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Indonesia Foreign Worker Permit Changes 2026: OSS, SIAPkerja & All Indonesia Integration
By the Visa Indonesia Team·11 September 2026·10 min read
Visas and Regulations
Indonesia is changing how companies apply for foreign-worker licensing. Under the announced 2026 reform, Online Single Submission (OSS) is set to become the single entry point connecting SIAPkerja at the Ministry of Manpower with All Indonesia at the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections.
The change was announced on Sep 9, 2026 and is planned for rollout at the end of September 2026. It covers the Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing (RPTKA) process together with VITAS, ITAS, and ITAP services linked to foreign workers. The government is targeting a process of roughly four to five days.
The important point is simple: this is a system integration, not the removal of manpower or immigration checks. Employers should expect a more connected application route, while the relevant ministries continue to review the parts that fall under their authority.
What Is Changing With Indonesia’s Foreign Worker Permit Process?
Foreign-worker cases sit across two regulatory areas. Manpower handles the employment side, while Immigration handles the visa and stay-permit side. Until now, employers have had to deal with connected procedures through separate government systems.
That does not mean one ministry suddenly controls the entire process. The practical change is that the applicant gets one clearer entry point while the agencies behind it continue their own reviews.
How the New OSS Process Is Expected to Work
Based on the September announcement, the workflow should broadly look like this:
The employer starts the relevant application through OSS.
Manpower-related data is connected to SIAPkerja.
The Ministry of Manpower reviews the RPTKA requirements.
Immigration processes the relevant VITAS, ITAS, or ITAP verification through All Indonesia.
The systems exchange the result through the integrated OSS pathway.
This is an expected workflow based on the announcement, not a button-by-button tutorial. Until the live system and implementation instructions are published, exact screenshots or click paths would be speculation.
Which Foreign Worker Documents Are Included?
The integration covers several connected approvals rather than one new document.
RPTKA: the employment-planning approval
RPTKA stands for Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing, or Foreign Worker Utilization Plan. It relates to the employer’s legal basis for using a foreign worker in a particular role under the applicable manpower rules.
Under the integrated model, the application is expected to start through OSS, while the Ministry of Manpower continues the assessment through SIAPkerja.
VITAS is the Visa Tinggal Terbatas, or Limited Stay Visa. It sits on the immigration side of the process for foreigners entering Indonesia for a limited-stay purpose.
ITAS: the limited-stay permit
ITAS is Izin Tinggal Terbatas, the Limited Stay Permit commonly associated with KITAS status. For a foreign employee, the immigration status and the legal basis for working must align.
ITAP is Izin Tinggal Tetap, or Permanent Stay Permit. It is not the default document for every newly hired foreign worker; it applies only where a person qualifies under the relevant immigration rules.
Together, these processes show why “work permit” can be misleading shorthand. Employment approval and immigration permission remain separate legal functions even when the systems are connected.
Is Indonesia Creating a New “Work Permit”?
Not exactly. “Indonesia work permit” is useful search language, but the 2026 reform does not create one brand-new permit with that name.
A company may still need the correct RPTKA basis, while the foreign worker needs the appropriate visa and stay permission. The integration is intended to connect those processes through OSS, not collapse them into one document.
When Will the New OSS Foreign Worker System Start?
The integration was announced on Sep 9, 2026, when the Ministers of Manpower, Immigration and Corrections, and Investment and Downstreaming/BKPM signed two Joint Decrees.
One decree covers the integration of OSS, SIAPkerja, and All Indonesia. The other establishes a Technical Integration Team. Officials said implementation is planned for the end of September 2026.
Until the authorities confirm the live process, applicants should treat the reform as announced but not yet fully operational. If you already have an application in progress, continue following the currently applicable procedure unless formal transition instructions say otherwise.
Will Foreign Worker Permits Really Take Only Five Days?
The government is aiming for a more predictable service window. Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani said the integrated process would take approximately four to five days and referred to a maximum five-day service target.
That matters for companies planning onboarding, travel, project launches, or technical work. However, the five-day target should not be read as a guarantee that every application will be approved within five days of submission.
Incomplete, inconsistent, or ineligible applications can still require further review. The safest interpretation is that the government is setting a service-level target for the integrated process while keeping the substantive checks in place.
