Price of KITAP

An epic rip off, but you need to check your status as well.
Who your sponsor is needs to be looked at, making sure you don't have a wife you don't know about.
When it comes to KITAP, immigration might well do home visits and/or other checks, so you need to make sure the process is legal.

In Bali anyway (and while it should be the same here as anywhere in Indonesia, it often isn't) the average cost for going KITAP alone (and with an Indonesian spouse) is somewhat more than 3.7 juta.  Prior to going full citizenship, my Balinese wife did mine (without an agent) and we were out of pocket around 6 to 7 million not counting the hours and hours putting all the paperwork together and running here and there.   And in the end, we did have to engage an agent in Jakarta to "grease" the wheels there. 

In your situation, (no Indonesian spouse) I have heard that many agents on Bali are charging 30 to 40 juta (or even more). 

If you amortize the cost over five years...that amount starts to make sense, and for sure, one should factor in the convenience of going a full five years without ever seeing any of those smiling faces at immigration.   

There are a number of agents who are legally registered to act as a sponsor for a KITAP...so shop around as best you can.  This won't be easy as many expats are happy to pay the 30 to 40 million, so there is little incentive for these agents to negotiate.

I pay 7.500.000 per year for KITAS. KITAP is for 5 years. 5 times 7.500.000 = 37.500.000. So, KITAS is cheaper than KITAP. Visa agents and sponsors have less work (only once instead of 5 times).
Is there any good reason why I should feed the greediness of the Balinese sponsors?

"So, KITAS is cheaper than KITAP"

How do you value your time?  Five times going through a KITAS renewal, trips to Renon, etc.?  And, are you certain what a KITAS renewal will cost in the upcoming five or so years? 

But hey, if a yearly renewed KITAS works better for you, then go with that.

If you're not certain that your life here will be to the end, or, if that's not your objective, then sure...it probably makes more sense to take this visa issue, year by year.  Otherwise...lock it up for at least five years, sit back, and have no worries.

I did all mine without an agent.
Anyone not working should have no problem with a  DIY legal KITAS application.

I prefer to deal with immigration directly , as fred says its no hardship , and you also pick up some knowledge of the process .

Yup agree with both you guys!

There is still one problem here…that being how on earth is the OP going to get a KITAP without a licensed visa agent as his sponsor?  Note, the OP (Marc) is not married to an Indonesian.   

For a foreigner not married to an Indonesian is there a way to deal directly with immigration to have their temporary residence visa (KITAS) converted to a permanent residence visa, (KITAP)?  I don't think so.   

Roy is correct as far as the OP goes, so probably more on topic than I am, but I stand by the general comments as far as DIY KITAS/KITAP goes.
The OP's issue is the lack of family or work in Indonesia, making his application more difficult.
However, 4 million turning into 40 million is a heck of a jump, even if all you have to do is sign some forms and supply a photo or few.
My KITAP was much cheaper as it was a while ago when they were first available, but I did the vast majority alone, only paying a little to a dude in immigration to help me take a few forms around. Not an agent, more a postman.
I think I was helped along a little because the immigration officer was keen to process his first KITAP; maybe he just wanted to see how the process worked in real life, but I wasn't complaining.

The 40 million covers the KITAP for 5 years…so the only fair comparison is what is the OP is paying each year for his one year KITAS (also with a sponsor/agent).  According to the OP, he just paid 7.5 juta to renew his KITAS for one year with his sponsor/agent.   

As I said earlier, if the OP is totally sure about being around here for the next five years, and also not knowing what KITAS visa renewals will cost each year over the next five years…the 40 could work out to be a smart play…not to mention convenient.  Frankly, I wouldn't bet on KITAS renewal costs remaining at the current levels for each of the next fives years.   

Just a quick note about agent sponsorship…that being their legal responsibility for those they sponsor.  In other words, agents sponsoring expats are not without some potential legal/financial risk.  So, while on the surface it might appear that the sponsorship aspect of their fees is “greediness” the real fact is, there is more than just a little legitimacy to their fees.   

