KITAS Rejection in Indonesia: Reasons and What Happens Next
A KITAS rejection in Indonesia: why stay permits are refused, what the notice tells you, the 7-day rule, and applying again.
References (6)
- Permenkumham No. 22 Tahun 2023 on visas and stay permits, as amended by Permenkumham No. 11 Tahun 2024. Article 34(1) sets the basic requirements. Article 38 covers the investor route. Article 44 covers the spouse of a stay-permit holder. Articles 72 and 73 cover the refusal of a visa. Articles 115(3) and 116 cover extensions. Article 119 covers an incomplete application. Articles 136 and 137 cover the refusal of a stay permit and what follows it.
- Permen Imipas No. 3 Tahun 2025, in force 6 May 2025. Article 14 sets the requirements for the spouse of an Indonesian citizen, including a marriage that took place abroad.
- UU No. 6 Tahun 2011 on immigration, as amended, most recently by UU No. 63 Tahun 2024. Article 75(2) lists the administrative actions, a ban among them. Article 78 sets the overstay charge and its 60-day limit.
- PP No. 45 Tahun 2024 on non-tax state revenue, in force 17 December 2024. Its annex, item VI.A.1, sets the overstay charge at IDR 1,000,000 a day. It revoked PP No. 28 Tahun 2019.
- PP No. 34 Tahun 2021 on the use of foreign workers. Article 11(1) closes personnel positions to foreign workers. Article 14(6) makes the approved RPTKA the recommendation for the work visa and stay permit.
- Permenaker No. 8 Tahun 2021. Article 4 sets the education and experience a foreign worker needs. Article 13(3) and (4) give five working days to complete an RPTKA application.
A KITAS rejection in Indonesia can rest on several grounds, and the plainest is that a requirement was not met. A KITAS (Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas) is the limited stay permit. “Requirements not met” is the first of the grounds in Article 136(2) of the regulation on visas and stay permits (Permenkumham 22/2023, Article 136(2)(a)). It is also a ground that can be put right. Where a stay-permit application is incomplete, the immigration office sends a notice saying what is missing, and the applicant has two working days to supply it (Article 119(2)–(4)).
For a refused stay permit, the notice states the reason (Article 137(5)). A refusal is not itself a ban, and a new application can follow. Refusals are rare in our work, because we check every document before it is filed.
A visa refusal and a stay-permit refusal are different
For a foreigner who enters on a limited-stay visa, the KITAS follows the visa, as our guide to the KITAS in Indonesia explains, and the visa and the stay permit are refused in different ways.
- The visa. A refusal arrives as a written notice to the applicant or the sponsor. The reason is not given, but the refusal is recorded in the immigration information system (Article 73(1)–(3)).
- The stay permit. The notice states why (Article 137(5)). At this stage the notice tells you why.
A refused tourist or visit visa is a separate subject, with reasons of its own, covered in our piece on Bali tourist visa refusals.
A refusal is not a ban
A refusal is not itself a ban. A ban (penangkalan) is a separate administrative action, imposed in its own right (Immigration Law, UU 6/2011, Article 75(2)(a)).
Why a KITAS application is refused
The first ground in Article 136(2) is the plain one: the requirements were not met. The other grounds include security concerns, false information, unpaid fees and a recommendation from a central government agency (Permenkumham 22/2023, Article 136(1)–(2)).
A work KITAS starts, at the visa stage, from the basics in Article 34(1): a passport valid for at least six months, proof of sponsorship from the employer, proof of funds, a recent colour photograph, and documents showing the purpose of the stay. The investor and family routes have their own lists (for example Article 38 for investors and Article 44 for the spouse of a stay-permit holder). An extension does not require the six-month minimum passport validity or proof of funds (Article 115(3)(a)–(b)). What else is checked depends on the route.
- A work permit KITAS rests on the employer’s approved plan to use a foreign worker (RPTKA, Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing). That approval is itself the recommendation for the work visa and stay permit (Government Regulation No. 34 of 2021 on the use of foreign workers, PP 34/2021, Article 14(6)).
- An investor KITAS rests on the shareholding.
- A family permit rests on the sponsor and on the documents that prove the relationship.
Common reasons, and the fix
After a KITAS rejection in Indonesia
The rules set a short deadline here. Someone refused a stay permit while in Indonesia, because the requirements were not met, must leave within seven days of the stamp. The passport receives a “return” stamp (pemulangan), not a deportation stamp (Article 137(2)). If this happens, MAM helps you through it.
The practical route from there is to fix the reason the notice gives and apply again. In practice the government fee is not usually refunded when an application is refused, so a new application means a fresh government fee.
Questions people ask
I once overstayed and paid the charge. Does that matter for a new KITAS?
Our company was set up last month. Can a shareholder still apply for an investor KITAS?
My KITAS extension has not been decided and the permit has now expired. Am I overstaying?
What this means for you
A KITAS rejection for a requirement not met is one the notice names at the stay-permit stage, and the route is to meet the requirement and apply again. Confirm that the role or the shareholding qualifies before filing, and have certificates translated, and a marriage abroad registered, before the application goes in. If the real question is which permit fits at all, the guide to Indonesia’s visa codes sets out what each one allows.