Before vs. After the 2026 Integration
The biggest change is not that approvals disappear. It is that the path between them becomes more connected.
Before integration
After integration
Separate system interactions across manpower and immigration procedures.
OSS becomes the single entry point connecting the relevant systems.
Applicants navigate which system handles each stage.
OSS is intended to route data while each ministry keeps its authority.
Coordination between approvals can be harder to predict.
The connected process is intended to be more predictable and easier to track.
What Is Not Changing?
This is where the distinction matters most. The announcement is about service delivery, not deregulation.
RPTKA remains part of the process. Manpower and Immigration also keep their respective authority over employment and immigration approvals.
Eligibility and document consistency still matter. A connected portal does not fix an unsuitable position, inconsistent worker data, missing company documents, or another compliance problem.
Indonesia also continues to link foreign-worker policy with skills, knowledge, and technology transfer. In other words, the reform is intended to reduce administrative friction without removing the policy controls around foreign employment.
Who Will Be Affected?
Employers and PT PMA companies
Companies sponsoring eligible foreign employees are directly affected, including qualifying Indonesian-owned and foreign-investment companies. HR, legal, and company administrators should see the biggest procedural change because the application starts from a more centralized point.
The reform is particularly relevant to PT PMA companies bringing in foreign expertise, but PT PMA status does not allow a company to employ anyone in any role. Manpower, immigration, licensing, and position-specific requirements still apply.
For the foreign employee, the front-end change may be less visible because the employer is central to the manpower process. The potential benefit is better coordination between employment and immigration approvals.
If you are preparing to hire a foreign worker, use the period before rollout to clean up the case rather than waiting for a new interface.
Check that your company’s OSS information and business licensing are current. Then confirm that the proposed role, employment arrangement, and foreign-worker documentation fit the applicable manpower requirements.
On the immigration side, make sure names, passport details, job information, and company data are consistent across the file. System integration may speed up government processing, but it cannot replace accurate preparation.
Finally, watch for formal rollout instructions at the end of September, especially if you already have an application in progress. Transition rules are one of the practical details that have not yet been fully published.
The Legal Basis Behind the Change
Government Regulation No. 28 of 2025
PP 28/2025 took effect on Jun 5, 2025 and replaced Government Regulation No. 5 of 2021 on risk-based business licensing. It places OSS at the center of Indonesia’s broader risk-based licensing framework.
That broader architecture helps explain why the foreign-worker reform is being built around OSS rather than replacing SIAPkerja or Immigration’s system outright.
Two Joint Decrees signed in September 2026
The foreign-worker-specific step is the signing of two Joint Decrees by the Ministers of Manpower, Immigration and Corrections, and Investment and Downstreaming/BKPM.
One covers system and data integration across OSS, SIAPkerja, and All Indonesia. The other establishes the technical team responsible for the integration. The reform was presented as a way to make investment-related hiring faster and more predictable while preserving regulatory review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Indonesia still require an RPTKA in 2026?
Yes. The integration specifically includes the RPTKA approval process. The change is about how the systems connect, not the removal of RPTKA.
Is OSS replacing SIAPkerja?
No. OSS is set to become the single entry point, while SIAPkerja remains part of the Manpower-side processing.
Is All Indonesia replacing the immigration process?
No. Immigration continues to verify and issue the relevant approvals. All Indonesia is part of the connected Immigration workflow.
How long will the new foreign-worker process take?
The government is targeting approximately four to five days under the integrated process. Treat that as a service target, not a guarantee for incomplete or ineligible applications.
When will the new process start?
The rollout is planned for the end of September 2026. Until implementation is confirmed, applicants should follow the procedure currently in force.
Do existing ITAS holders need to reapply?
Nothing in the announcement says existing ITAS holders must reapply simply because the systems are being integrated. Follow any transition or renewal guidance published by the authorities.
The Bottom Line
Indonesia’s 2026 foreign-worker licensing reform is mainly a change in infrastructure. OSS is intended to become the single entry point connecting SIAPkerja and All Indonesia, while RPTKA and immigration approvals remain subject to the relevant government reviews.
For now, the reform has been announced but is not yet fully operational. Employers should prepare accurate company and worker documentation, continue using the current procedure until rollout is confirmed, and check the live guidance before starting a new case.
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