How to Hire Foreign Workers in Indonesia: The Complete RPTKA Guide

What is an RPTKA and who needs one?

The RPTKA is the employer's plan to use foreign workers, approved by the Ministry of Manpower before any visa or work-related stay permit can be issued for the position.

The rules sit in Manpower Ministry Regulation (Permenaker) 8 of 2021, the implementing regulation of Government Regulation 34 of 2021 on the use of foreign workers. It applies to private companies, including foreign-owned PT PMA in technology and energy projects.

Article 30 exempts some roles from RPTKA approval, including directors or commissioners with a specified shareholding, and shareholders, subject to the conditions in that article. The exemption is not blanket: a foreign director without the qualifying shareholding is a regular foreign worker. Our guide to the investor KITAS covers how the shareholding test works at immigration.

What does an RPTKA cost?

The compensation fee (DKPTKA) is USD 100 per position, per person, per month, paid in advance for the period of the approval.

Article 35(1) sets the rate; Article 35(3) states that use of a foreign worker for under one month still attracts a full month's fee; Article 36(1) provides that payment follows the RPTKA validity period and is made in advance. Government agencies, foreign representations, international bodies and some social, religious and educational positions are exempt under Article 35(2).

Figures are per foreign worker per position. The fee is denominated in USD; the rupiah amount follows the conversion mechanism in force when you pay, so budget for exchange-rate movement. The fee is separate from visa, stay permit and agent costs.

How long is an RPTKA valid?

Temporary work is approved for up to six months and cannot be extended; longer assignments are approved for a defined period and must be renewed before expiry.

Under the regulation as published, temporary-work approvals run for a maximum of six months and are not extendable, and renewal applications must be filed at least 30 working days before the approval expires. Approvals for special economic zones follow longer periods. Validity limits for other categories should be read in the regulation text for the position concerned, and you should check the Ministry's regulation database for amendments before filing.

What is the process for tech and energy companies?

The employer files the RPTKA online, receives approval, pays the DKPTKA, and then the foreign worker applies for the visa and stay permit through immigration.

1. Confirm the position. Check that the role is open to foreign workers and that the company's business activity code supports it (see the OSS registration in our company registration guide).
2. Prepare the plan. Job title, duties, location, duration, and the Indonesian worker designated to accompany the foreign worker (see below).
3. File via the Ministry's online system (TKA-Online) and respond to any verification queries.
4. Pay the DKPTKA after approval and keep the proof.
5. Apply for visa and stay permit. The investor or work route depends on the position; see the investor KITAS guide for the shareholder route.
6. Diarise renewals at least 30 working days before the RPTKA expires.

Technology and energy projects often involve rotating specialists on short assignments. Plan the six-month non-extendable limit for temporary work early, because a longer role needs the standard approval.

What is the understudy requirement?

Each foreign worker position records an Indonesian worker, a "tenaga kerja pendamping", designated to accompany the foreign worker for technology and expertise transfer.

The regulation defines the pendamping and requires the designation to be stated in the application and restated on renewal, with exceptions listed in the regulation. Choose a named employee with a role genuinely linked to the position, and document the transfer of skills, since the designation has to be restated on renewal.

Why do social security and RPTKA interact?

Foreign workers staying in Indonesia six months or longer must join social security, and failing to register can lead to denial of public services, including the permit to employ foreign workers.

Article 14 of Law 24 of 2011 obliges any person, including a foreign national, working in Indonesia for at least six months to join the social security programmes. Under Government Regulation 86 of 2013, Article 9(1)(c), the sanctions for employers who do not register include denial of the permit to employ foreign workers. See NPP, the BPJS company number and our comparison of BPJS and private insurance.

What goes wrong in practice?

Delays usually come from incomplete position descriptions, unclear understudy designations, and late renewals rather than from the fee.

Treat the following as a preparation checklist rather than a list of official rejection grounds: match the job title to the duties described; keep the company's registered business activities consistent with the role; confirm the pendamping before filing; and keep payment proofs and approval documents with the stay-permit file.

Next step

JCSS Indonesia supports foreign investors with entity set-up and the surrounding compliance steps through its PT PMA set-up service. This article is general information; confirm current manpower and immigration requirements before filing.