For many expatriates living in Indonesia, the question of how to bring parents along eventually comes up. Maybe a parent is getting older and needs to be closer. Maybe the family simply wants to spend extended time together in one place. Whatever the reason, the good news is that Indonesian immigration law accommodates this through the Parent Limited Stay Permit (Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas or KITAS) under index E31H.

The less obvious part is that most people do not know E31H exists until they start asking around, and when they do find it, they encounter conflicting information about who qualifies to sponsor it and what the process actually involves. Some sources describe it as being exclusively for parents of children attending school in Indonesia. Others mention it only in passing as part of a broader dependent visa overview.

This guide addresses the full picture: who can sponsor a Parent KITAS, who is eligible to receive one, what documents are required, and what parents can and cannot do during their stay in Indonesia.

What the E31H Parent KITAS Actually Covers

The E31H is a Dependent Limited Stay Permit issued to a foreign parent whose child holds a valid stay permit in Indonesia. It is classified under the E31 family reunification series alongside the spouse permit (E31B), child permit (E31E), and sibling permit (E31J).

The permit is governed under Regulation of the Minister of Law and Human Rights (Peraturan Menteri Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia or Permenkumham) No. 22 of 2023 on Visas and Stay Permits, as amended by Permenkumham No. 11 of 2024, with certain provisions subsequently amended by Regulation of the Minister of Immigration and Correctional Services (Peraturan Menteri Imigrasi dan Pemasyarakatan or Permen Imipas) No. 3 of 2025. Under this framework, the E31H is issued to a foreign national who is the parent of a principal stay permit holder, with the permit’s validity tied directly to the child’s permit.

The key word in that definition is “principal stay permit holder.” The regulation is not limited to children attending school. A parent can obtain an E31H based on a child who holds any of the following permit types: 

  • Work KITAS (E23)
  • Investor KITAS (E28A)
  • Student KITAS (E30A)
  • Second Home KITAS (B517)
  • Retirement KITAS
  • Remote Worker KITAS (E33G) or a Permanent Stay Permit (Izin Tinggal Tetap or ITAP)

This is the most commonly misunderstood aspect of the E31H, and it is worth stating clearly: the child does not need to be a student for the parent to qualify.

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Who Can Sponsor a Parent KITAS

The sponsor in an E31H application is the child, not a company. This is a meaningful structural difference from Work KITAS and Investor KITAS arrangements, where a corporate entity acts as the sponsor. For the E31H, the child who holds a valid stay permit in Indonesia acts as the individual sponsor for their parent.

This means the sponsorship relationship is purely personal. It does not require the child to be employed, to own a company, or to hold any particular level of capital. It requires only that the child holds a valid, active stay permit of a qualifying category at the time the parent’s application is submitted and throughout the duration of the parent’s stay.

One practical implication of this is that if the child’s permit lapses, is cancelled, or is converted to an incompatible category, the parent’s E31H loses its legal basis accordingly. This is the same derivative-status principle that applies across all E31 family permit categories. Families should plan the timing of the parent’s application to align with the child’s permit renewal cycle to avoid validity gaps.

Validity and Renewal

The E31H is issued for the same duration as the child’s principal permit. If the child holds a one-year Work KITAS, the parent receives a one-year E31H. If the child holds a two-year Investor KITAS, the parent receives a two-year permit. For children holding a Second Home KITAS or a longer-term permit, the parent’s permit will reflect that duration.

Unlike some earlier interpretations that described the E31H as non-renewable, the current framework allows the permit to be extended. The extension follows the same process as the initial application, and the documents required are substantially the same. Extensions should be initiated at least four weeks before the current permit expires to allow sufficient processing time.

The maximum cumulative stay under an E31H across extensions can reach up to five years before the holder may need to consider transitioning to a Permanent Stay Permit (ITAP), subject to eligibility under the applicable framework at that time.

Documents Required

All E31H applications are submitted through the official immigration portal (evisa.imigrasi.go.id) with the child acting as the sponsoring individual. The following documents are required.

Required for the parent applicant:

  • Valid passport with a minimum of 18 months remaining validity at the time of application
  • Recent colour passport photograph
  • Bank statement from the past three months showing a minimum balance of USD 2,000, under either the applicant’s or the sponsor’s name
  • Valid health insurance covering the full duration of the intended stay in Indonesia
  • Birth certificate or other documentary proof establishing the parent-child relationship, translated into Indonesian by a sworn translator (penerjemah tersumpah) if not originally in Indonesian or English

Required from the sponsoring child:

  • Copy of the child’s valid passport biographical page
  • Copy of the child’s valid KITAS or ITAP
  • Proof of Indonesian residential address (apartment lease, house rental agreement, or property ownership document)

For parents whose documents originate from countries that are signatories to the Apostille Convention, immigration offices in Jakarta and Bali have consistently recommended apostillation of birth certificates and identity documents before submitting the application. While the regulation does not universally mandate apostillation, apostilled documents significantly reduce the risk of rejection at the document verification stage.