MarcDeSmetBE wrote:

I just renewed my KITAS for the third time. I paid 7.5 million, which I hope is a reasonable price.
My visa agent says I can switch to KITAP next year. This would be valid for 5 years. She asks 40 million for this.

If I check on the internet I think the cost for KITAP for immigration is around 3.700.000. Is that correct?
My visa agent says the price is because of the sponsor. I am not married to an Indonesian wife , so I need a sponsor. But 40 million ???

I live in Bali. Does someone have s good solution for this?

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards

Marc

For @OP
There are more grease involved, and more departments to cover in Kitap. You are paying a premium not because the agent is expert. There is no expertise involved here. It is just who the agent knows and how to expedite the matters.

There are less requirement in Kitas. So less cost for you eventually.
It will become easier and more straightforward in the future. The trend is going there, from the top up in the President office directives. There will be major changes this year and beyond on passports, driving license, identity and certificates.

However if assurance security to stay in Indonesia is priority for you due to no sponsor or lack of requirements that can be properly given, you are advised to do longer and pay a premium.

For your information, agents in Jakarta they do Kitas for 5.5 million and Kitap from 25 million onwards. As a comparison only. For you still need to apply at the nearest residence to work it out.

Hiii,

I would suggest for you to change an agent. My kitap application doesntr cost that roaring high. Mine is now in the process and it cost even less than that.

I also agree on what you said.

enduringword wrote:

For @OP
It will become easier and more straightforward in the future. The trend is going there, from the top up in the President office directives. There will be major changes this year and beyond on passports, driving license, identity and certificates.

For your information, agents in Jakarta they do Kitas for 5.5 million and Kitap from 25 million onwards. As a comparison only. For you still need to apply at the nearest residence to work it out.

Dear enduringword,

This may be presumptuous, but it sounds like you're 'in the know' about matters currently close to my heart,  e.g.

My original KITAS agent wants to charge the same amount for my first renewal as the original application (15.5m) - I'd like to meet those Jakarta agents you say are charging 5.5 juta (mine is retirement visa, not married). Must the original sponsor be used or, as the visa expires, does the sponsorship also? Or, is this a further opportunity for blackmail by preventing me from shopping around?

My recent purchase of a car (deposit paid 22 April) and final settlement 2nd May, yet the car will not have STNK and be delivered until about 16th May. Such a long winded process must cost this country billions in lost time and strangled commerce. Pity the suffering of a small business owner would encounter while trying to update a commercial fleet.

I could go on, about obtaining a car license to supplement my (existing) motor cycle licence, etc., but I'm sure you get the picture.

Anyway, that's my rant for today.  I look forward to your feedback re the KITAS sponsor query and Jakarta agents.  If confidentiality is an issue, I'll gladly provide my HP number for a text response.

Regards,
Geoff

Hi Geoff,
Hansson and I tried to help in answering your questions. But it got hidden and under review.
Until that sorted out by the Admin, I will write to you here and on pm.

It is true as you said that things get slow in Indonesia. It is how things are done here and systemic.

However, as you stay here longer, you might know some stuff and things get easier.

It does take around 2 weeks to get Stnk, and start from the date all payments are finalised.
If you go through leasing, it is the date when leasing papers are approved.
However, you can still have the option of the car or motorcycle delivered to your appointed place, waiting till the Stnk is processed complete. And you can be assured the motorvehicle is there, but cannot drive out into the streets.

I will continue on pm, in respect as well to the original OP.

I just received my KITAP yesterday. my wife and I did it without an agent. We live in Surabaya. With flights to Jakarta and two months we spent just under 10 Million.
Doing it yourself does not make the process longer or shorter just cheaper.
It took us just under 2 months.
If you need any assistance please let me know.
PS. my advice is free.

That's great news and thank you for posting it. This is very valuable information.

