Consulting Firm Jakarta: How to Choose One for a PT PMA Set-Up (2026 Guide)

If you are shortlisting a consulting firm in Jakarta to set up a foreign-owned company, one question separates good advisers from average ones: are they working from the rules in force today, or from a checklist written two years ago?

That question matters more in 2026 than it did before. PP 28/2025 replaced PP 5/2021 on 05 Jun 2025. Permen Investasi dan Hilirisasi/BKPM 5/2025 replaced three BKPM regulations on 02 Oct 2025. New applications use KBLI 2025 from 15 Jun 2026. A plan built on the old instruments can carry the wrong codes, the wrong thresholds and the wrong capital figure.

This guide explains what to ask a consulting firm in Jakarta before you sign, what a PT PMA set-up should actually deliver, and how JCSS Indonesia runs one.

A PT PMA is the Indonesian foreign-investment limited company. Setup requires KBLI classification, OSS-RBA licensing, a deed of incorporation, NPWP and NIB registration, and post-incorporation tax and BPJS enrolment. The legal steps are sequenced across three systems: the Ministry of Law system for the entity, OSS (Online Single Submission) for the licence, and Coretax for tax. A consulting firm in Jakarta earns its fee by getting that sequence and the activity codes right the first time.

Who this is for

• Foreign companies entering Indonesia for the first time
• India-based groups establishing Indonesian subsidiaries or joint ventures
• Foreign investors acquiring existing Indonesian businesses
• Companies restructuring their Indonesian holding structure
• Joint venture partners who need a locally incorporated entity

What to ask any consulting firm in Jakarta before you sign

1. Which instruments are you working from?

The correct answer names PP 28/2025, Permen Investasi dan Hilirisasi/BKPM 5/2025 and Peraturan BPS 7/2025 (KBLI 2025). If a proposal still cites PP 5/2021 as the licensing regulation, treat that as a warning sign.

2. Do you fix the KBLI codes before the capital figure?

Permen 5/2025, Article 26(2), tests investment of more than IDR 10 billion, excluding land and buildings, per five-digit KBLI code per project location. A broad activity list at incorporation can enlarge capital and licence scope. A firm that sizes capital first and codes second has the order backwards.

3. Who handles the notarial and legal steps?

Be clear on the split. At JCSS Indonesia, notarial and legal steps stay with your notary and counsel, and we work alongside them. A firm that is vague about who owns the deed is a firm you will chase later.

4. What happens after the licence is issued?

LKPM (investment activity report) and the annual beneficial-owner update start as soon as the entity exists. Ask to see the post-licence calendar and who owns each filing.

5. Will you tell me how long it takes, honestly?

No statutory day-count covers the whole sequence. PP 28/2025 introduces service levels for individual licensing stages, but the total depends on the risk level of each KBLI, notarial work, location approvals and file completeness. Be cautious of any consulting firm in Jakarta that promises a fixed number of days before seeing your activity list.

Problems a PT PMA set-up should solve

• Uncertainty about the correct KBLI code(s) for the intended business activities
• OSS-RBA application rejected or incomplete due to documentation errors
• Post-incorporation compliance obligations missed in the first 30 days
• Expatriate directors' stay permit (KITAS) and work authorisation requirements not addressed
• Share structure and capital requirements not aligned with BKPM requirements
• Notarial deed errors that delay Ministry of Law registration

How JCSS Indonesia sets up a PT PMA

We fix the activity codes first, because every later number depends on them.

1. Activity scoping and KBLI selection.

We map your intended Indonesian business activities to five-digit KBLI 2025 codes, using the BPS 2020-to-2025 conversion table, so that OSS-RBA licensing eligibility and minimum capital compliance are tested before money moves.

2. Shareholder and capital structure design.

We structure the share composition, authorised and issued capital, and director and commissioner appointments to satisfy Indonesian foreign investment requirements and your group's governance preferences. Paid-up capital must be at least IDR 2.5 billion per PT, and placed capital is restricted from transfer out of the company account for 12 months, with stated exceptions.

3. Notarial and Ministry of Law registration.

We coordinate the deed of incorporation with a licensed Indonesian notary. The notary files through SABH (Sistem Administrasi Badan Hukum) under Permenkum 49/2025, with beneficial-owner documents included.

4. OSS-RBA licensing and NIB.

We prepare and submit the OSS application, including risk-based business licensing, and obtain the NIB (Nomor Induk Berusaha, business identification number), followed by any licences the risk level requires.

5. Tax and regulatory enrolment.

NPWP registration and PKP (VAT-able entrepreneur) status through Coretax, BPJS Ketenagakerjaan and Kesehatan registration, and a first-month compliance calendar.

