Set up & structure
Representative office
A representative office Indonesia permits with no capital requirement — presence, but no trading.
Who this is for. A foreign company that wants people on the ground in Indonesia — to research the market, manage suppliers or oversee a project — before, or instead of, setting up a trading entity.
How it works
- Confirm a representative office is the right vehicle It cannot trade or invoice, so we check that this suits your plan.
- Provide the parent company documents Legalised and, where required, translated.
- Prepare and lodge the licence application Including the appointment of the chief representative.
- Obtain the licence and set up the office Tax registration, permits for staff and the regular reporting follow, within the permitted scope.
Trusted by companies operating in Indonesia
Ongoing
Registration, while the office runs
2
Foreign staff it can sponsor
No
Trading or invoicing permitted
Included
What you get
- Advice on which office type fits your activity, before anything is filed
- The licence application and supporting documentation
- Tax registration and the reporting obligations that follow
- Work permits and stay permits for the foreign staff who will run it
- Ongoing reporting, which continues for as long as the office exists
A representative office Indonesia permits is the lightest way to establish a legal presence: an office, staff and a local address, with no minimum capital — because it may not trade.
That single restriction is the whole trade-off. A representative office cannot sell, invoice or generate revenue in Indonesia. What it can do is represent your parent company: research the market, liaise with customers and suppliers, and supervise work being done here.
When this is the right answer
It suits three situations particularly well.
You are still deciding. A representative office lets you learn the market properly with staff on the ground, at a fraction of the commitment of a PT PMA.
Your revenue is booked elsewhere. If your Indonesian activity is genuinely supervisory — quality control at a supplier, oversight of a construction project — there may be nothing to invoice locally.
You need presence quickly. There is no capital to place, which removes the largest single obstacle to establishing a foreign-investment company.
Why us
Why MAM for Representative office
- Told when you need no entity
A representative office earns nothing and needs no capital, and we tell you if a representative office is all you need.
- A Jakarta presence, not a mailbox abroad
Established in Jakarta Utara since 2017, so the address, the reporting and the person answering are all in the same country as the licence.
- Four languages across the team
English, Bahasa Indonesia, Urdu and Tamil — which matters when a head office abroad and a ministry in Jakarta need the same answer.
Credentials
Qualified, and accountable for it
MAM's work is done by qualified accountants and carried out to the standards of these professional bodies — not by a general administrator following a checklist.
Led by members 
Registered 
Member 
Through ACCA Reviews
What clients say
We have engaged many business consultants in past and MAM Corporate Solutions is by far among the most informed and professional business consultants as per our experience. They have helped us with various services such as tax compliance, company incorporation and business valuations and every time they have exceeded our expectations.
MAM Corporate Solutions offers great services! All the team makes all the incorporation process very clear, and always takes the time to explain every step of the way in details. They are fast and efficient, and always make sure they find the solution that's most adapted to your need. I could not recommend them enough!
MAM Corporate Solutions provides us accounting service on Xero. They have always kept our records up-to-date and we are happy with their service.
Questions
What people ask us
What do you need before you can quote?
The head office company documents, and the documents of the chief representative the head office is appointing.
How many foreign staff can a representative office sponsor?
Usually two — the chief representative and an assistant.
What must it report each year?
Payroll taxes, other withholding taxes, and the annual corporate return.
How long does the licence run?
It depends on the type. A foreign company's representative office stays registered for as long as it operates. A trading company's representative office holds a licence tied to its parent's letter of appointment, for up to three years at a time, and it is renewed.
Can a representative office earn revenue or sign sales contracts?
No. It may not trade in Indonesia: no sales, no invoicing and no income from Indonesian sources. Sales and contracts stay with your parent company, or with a PT PMA once you have one.
Can it be converted into a PT PMA later?
Not by amendment. A representative office cannot be flipped into a PT PMA administratively — a new foreign investment company has to be incorporated from scratch. It is worth knowing that before choosing the representative office route, not after.
Goes with this
Often needed alongside this
Virtual office
A virtual office Indonesia authorities accept for registration — address, mail and calls handled.
Learn more →Corporate secretary
Corporate secretary Indonesia work: registers, resolutions and filings kept correct and current.
Learn more →Work permit KITAS
A work permit KITAS for your foreign staff: RPTKA through to the stay permit, as one process.
Learn more → Compare
Or consider instead
These do a similar job in a different way. Most people choose one, not both.
Foreign Company (PT PMA)
A PT PMA is the foreign-investment company: up to 100% foreign ownership, subject to your KBLI.
Learn more →Local Company (PT PMDN)
A local Indonesian company (PT PMDN) is the domestic entity: Indonesian shareholders, and no legal minimum capital.
Learn more →Talk to someone who does this every day
A free 30-minute call. Bring the situation you are actually in, and you will leave with a clear view of what is involved.