banjar is a part of it. Within its territory a desa adat has authority over its land and investment decisions, and Perda 4/2019 gives its highest decision body, the Paruman Desa Adat, authority over decisions on an investment plan inside the territory. That Perda sets out no role for the desa adat in the state permit chain for KKPR, PBG or NIB. Ask which banjar and desa adat the land is in, and ask for a written note that there is no customary claim on the land and no unpaid obligation.

In depth

Will the banjar ask me to pay fees?

A foreign owner is usually a tamiu, a person who is in the village area for a time, or lives there and is recorded in the desa adat, and each desa adat sets what tamiu owe in its own written rules (awig-awig and pararem). The province does speak to contributions: Pergub Bali 34/2019 calls dudukan, the contribution asked of tamiu, mandatory, and as amended in 2022 it requires a standard set by the provincial Majelis Desa Adat (MDA). An MDA guideline of 2022 sets a ceiling in rice value, at most 1.5 kg of rice for a tamiu with a home in the village area and at most 1 kg for one who rents for 35 days or more, and says punia, a gift, is voluntary. Before you buy, ask the bendesa adat for the pararem that applies to tamiu and its registration number, and get the answer in writing.

In depth

When something goes wrong

If a land deal in Bali goes wrong, or a foreigner is held by immigration or the police, there is more than one place to turn.

Where do I complain if a land deal goes wrong?

There is more than one route, and each has its own deadline and limits. The land office can mediate and, in listed cases, cancel a certificate; the administrative court (PTUN) hears challenges to a land decision; a civil court hears ownership and contract claims; the Ombudsman takes complaints about a public office; and the police take reports of fraud or forgery. Five periods matter most: a private block and a lawsuit note each last 30 calendar days, an objection to the office may be due within 21 working days of the decision, the suit in the administrative court within 90 days, and five years after a certificate is issued the ways to challenge it narrow. For a court case, hire an Indonesian advocate.

In depth

What can immigration do to a foreigner, and for how long can I be held?

Immigration can impose an administrative action outside the courts: an exit or entry ban, a limit or cancellation of the permit, a charge, an order to live at a set place, or deportation (UU 6/2011 Pasal 75). Detention is by a written decision: up to 30 days in a detention room at an office, then a detention house until deportation, and up to 10 years if deportation cannot be carried out. An objection goes in writing, in Indonesian, to the Director General within 21 working days and does not stop the action. A copy of the detention decision goes to the sponsor, the family and/or the representative of your country.

In depth

What are my rights if the police arrest me in Indonesia?

Under UU 20/2025, in force since 2 January 2026, an arrest lasts at most 24 hours and needs an arrest order, except when you are caught in the act, and a copy of the order goes to your family or a person you name within 1 day. You may choose and be accompanied by an advocate at every examination, have an interpreter at any time, give or refuse a statement, and contact and receive the representative of your country. Officials must appoint an advocate if the crime is threatened with death, life prison or 15 years or more, or 5 years or more and you cannot pay.

In depth