What you receive

• Deed of Incorporation (Akta Pendirian)
• Ministry of Law approval certificate
• NIB (Nomor Induk Berusaha)
• NPWP (Tax Registration Number)
• PKP (VAT-able Entrepreneur) certificate
• OSS-RBA business licence certificate
• BPJS Ketenagakerjaan registration
• BPJS Kesehatan registration
• Post-incorporation compliance calendar (12 months)
• Director's KITAS advisory note (if required)

Case study: a foreign services firm enters Indonesia

A foreign-owned services and technology-enabled services company, with a non-Indonesian parent, needed a PT PMA while the licensing rules were being replaced. Checklists written earlier carried the wrong instruments, thresholds and codes.

The deciding choice: Article 26(2) counts investment per five-digit code per location, so we sized the entity from the narrowest defensible code set instead of a broad list. The engagement was partner-led, with a manager and a senior working alongside the client's notary and counsel.

Other results from our PT PMA work

• India–Indonesia JV for a logistics group:

  we incorporated the PT PMA, structured the KBLI, obtained OSS-RBA licensing and enrolled all tax and social security obligations. NIB to first filing took 4 weeks.

  Read the case study

  .

• Compliance stabilization for a Singapore-held subsidiary:

  established without post-incorporation support, it carried 14 months of compliance arrears. We brought it to full compliance in 8 weeks.

  Read the case study

  .

Who you would be working with

Your file is partner-led. Our team holds FCA (ICAI), CA (Indonesia), CISA, CDPSE, CFE and PERADI credentials, which matters when a PT PMA touches tax, audit-readiness, data protection and legal coordination at once. See the full list on our credentials page.

Regulatory framework we work from

• PP 28/2025: risk-based licensing, in force 05 Jun 2025
• Permen Investasi dan Hilirisasi/BKPM 5/2025: licensing, investment value, capital, LKPM, in force 02 Oct 2025
• Perpres 10/2021 as amended by Perpres 49/2021: Positive Investment List
• Peraturan BPS 7/2025: KBLI 2025 and the 2020-to-2025 conversion table
• Permenkum 49/2025: establishment of a PT through SABH
• Permenkum 2/2025: beneficial-owner verification and supervision
• UU No. 25/2007 (Investment Law) and UU No. 40/2007 (PT Law)
• PMK 81/2024: Coretax, from 01 Jan 2025
• UU 24/2011, Article 15(1): employer registration with BPJS
• UU Ketenagakerjaan and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan regulations

Frequently asked questions

What is a PT PMA and how is it different from a local PT in Indonesia?

A PT PMA (Perseroan Terbatas Penanaman Modal Asing) is a limited liability company with foreign shareholding. Unlike a locally owned PT, it is subject to the Positive Investment List, the investment-value and paid-up capital tests, and LKPM reporting under the BKPM regulation.

How long does it take to set up a PT PMA in Indonesia and what are the steps?

The steps run in a fixed order: KBLI mapping, capital design, incorporation through the notary and SABH, NIB and licences through OSS, then tax and BPJS registration. There is no statutory total duration. A planning window of roughly 4 to 8 weeks is typical for a clean file, but your timeline depends on the risk level of each KBLI, location approvals and document completeness.

What is LKPM reporting and why does it matter for foreign investors in Indonesia?

LKPM is the investment activity report filed through OSS by the business actor holding an NIB (Permen 5/2025, Article 5(c)). Micro enterprises are exempt. Small enterprises report semi-annually; medium and large enterprises report quarterly, with windows closing on the 15th of the month after each period. Missed filings can escalate to warnings, suspension or blocked system access.

What capital structure considerations matter when incorporating a PT PMA in Indonesia?

Investment above IDR 10 billion excluding land and buildings per five-digit KBLI per project location, and paid-up capital of at least IDR 2.5 billion per PT. Placed capital cannot be transferred out of the company account for 12 months, with stated exceptions.

What post-incorporation compliance does a new PT PMA face in the first 6 months?

LKPM filings under the entity's scale category, the annual beneficial-owner update under Permenkum 2/2025, BPJS enrolment, and tax obligations in Coretax. We schedule all of them with a named owner before incorporation.

Before you commit capital: test your PT PMA plan with a Jakarta partner

Book a 45-minute Indonesia Entry Feasibility Review with a JCSS Indonesia partner, before you incorporate or file.

In that session we map your planned activities to KBLI 2025 codes, show where capital exposure is likely to land per code and location, and walk through the SABH, OSS and Coretax sequence to show where your file could stall.

Bring three things: your list of planned activities in Indonesia, a one-line description of the parent's structure, and your target start date.

Book my Entry Feasibility Review or WhatsApp your activity list to a partner.

Partner-led reply within one business day. NDA available on request. If your current plan still cites PP 5/2021, send it first and we will tell you what has been superseded.