The issue of doing it yourself is:
~ It is doable
~ It takes alot amount of persistence and patience and not for the newbie impatience, especially Indonesia bureaucratic slowness
~ You might still need to sort out a sponsor matter depending on type of visa involved.
~ It is only slightly longer by a few weeks to a month.
~ It does cost extremely much cheaper as DIY Do it yourself. As you are only paying much of it is the official payment fees.

By all means, if you can work it around these issues, do it yourself is a great experience notwithstanding the stress or hassle levels.

I just did it. I was sponsored by my wife. Collected my KITAP yesterday. My wife is out of the country and I collected it yesterday went to Polda and then to went to Dispenduk alone and with limited Bahasa.
Yes it is doable.
No it does not take any longer. The way to circumvent that is not to mail it to jakarta. Go yourself hand it in and go pick it up when its done.I took the train overnight, go-Jek to Immigration and flew back. Got home by 6pm.

Enduringword...the topic of this discussion is a KITAP visa for a foreigner NOT married to an Indonesian citizen.  Ergo, comments about "doing it yourself" are simply not applicable, and only add confusion to the discussion.

The original poster, Marc, has NO choice but to use an agent who will also act as his sponsor.  He clearly laid out the details of his situation...NO Indonesian wife.   

It would really help this forum a GREAT deal if respondents to posts limit their replies to the specific question, or issue raised by the original poster.

"That's great news and thank you for posting it. This is very valuable information."

Well, that information is nothing new.  It is well understood here, and it has been well discussed, that indeed one can pursue the KITAP visa directly if married to an Indonesian citizen.   Both Fred and I did it and we've both discussed doing exactly that many times in the past.

Ubudian wrote:

There is still one problem here…that being how on earth is the OP going to get a KITAP without a licensed visa agent as his sponsor?  Note, the OP (Marc) is not married to an Indonesian.

He isn't.
The DIY route is excellent for those married to an Indonesian, but others are going to need an agent.
Whilst my advice about DIY remains in place, it can't apply to non married foreigners such as the posters on this thread.

No contact with non approved "People who can help" is of the slightest use.

I'll be wandering up to an immigration office in a week or so for further information and trying to build up a contact or two regarding this issue as my mother is considering moving over here on a retirement visa.
I have a pretty good relationship with the officers over there, so I'm hoping to get put in touch with the best people.
Should I be successful, I'll be happy to help anyone in need by giving them the contact details of approved agents they can trust to be fair and reasonable.
This can only be done by PM as passing contact details over the open forums could be a problem for the agents concerned.

My apologies..Misread the post.Will delete.

Gwazulu wrote:

I just did it. I was sponsored by my wife. Collected my KITAP yesterday. My wife is out of the country and I collected it yesterday went to Polda and then to went to Dispenduk alone and with limited Bahasa.
Yes it is doable.
No it does not take any longer. The way to circumvent that is not to mail it to jakarta. Go yourself hand it in and go pick it up when its done.I took the train overnight, go-Jek to Immigration and flew back. Got home by 6pm.

hello Gwazulu,
I congratulate you on your efforts to do it yourself on Kitap. It is indeed an achievement. And not many are willing to try because of the many steps involved.

If you dont mind, sharing it on creating a new thread on forum.
You can write title such as My DIY Do It Yourself Kitap Process. (Spousal Visa).

I think it will be a great asset for many here in forum.
Taking details on:
~ which window or place address you go to.
~ papers submitted, and any forms filled and name.
~ length of time in between and steps 1 to 10 process.
~ fees payment for any of the steps
~ transport fees is just a side note only

It will be your own great account. And it will be a reference point for others in what is similar and difference for the future.

Cheers

Ubudian wrote:

It would really help this forum a GREAT deal if respondents to posts limit their replies to the specific question, or issue raised by the original poster..

There have been many off topic posts on this and other threads.
As this is becoming a problem in so much as these posts are hiding the information the OP needs, all future such posts will be removed.

Hello everyone,

We can now focus on the initial subject, try to help the OP with his questions please.

