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Indonesia: visas, tax & cost of living

Indonesia for nomads: the E33G remote-worker visa, the 183-day tax residency rule, and what living in Bali on the rupiah really costs.

Indonesia: visas, tax & cost of living
Your passport

United KingdomIndonesia

Your move to Indonesia on a United Kingdom passport

  • VisitFairly easyVisa on arrival, e-visa or travel authorization (ETA)
  • NomadEasyNomad visa, likely eligible
  • RelocateFairly easyClear residence route

Visiting

You can get a visa on arrival. Carry the fee and the documents the border asks for, and confirm the current rules before you fly.

Passport validity: Valid at least 6 months from arrival date, with at least 2 blank pages.

Heads-up: Visa on Arrival extension tightened to a hybrid process (online registration plus in-person immigration office visit for photo and fingerprints) under 2025 immigration circular IMI-417.GR.01.01/2025.

At the border: Complete the mandatory free All Indonesia electronic arrival declaration within 72 hours of arrival, show a return or onward ticket, and pay the separate Bali tourist levy of about IDR 150,000 if visiting Bali.

Working remotely

E33G Remote Worker Visa.

Income needed: At least USD 60,000/yr in salary or income, shown through a bank account (E33G remote worker visa) (estimate)

Savings option: A personal bank statement showing at least USD 2,000, or the equivalent, across the last 3 months.

Duration: 12 months

Fee: IDR 7,000,000 for the one-year permit, roughly USD 400 at late-2026 rates (estimate)

Who qualifies: The E33G is for employees of a company established outside Indonesia. Immigration's own document list asks for an employment contract with that foreign company, so a loose roster of freelance clients is a weak fit. You show a bank account proving salary or income of at least USD 60,000 a year, a passport valid for 6 months, a recent photo, a CV and a travel itinerary. The portal records the visa as single entry and not extendable, and you are barred from selling goods or services in Indonesia and from taking pay from any person or company there.

Tax and residency

You are a resident taxpayer once you spend more than 183 days in Indonesia within any 12 months, counted in one run or in pieces, with any part of a day counting as a whole day. Residents are taxed on worldwide income. The 4-year territorial regime for foreigners with certain expertise is reserved for foreign workers in listed job positions and for approved researchers, so E33G remote workers cannot use it. (estimate)

The UK decides residence with its Statutory Residence Test (days in the UK plus your ties). As a non-resident you are usually taxed only on UK income; where one exists, a double-tax treaty with the destination decides who taxes what.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 1994

Practical

Currency: IDR. Cost of living: low.

Healthcare: There is no reciprocal public healthcare agreement for foreigners, so comprehensive travel or expat health insurance including medical evacuation is essential.

Driving: A foreign licence alone is not enough; carry an International Driving Permit together with your home licence to drive legally.

Sources: Directorate General of Immigration, official e-Visa portal: the E33G remote worker record, its document list, fee and entry conditions · Directorate General of Immigration: the official list of Indonesian visa types · Peraturan Pemerintah No. 55 Tahun 2022, arts. 3 and 4: income tax for foreign nationals with certain expertise (Directorate General of Taxes) · Directorate General of Taxes, official briefing on PMK 18/PMK.03/2021: resident taxpayer criteria and how the 183 days are counted · GOV.UK: tax on foreign income · HMRC: double-taxation treaties

Estimates, not advice. Confirm with the official sources before you act.

Should you move to Indonesia?

Warm weather, a huge crowd of remote workers, and a budget that stretches. That’s the pitch, and Indonesia delivers on all three. Bali is the obvious base, with Canggu, Ubud, and Uluwatu each pulling a slightly different crowd, while Jakarta and the Gili islands suit other paces of life. Day-to-day costs sit near the low end of the global scale (a comfortable solo month in Bali runs roughly USD 1,000 to 2,500), so a Western salary goes a long way. Just watch the imported-lifestyle trap: Western food, pool villas, and coworking desks quietly add up.

Indonesia digital nomad visa and entry

Good news here, with one catch worth knowing before you plan around it. Indonesia does run a real remote-worker route, the E33G visa, and it grants a stay permit of up to one year. Immigration’s own record lists that permit as single entry and not extendable, so treat the year as a year rather than a base you keep topping up. It’s built for employees of a company established outside Indonesia, and the document list asks for an employment contract with that company, so a loose roster of freelance clients is a weak fit rather than simply a harder version of the same application. The money test is income of at least USD 60,000 a year evidenced through a bank account, plus a personal bank statement showing at least USD 2,000 across the last three months. The permit costs IDR 7,000,000, roughly USD 400, and once you hold it you cannot sell goods or services in Indonesia or take pay from anyone based there. This is general information, not immigration advice.

Tax residency and what to check

The trigger for Indonesian tax residency is being in the country more than 183 days in any 12-month period, counted in one run or in pieces, with any part of a day counting as a whole day. There is a second route in, about intending to reside, but the tax rules pin it to specific documents: a permanent stay permit, or a limited stay permit paired with a contract for work in Indonesia running past 183 days, or a housing lease longer than 183 days. An E33G holder has no Indonesian work contract by design, so in practice it is the day count, or a long villa lease, that decides it. Once you are resident, Indonesia taxes worldwide income, and the visa itself grants no exemption from that. You will see a four-year territorial regime mentioned in this context, the one that taxes only Indonesian-sourced income. It is worth knowing why it will not help you: it is reserved for foreign workers holding listed job positions and for approved researchers, it has to be applied for and granted, and it falls away if you claim a double-tax treaty. Treat any figure here as an estimate and get advice tailored to your situation before you bank on an outcome.

Figures are estimates. Always check the official source linked below.

At a glance

Currency
IDR
Cost of living
Low
Digital-nomad visa
Yes

Frequently asked questions

Indonesia: is there a digital nomad visa?
E33G Remote Worker Visa. The E33G is for employees of a company established outside Indonesia. Immigration's own document list asks for an employment contract with that foreign company, so a loose roster of freelance clients is a weak fit. You show a bank account proving salary or income of at least USD 60,000 a year, a passport valid for 6 months, a recent photo, a CV and a travel itinerary. The portal records the visa as single entry and not extendable, and you are barred from selling goods or services in Indonesia and from taking pay from any person or company there.
Indonesia: when do you become a tax resident?
You are a resident taxpayer once you spend more than 183 days in Indonesia within any 12 months, counted in one run or in pieces, with any part of a day counting as a whole day. Residents are taxed on worldwide income. The 4-year territorial regime for foreigners with certain expertise is reserved for foreign workers in listed job positions and for approved researchers, so E33G remote workers cannot use it.
Indonesia: what is the cost of living?
The cost of living is low and the local currency is the IDR. Treat any figures as estimates.
Indonesia: do you need health insurance?
There is no reciprocal public healthcare agreement for foreigners, so comprehensive travel or expat health insurance including medical evacuation is essential.
Indonesia: can you drive on a foreign licence?
A foreign licence alone is not enough; carry an International Driving Permit together with your home licence to drive legally.

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