According to the law, tourists are prohibited to work in Indonesia even remotely. A tourist visa is for holidays, not for work. Yet there are some options for having income without working permits.
A special visa that allows you to get a working permit is called KITAS. You have to obtain this kind of visa in case you are going to earn in Indonesia: to work for a company for salary, to produce and sell something, to provide any services. But the situation is different for those who want to export goods and sell them in other countries. In this case Indonesian organization or local entrepreneur act as a contractor and receive payment from a foreign organization or private person. Meanwhile you, a representative person, are allowed to stay in Indonesia and supervise the work. If you’re not selling goods in Indonesia but fully export by official agreement with the transport company, it’s not actual employment and you don’t need a working permit.
You can resell not only goods but also local services, for example, lessons in surf-school, guided tours, diving or yoga classes. In this case, you also need to sign a contract between the foreign organization and local company and then sell tours abroad. Set up a holiday plan, make an agreement with services providers and start to gather a group. You escort the group, but do not get any profit in Indonesia, so you do not need a working permit to carry out such activities.
First of all, Indonesia is known as an outstanding exporter of wood products. Here you can find huge manufactures that produce 1000 products a month, as well as small workshops that produce handmade interior items from elite wood and rattan. The art of wood carving is highly developed on the islands of Java, Bali, Timor, Kalimantan, it is passed on from generation to generation and is highly valued everywhere in the world.
Indonesia and especially Bali is a world famous tourist destination where anyone can find attractions. Surfing is the first thing that comes to mind, but the options are almost unlimited. In Indonesia, you can spend time diving, doing yoga and meditations, learn how to do paragliding, climb different volcanos in several islands, do motocross, even organize a pub crawl tour in Bali. Just find out the target audience that will be pleasant and interesting for you to work with, and it will not be difficult to create a rich program for 2-3 weeks tour.
Also, silver is pretty cheap in Indonesia, a gram costs less than $0,5. If you have desire and talent, you can draw sketches and local craftsmen will carefully embody it in their workshops. Indonesian major advantage is highly developed small business. For example, there are a lot of sewing factories in Bali that produce small lots of clothes, swimsuits, bags, and shoes made of genuine leather. If you are a designer and have your own small brand, it might be easier and cheaper for you to produce in Indonesia and export a batch of 30-50 pieces, than to find a factory that will accept such small order somewhere closer to your home. As for cosmetics, Indonesia is the leading exporter of essential oils. Currently, world patchouli oil demand is around 1500 tons a year, meanwhile, Indonesian patchouli oil production is about 1200 tons/year. Same goes for nutmeg oil, Indonesia produces 350 tons out of the 400 tons world demand, 30 tons of vetiver oil out of the 100 tons demand. And still, in Bali and Java, there are enough manufacturers that accept small orders.
Moreover, it is not necessary to invent and produce something to export from Indonesia. In Bali, for example, you can buy ready-made paintings, stone products, and designer interior items. Your task boils down to find something that has demand abroad.
There are two options for a starting point for your business project. Either you know exactly the supplier of goods or services you need, or you want to look around and find a suitable partner on the spot. In both cases for such activities as negotiations with suppliers, seeking potential partners, concluding contracts and arranging delivery, a special Business Visa is provided. This is not a working permit, but it gives legal advantages over other tourist visas. But there is an important thing, to apply for a Business Visa you need an Indonesian company who will issue an official invitation for you. This company should be officially registered in Indonesia and it will become your Visa Sponsor. If you have found a partner online and ready to shake hands and sign a contract, it makes sense to get a Business Visa for this exact company. But if you still doubt the final decision and want to negotiate personally, a consulting agency can help you out.
Bali Business Consulting operates in Bali since 2010 and facilitating a process of obtaining Indonesian Visa of any type including Business Visa. For this company paperwork and legal support of any complexity is a clear and well-established process that requires minimum efforts from you. In case you don’t have a partner in Indonesia, Bali Business Consulting agency can become your Visa Sponsor and take care of the invitation letter and all the needed documents so you can get a Business Visa issued for one year and have enough time to find suppliers. All you need is an idea, with everything rest, you have someone to rely on.
