Indonesia has no single “business visa” for project work. Foreign experts who come to train staff, audit a branch, test their skills, service a product or install machinery enter on a single-entry visit visa in the C16 to C20 series, and the visa index must match the work they actually do. This guide explains what each index allows, how long the stay can run, what the sponsor must do and what happens when the visa and the activity do not match. It is general information based on the immigration directorate’s visa pages as of October 2026.
Which Visa Covers Business Visits and Project Work in Indonesia?
Business meetings fall under their own activities in the visa regulation (“business” and “attending meetings”, Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation No. 22 of 2023, Article 13(1)), and this guide covers only the technical activities that follow them. When an expert will do hands-on work, such as training staff, auditing, installing or repairing equipment, the activity should fall under a specific index, and what the person does on site must match what the visa says.
The C16 to C20 indices are visit visas under the Immigration Law (Law No. 6 of 2011, most recently amended by Law No. 63 of 2024) and the visa and stay permit regulation (Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation No. 22 of 2023, amended by No. 11 of 2024). Article 13(1) of that regulation lists the five activities: industrial technology guidance and training, audit and inspection of a company branch, a foreign worker’s skills trial, after-sales service, and machinery installation and repair. The index numbers come from the visa classification decree of 2 May 2025 (Minister of Immigration and Corrections Decree No. M.IP-08.GR.01.01 of 2025). Holders of these visas may not sell goods or services, and may not receive pay or wages from any person or company in Indonesia.
Explore Our Services Work Permit (IMTA) in Indonesia
C16 to C20 Visa Types at a Glance
| Index | Official name | Main activity | Stay | Extension |
| C16 | Industrial Development Instructor Visit Visa | Guidance, counselling and training in industrial technology | 60 days | Up to 180 days in total |
| C17 | Company Audit, Quality Control and Inspection Visit Visa | Audit, production quality control or inspection at a branch | 60 days | Up to 180 days in total |
| C18 | Foreign Worker Skills Test Visit Visa | Trial of work ability within a company | Up to 90 days | None |
| C19 | After-Sales Service Visit Visa | Service for goods sold to consumers in Indonesia | 60 days | Up to 180 days in total |
| C20 | Machinery Installation and Repair Visit Visa | Installing or repairing imported machinery | 60 days | Up to 180 days in total |
The C16 to C20 visas are issued as single-entry visas. The regulation also allows a multiple-entry visit visa for audit, quality control and inspection at a company branch (Article 15, as amended in 2024), which suits repeat inspections. A visa must be used within 90 days of issuance (Article 7, as amended in 2024), and that is the time to enter Indonesia, not the length of stay. The visit stay permit for these activities is up to 60 days (Article 81(5)), and each extension can add up to 60 days as long as the total stay does not exceed 180 days (Article 95(3), as amended in 2024).
For C16, C17 and C19, the immigration office lists IDR 3,000,000 in non-tax state revenue for a 60-day stay (IDR 1,000,000 visa fee plus IDR 2,000,000 verification fee), and IDR 4,000,000 for the 90-day C18 stay (IDR 2,000,000 plus IDR 2,000,000). Government Regulation No. 45 of 2024 sets a visit visa fee of IDR 1,000,000 for up to 60 days, IDR 1,500,000 for up to 90 days and IDR 2,000,000 for up to 180 days, and a verification fee of IDR 2,000,000 for Category II. Fees can change, so confirm the amount in the e-visa billing before you pay, and check the C20 fee there too.
C16 Visa Indonesia: Industrial Development Instructor
The C16 visa suits an expert who guides, counsels and trains local staff in applying or innovating industrial technology, for example to improve product quality and design or to support overseas marketing cooperation. The initial stay is up to 60 days from arrival and the sponsor can extend it several times, up to 180 days in total.
This is a knowledge-transfer visa. If the expert starts running a production line or managing staff, the activity has moved outside the C16 purpose, and a work permit route is needed instead.
C17 Visa Indonesia: Audit, Quality Control and Inspection
The C17 visa covers audits, production quality control and inspections at a company’s branch in Indonesia. The initial stay is up to 60 days, extendable up to 180 days in total.
A C17 holder audits and inspects. Running the branch day to day or doing commercial work goes beyond audit and inspection, and the holder may not receive pay from an Indonesian person or company. If you also plan to place an expert in a local role, read about Indonesia work permit (IMTA) requirements for foreigners.
C18 Visa: Foreign Worker Skills Test
The C18 visa lets a prospective foreign worker demonstrate work ability inside a company before an employment arrangement starts. It is a trial, not employment, so the person may not receive wages or similar compensation.
C18 changed in 2025. Director General of Immigration Circular Letter No. IMI-453.GR.01.01 of 2025, issued on 27 May 2025 and in force from 14 June 2025, sets three rules: the C18 stay permit is up to 90 days and cannot be extended; applications using the same company sponsor more than once are refused; and holders may not receive pay, sell goods or services, or overstay. Applications filed before the effective date stayed under the older rule. The immigration visa page describes the C18 period differently from the circular, so confirm the period and extension rule in the e-visa system before you apply.