@Gwazulu > No need to apologies. Thank you for sharing your experience.

@Marc > did these posts helped you? Do you have any more questions?

Thank you,
Christine
Expat.com

Thanks to all for the many reactions.
My conclusions:
1. I cannot Do IT Myself (no Indonesian spouse or work)
2. Yearly Kitas is cheaper than 5 year Kitap.  But I will have to go 5 times for approx. 1 hour to immigration for picture and finger prints. Being retired that is no real hardship.

I look into this matter again after I marry an Indonesian wife

Thanks again.

Kind regards to all

Marc

See here some explanations about pricing.

indonesiaexpat.biz/other/info-for-expats/documents-and-agents-necessary-for-your-indonesian-permits-and-licenses-grease-the-wheels-of-the-system/

Edo1972 wrote:

See here some explanations about pricing.

indonesiaexpat......

link wrote:

Many documents are needed for a legally safe and sound stay in remarkable Indonesia. That leads to a lot of confusion, misinterpretations, misunderstandings and even urban myths.

The talk of business visas means little here because the employer should do that for the expat, the expat only supplying documents and signing as required. An employer might well wish to use an agent, but the employee has no need to bother.

As for those married to an Indonesian, the KITAS/KITAP process is easy and straightforward, and does not cost anything even close to the Rp40 million mentioned here.

The "lot of confusion, misinterpretations, misunderstandings and even urban myths" turns into a list of documents required by immigration on their other page, a list immigration will supply free of charge when you apply without an agent.

link wrote:

GTW money, needed to grease the wheels of the system.
meals-grease-wheels-blog-4-7-09The money needed to grease the wheels of the system is not to be considered as bribery, as it is not money used to bribe the government employee to issue a certain permit, license or document. No it is money needed to be sure that the application process runs smooth

I would love an explanation of how money isn't a bribe, but is used to grease the wheels.

The real story goes like this.

A KITAS issued for someone intending to work for a company is looked after by that company, so the employee can forget the lot save supplying documents and signing a few forms.
The KITAS will only be issued after a work permit is granted, but that's also looked after by the employer, not the employee.
Basically, forget it.

A KITAS or KITAP for someone legally married to an Indonesian is an easy DIY job with no need for an agent or cash to grease and wheels. It takes a few weeks and several visits to immigration, but it's pretty simple and the list of required documents is clear and unambiguous, and immigration give it to you when you apply.

A retirement visa requires a sponsor, so people in that boat might very well be forced to pay more, but I strongly suggest shopping around.

Other documents are easily available, also DIY.

The SKTT (For KITAS holders) is easy, requiring very little paperwork except some photocopies, the hardest part being a letter from the local village head to prove you live there, and you have to do that yourself regardless of who your agent is.

The KTP (for KITAP holders) requires about the same documents as the SKTT.

The requirements are listed in the advice thread at the top of the Indonesia forum page.

One last thing ...

Government dues

LOD 400,000
Kitas 1.255.000
Merp 1,200,000
STM 50,000
SKTT 250,000
LK 200,000
Kitap 4,105,000
Merp 1,950,000
STM 50,000
KTP 700,000
SIM 700,000
Total 10,860,000

I added this up, and it does come to the suggested total, but they seem to be charging for a KITAS and KITAP, and an SKTT and a KTP, things that simply don't go together and twice for the STM.
It should also be noted, the MERP (They also add up twice)  isn't required, just an option.

SIM 700,000

Quite how they're going to legally supply a driving licence (SIM) without you there to take a test is a mystery; perhaps someone could offer an explanation. If you are there to take the test, why would you want to pay someone?

Hang on, the police report (STM) requires fingerprinting, so they can't really get that without you being there, so why pay them?

I'm less than sure about the prices and details, but I'm not infallible so an explanation from the agents might well clear things up.

“The talk of business visas means little here because the employer should do that for the expat, the expat only supplying documents and signing as required.”

