Indonesia Business Visa in 2026: C2, D2 and C12

“Indonesia business visa” is useful search language, but the current immigration system separates several visitor categories by activity. For most ordinary meetings, negotiations and commercial visits, the central route is the C2 Business Visitor Visa. Repeat visitors may compare the D2 multiple-entry business visitor category, while someone coming specifically for field surveys, feasibility work or pre-investment activity should compare C12.

None of these visitor routes should be marketed as a substitute for an Indonesian work visa or investor residence permit.

C2 is the main ordinary business-visitor route

Current Directorate General of Immigration guidance says C2 can be used to:

  • conduct business visits;
  • attend meetings;
  • make purchases;
  • hold discussions and negotiations;
  • sign business agreements;
  • inspect goods at an office, factory or production site; and
  • combine the trip with tourism or visits to friends and family.

C2 is a single-entry visitor visa, not an employment or residence category.

Stay period and extensions

The current C2 page states:

  • first stay of up to 60 days from arrival;
  • extensions can bring the total stay to as much as 180 days; and
  • the visa itself is normally valid for 90 days from issuance to be used for entry.

The 90-day visa-use window is not the same thing as the authorized stay after arrival.

The C2 page also says the visitor stay is eligible for conversion into a temporary-stay permit with the same sponsor where the legal requirements for that conversion are met. That possibility should not be presented as automatic residence approval.

Official C2 fee

The current C2 page publishes total PNBP of IDR2,000,000 for the initial 60-day stay:

| Component | Published amount | |---|---:| | C2 visa | IDR1,000,000 | | Verification I | IDR1,000,000 | | Total | IDR2,000,000 |

Extensions, private agency charges, translations and other services are separate.

Sponsor and invitation evidence

The current route-specific C2 page says a sponsor is not ordinarily required, subject to exceptions for stateless applicants, holders of non-national travel documents and certain nationalities. The same page also contains generic sponsor-account filing language and requires a statement, invitation or correspondence from a government agency or private institution explaining the relationship with the visitor.

Because that page contains both route-specific sponsor language and generic sponsor workflow text, applicants should follow the live eVisa portal for their nationality/document type and obtain Immigration clarification if the filing path requests a sponsor.

The general documentary list includes:

  • passport/travel document with the required remaining validity;
  • recent photograph;
  • three months of bank statements showing at least USD2,000 or equivalent for living expenses; and
  • the business invitation/correspondence required for the trip.

C2 does not authorize Indonesian employment

This is the most important boundary. The current C2 page says holders may not:

  • sell goods or services in Indonesia; or
  • receive salary, wages or compensation for their work/business from individuals or corporations in Indonesia.

A person who will actually be employed by an Indonesian organization should use the Indonesia work-visa pathway, including the relevant manpower authorization. A shareholder/director who meets the qualifying investment rules should compare E28A investor status instead.

D2 for repeat business visits

Indonesia's current national visa list separately identifies D2 Business Visitor Visa as a multiple-entry business category. Current Immigration materials describe D2 as allowing the same broad business-visit activities—meetings, negotiations, purchasing, signing agreements and inspecting goods—while providing repeated entries.

The current D2 framework gives a maximum stay of 60 days per arrival. Immigration materials also distinguish D2 from C2 by noting that D2 is a multiple-entry visitor permission and is not convertible to a temporary-stay permit in the same way as the C2 framework.

Exact validity, extension and fee options should be checked in the live eVisa portal for the applicant's nationality and selected D2 term before payment.

C12 for pre-investment activity

C12 Pre-Investment Visitor Visa is a different business-visitor route for a person coming to Indonesia for pre-investment or business-startup exploration such as:

  • field surveys;
  • feasibility studies; and
  • other preparatory investigation into a proposed business or investment.

Current Immigration guidance says C12 is single entry, can provide a stay of up to 180 days, and may be extended several times up to a total of 12 months. C12 requires a sponsor.