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The Application Process

The process follows Indonesia’s standard digital immigration workflow and can be initiated either from abroad (offshore) or from within Indonesia (onshore) if the parent is already present on a valid visit visa or visa on arrival.

  • Submit the online application. The sponsoring child uploads all required documents through evisa.imigrasi.go.id on behalf of the parent. Each application is submitted individually per applicant.
  • Wait for immigration review. For complete applications, the review typically takes between five and ten business days. Once approved, a payment notification is issued.
  • Pay the government fee. The fee must be settled before the e-Visa is released to the applicant.
  • Enter Indonesia or convert onshore. For offshore applicants, the parent uses the e-Visa to enter Indonesia. For onshore applicants already in Indonesia on a valid short-stay permit, the conversion to a KITAS can be processed without leaving the country, provided the current permit has not expired and has at least 30 days of remaining validity.
  • Attend a biometric appointment. The parent must visit the nearest immigration office for fingerprinting and photograph capture. The electronic KITAS is issued within three to seven business days following the biometric session.
  • Register address with Dukcapil. Within 14 days of the KITAS being issued, the parent must register their address with the local Population and Civil Registration Office (Dinas Kependudukan dan Pencatatan Sipil or Dukcapil) and obtain a Temporary Resident Registration Certificate (Surat Keterangan Tempat Tinggal or SKTT). This registration is not optional. It is a legal requirement under the current framework, and it enables the parent to access certain local services during their stay.

What Parents Can and Cannot Do in Indonesia

A parent holding an E31H KITAS has full legal residency in Indonesia for the duration of their permit. They can reside continuously, exit and re-enter using a Multiple Exit and Re-entry Permit (MERP), open an Indonesian bank account, access healthcare services, and enrol in educational programs.

What they cannot do is engage in any form of paid employment in Indonesia. The E31H does not confer work rights. A parent who wishes to work in Indonesia would need to obtain a separate work-authorised permit, which requires an Indonesian employer sponsor and falls under an entirely different immigration pathway.

On the question of tax, parents who spend more than 183 days within a 12-month period in Indonesia may be classified as domestic tax subjects under Indonesian tax law, requiring registration for a Tax Identification Number (Nomor Pokok Wajib Pajak or NPWP) with the Directorate General of Taxes (Direktorat Jenderal Pajak or DJP). This threshold applies regardless of visa category and is worth planning around, particularly for parents who split their time between Indonesia and their home country.

A Note on the Student KITAS Sponsorship Route

One specific scenario that deserves separate mention is when an expatriate family uses a child’s Student KITAS (E30A) as the basis for a parent’s E31H. Under updates effective from late 2025, the Student KITAS is now available in a four-year validity option for children enrolled in school or educational programs in Indonesia. This extended duration makes it a practical long-term basis for parental sponsorship in families where the child is the one enrolled in an Indonesian educational institution.

In this scenario, the parent is essentially joining the child in Indonesia as a dependent of the student rather than the other way around. The eligibility and process are identical to other E31H arrangements. The only structural consideration is that the Student KITAS must be in the child’s name, issued to a child who is genuinely enrolled in a recognized institution, for the sponsorship to be valid.

For families exploring whether a Student KITAS could serve as the basis for parental residency, this pathway is entirely legitimate under current regulations and does not require the parent to independently meet investment or employment thresholds.

How the Parent KITAS Fits Into Broader Family Planning

Bringing parents to Indonesia on a Dependent KITAS is rarely a standalone decision. It usually sits within a broader picture of how the whole family is structured in Indonesia, including the child’s own permit category, whether other family members are also present, and how long the family intends to stay.

For families where the sponsoring child holds an Investor KITAS, it may eventually be worth considering whether a Second Home Visa offers a more independent long-term structure for the parents, particularly if the investment situation changes. The Second Home Visa allows parents to be sponsored directly by the primary holder, removing the dependency on a corporate permit structure entirely. A detailed comparison of the Second Home Visa family sponsorship structure is available in the guide to dependent KITAS for Second Home Visa holders.

For families concerned about what happens to the parent’s permit if the sponsoring child’s status changes for any reason, including job changes, company restructuring, or permit lapses, the guide on what happens to dependent KITAS when the sponsor loses status covers the legal consequences and available options in full.

For a broader overview of how the E31 series of family permits fits into Indonesia’s overall immigration framework, the complete guide to dependent visa Indonesia provides context on all categories including financial requirements and compliance obligations.

How XPND Supports Parent KITAS Applications

At XPND, the immigration team handles E31H applications for parents across all sponsor categories, including children holding Work KITAS, Investor KITAS, Second Home KITAS, and Student KITAS. The team manages document verification, apostillation coordination where required, online submission through the immigration portal, biometric appointment scheduling, and SKTT registration at Dukcapil following permit issuance.

For families already planning the broader immigration structure for multiple family members in Indonesia, XPND provides an integrated assessment that considers the timing, permit categories, and renewal cycles for all family members together rather than as separate applications.

Reach out to XPND at www.xpnd.co.id to discuss your family’s specific situation and get a clear picture of the steps involved.