A “business visa” per se has nothing to do with employers…meaning employers here in Indonesia.  Individuals apply for their business visas in exactly the same way as they apply for their visit visas…at the Indonesian embassy or consulate closest to where they live. 

If a foreigner is employed directly by a company based in Indonesia, they are not eligible for a business visa. 

A business visa is for the person coming to Indonesia to conduct business activities whilst here.  For example, a buyer for a major importer outside of Indonesia who is here for some serious filling up of containers. 

A great many business related activities are allowed under a business visa that are not allowed under a normal residency, or visit visa…short of earning an income directly based on those activities whilst here in Indonesia.

Apologies.

The talk of business visas means little here because the employer should do that for the expat, the expat only supplying documents and signing as required

I intended to say, Working visas

Ubudian wrote:

The 40 million covers the KITAP for 5 years…so the only fair comparison is what is the OP is paying each year for his one year KITAS (also with a sponsor/agent).  According to the OP, he just paid 7.5 juta to renew his KITAS for one year with his sponsor/agent.   

As I said earlier, if the OP is totally sure about being around here for the next five years, and also not knowing what KITAS visa renewals will cost each year over the next five years…the 40 could work out to be a smart play…not to mention convenient.  Frankly, I wouldn't bet on KITAS renewal costs remaining at the current levels for each of the next fives years.   

Just a quick note about agent sponsorship…that being their legal responsibility for those they sponsor.  In other words, agents sponsoring expats are not without some potential legal/financial risk.  So, while on the surface it might appear that the sponsorship aspect of their fees is “greediness” the real fact is, there is more than just a little legitimacy to their fees.   

To add a footnote to this conversation,  I processed my KITAS renewal this week.

The total cost imposed by Imigrasi was Rp.2.055.000, compared to agent quotes (for an unmarried applicant) ranging from US$600 to Rp.15.500.000.

Prominently displayed in the Imigrasi office is a banner declaring that dodgy KITAS recipients and their agent are liable to a fine of Rp.500.000.000 and/or 5 years in prison. This harks back to previous comments on this Forum about agents' risk and, therefore, justification for charging a fee above the basic Rp.2.055 juta fee  imposed by Imigrasi.

Perhaps an actuary or statistician could confirm that this agent 'premium' is justifiable, based on the likely proportion of 'dodgy' KITAS holders.

Considering how many KITAS visas an agent would have to process to make up for a 500 million IDR fine, that information you provide would indeed go a long way towards justifying their fees. 

The other interesting question though is, what can happen to an Indonesian wife for sponsoring a “dodgy” husband?   

Fair question, although you raise a general issue that's never likely to involve me.

However, my understanding is the penalty can apply to any sponsor, whether spouse or appointed agent, in the event that either the KITAS holder or sponsor abuses the conditions of the temporary permit.

My comment about spouse sponsorship was tongue and cheek...not to be taken seriously.  I've never heard of any case where the Indonesian spouse was penalized or punished for sponsoring a non Indonesian spouse who was "dodgy" unless they were involved in the "dodgy" activities...and by "dodgy" I mean criminal.

You mentioned aside...."for an unmarried spouse KITAS"?

So it means you are not officially married but got spouse sponsored KITAS?

If I understand it wrong....pls correct me.

Yes, you misunderstood me. Only married applicants can get a spouse sponsored kitas. Unmarried kitas applicants with a retirement visa must be sponsored by an approved agent, or by their employer if the kitas is for employment purpose.

Thanks your clarification.

The one sentence did confuse me so thats why i was asking 😉

The word KITAS is also not so clear as it would infer to many that you can work legally on one, where in fact you can't although you are allowed to provide for your family. There are far too many different words, phrases and meaning for all legal documents and it all gets far too confusing.

For me, I am legal here to do what my visa lets me. I choose not to do anything else and I hope that in the future I can renew it without any issue or if need be, change to another which will set me in another direction but still allow me to remain unchallenged and without constant interruption by government officials.