The current published C12 PNBP components are:

  • for a 60-day option: IDR1,000,000 visa + IDR2,000,000 Verification II; and
  • for a 180-day option: IDR2,000,000 visa + IDR2,000,000 Verification II.

Like C2, C12 does not authorize the visitor to sell goods/services or receive salary, wages or compensation from Indonesian persons or companies.

Business visit vs remote work

Business meetings are not the same activity as living in Indonesia while performing a foreign job remotely. A qualifying overseas employee should compare the E33G Remote Worker Visa, which has a separate foreign-company employment test and a published USD60,000 annual-income requirement.

A traveler should not choose C2 merely because both the business trip and the person's normal job involve a laptop.

Business visit vs investor residence

C2 and C12 are visitor categories. They do not replace the residence route needed when the individual is actually relocating to manage a qualifying invested company.

For a shareholder with at least IDR10 billion in shares in the sponsoring Indonesian company, compare E28A Investor Visa / investor ITAS. For larger 5- or 10-year investment structures, compare the Indonesia Golden Visa.

Founder and startup searches

Indonesia does not need a fabricated standalone “startup visa” page to answer founder intent. The correct route depends on the stage of the project:

  • early field research and feasibility work may fit C12;
  • ordinary meetings and negotiations may fit C2/D2;
  • a qualifying investor-founder may fit E28A; and
  • higher-investment company-establishment structures may fall within a Golden Visa investor category.

Company formation, foreign ownership and licensing remain separate OSS/BKPM compliance questions.

Application workflow for C2

  1. Confirm that the trip is a visitor-level business activity rather than employment.
  2. Check the live C2 eligibility and sponsor exception rules for the travel document/nationality.
  3. Prepare passport, photograph and three-month bank evidence.
  4. Obtain the required invitation, correspondence or institutional statement supporting the business relationship.
  5. File through the official eVisa/Immigration process and pay the generated PNBP.
  6. Treat the published five-working-day processing period as a target after payment, not a guaranteed approval date.
  7. Enter within the visa-use window and track the authorized stay separately.
  8. If more time is needed, extend through the official process before expiry rather than overstaying.

Internal planning links

For broader destination context, see the Indonesia country hub, the Asia regional hub, and the Entrepreneur visa-type hub. The full visa-type directory is useful when comparing business, remote-worker and founder pathways across countries.

Common mistakes

  • treating C2 as permission to take Indonesian employment;
  • accepting salary or compensation from an Indonesian person/company while on a visitor route;
  • confusing the 90-day visa-use window with a 90-day initial stay;
  • assuming every C2 filing is sponsor-free despite nationality/document exceptions and live portal requirements;
  • using an ordinary business visitor visa for pre-investment fieldwork better matched to C12;
  • assuming D2 is simply a longer C2 rather than a multiple-entry visitor structure; and
  • believing a business visitor visa itself creates investor, director, ITAS or permanent-residence rights.

Frequently asked questions

How long can I stay on C2?

The current official C2 page gives an initial stay of up to 60 days, with extensions that can bring total stay to 180 days.

Can I work for an Indonesian company on C2?

No. C2 is a visitor visa for business activities such as meetings, negotiations and purchasing. The current page prohibits receiving salary, wages or compensation from Indonesian persons or corporations.

How much does C2 cost?

The current published initial 60-day PNBP is IDR2,000,000.

What if I travel to Indonesia frequently for meetings?

Compare the current D2 multiple-entry business visitor category and its live validity/fee options.

What if I am surveying locations before making an investment?

Compare C12 Pre-Investment Visitor Visa, which is designed for field surveys, feasibility analysis and similar pre-investment activity.

Does a business visa become an investor KITAS automatically?

No. Any conversion or later residence filing requires the legal basis, documents, sponsor structure and approval applicable to the target residence category.

This page was verified against current Directorate General of Immigration material on 15 September 2026 and has not been legally reviewed.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Indonesia