If the person is to be hired, start the work permit process early. A visit stay permit can be converted to a limited stay permit, including for an expert or a worker (Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation No. 22 of 2023, Articles 163 and 164), and the application is filed no earlier than 30 days before the visit stay permit ends (Article 166(2)). For an overview of manpower approval, see our guide to RPTKA for remote positions.
C19 Visa: After-Sales Service
The C19 visa is for after-sales service on goods you sold to consumers in Indonesia. The sponsor must show the planned after-sales activities and the related documents, such as the sales or service contract. The stay is up to 60 days, extendable up to 180 days in total.
The technician should not be put on the Indonesian entity’s payroll. The visa does not allow selling goods or services or receiving pay from local parties, so keep the service relationship between the overseas seller and the Indonesian customer clear in the documents.
C20 Visa: Machinery Installation and Repair
The C20 visa is for installing or repairing machinery, such as setting up a production line or repairing a turbine, where the supplier is obliged to service what it sold. The visit stay permit is up to 60 days, with extensions of up to 60 days each and a 180-day total, the same pattern as C16, C17 and C19. The regulation requires a statement from a government agency or private institution that the installation or repair must be done by that foreigner and cannot be delegated to anyone else. Confirm the fee in the e-visa system before you apply.
Holders may not take an operational or employment role, sell goods or services, or receive pay from Indonesian parties. For longer or repeat projects, plan a work permit instead of stacking short visas.
Which Visa for Which Job?
| Situation | Likely index |
| Head-office engineer trains local staff on a new production method | C16 |
| Group auditor inspects quality at a local branch | C17 |
| Candidate shows skills to a company before an employment decision | C18 |
| Overseas technician services a product you sold to a customer in Indonesia | C19 |
| Supplier’s engineer installs or repairs a machine | C20 |
| Expert will be employed locally or work beyond the stay limit | Work permit and limited stay permit, not a visit visa |
These are examples, not approvals. Immigration decides based on the documents and the actual activity.
Rules That Apply to Every C16 to C20 Visa
- Sponsor. Every application needs an Indonesian sponsor with an account on the immigration e-visa system, who submits the application. The regulation defines the sponsor as the person or corporation responsible for the foreigner’s presence and activities in Indonesia.
- Documents. A letter of application and sponsor’s statement, a passport valid for at least six months (twelve for non-passport documents), three months of bank statements showing living funds, a recent colour photo, and an activity document that matches the index: an invitation from the organising government agency or private institution (C16, C18), a statement from the organiser (C17), proof of the after-sales service from the purchase (C19), or the statement that the installation or repair cannot be delegated (C20).
- Processing. Five working days after payment, according to the official pages.
- No selling, no local pay. Holders may not sell goods or services or receive pay from individuals or companies in Indonesia.
- Activity must match the index. If the plan changes, the sponsor must check whether the new activity needs a different visa before the person starts it.
If your company also hires local staff for the project, see how to hire employees in Indonesia.
When a Visit Visa Is Not Enough
Choose a work permit and a limited stay permit instead of a visit visa when:
- the expert will be employed by the Indonesian entity or paid locally;
- the assignment will exceed the 180-day ceiling for C16, C17, C19 and C20, or the 90 days of C18;
- the person will manage staff, sign contracts or take a position in the company; or
- the expert will keep returning to do the same work, because repeated short visas for continuous work are a risk. Check this with immigration or an adviser first.
If a visit visa turns out to be the wrong tool, conversion to a limited stay permit is possible for holders of a visit stay permit from these visas, but not for visa-on-arrival, visa-free or crew entrants (Article 163). A different sponsor can file the conversion only if the foreigner objects to the previous sponsor or the previous sponsor releases the guarantee in writing (Article 167(3), added in 2024).
Foreign experts on a home-country payroll still have Indonesian tax and payroll questions, covered in shadow payroll in Indonesia. For stays shorter than a work project, such as a holiday add-on, read about the tourist visa compliance risks for business.
Penalties for the Wrong Visa or Overstay
Using the wrong visa index can lead to immigration action, including deportation and a ban on re-entry, and can hurt the sponsor’s later applications. Administrative immigration actions include restricting or cancelling the stay permit, entry and exit bans, a cost burden and deportation (Minister of Immigration and Corrections Regulation No. 2 of 2025, Article 60(2)), and deportation is normally imposed together with an entry ban (Article 71). For overstay, Government Regulation No. 45 of 2024 sets an administrative fine of IDR 1,000,000 per day for a stay that runs up to 60 days beyond the permit, and immigration has said that longer overstays lead to deportation. Check the current treatment with immigration before relying on it. The sponsor is responsible for the foreigner’s presence and activities, so the risk reaches the Indonesian company too.
Checklist Before You Apply
- List what the expert will actually do, day by day, and match it to one index.
- Check that the stay you need fits the limit: 60 days plus extensions up to 180 days, or 90 days without extension for C18.
- Confirm the sponsor has an active e-visa account and that its business activities fit the purpose.
- Prepare the invitation or activity document so it names the same activities as the visa index.
- Confirm the fee in the e-visa billing before payment.
- Decide early whether a work permit and limited stay permit are the better route.
How XPND Supports Visa Planning
XPND maps what an expert will do on site before the visa is submitted, picks the right index, prepares the sponsor documents and flags when a work permit is the safer route. To check a planned assignment, contact XPND. XPND is a private consulting firm, not a government agency.
