Apartment complexes stand among office buildings in Jakarta. 1,012 golden visas have been issued as of Sept. 23, reflecting the international community’s confidence in Indonesia’s investment climate. - Tempo/Tony Hartawan via The Jakarta Post/ANN
JAKARTA: Indonesia has generated Rp 48 trillion (US$2.86 billion) worth of investment in connection with the issuance of the Golden Visa, a special residency permit introduced last year to invite foreign investors to the country.
According to the Directorate General of Immigration, a total of 1,012 golden visas have been issued as of Sept. 23, reflecting the “international community’s confidence in Indonesia’s investment climate”.
Acting immigration director general Yuldi Yusman reported that the issuance of the Golden Visa had also contributed Rp 12.96 billion in nontax state revenue. “The Indonesian Golden Visa, one of the Directorate General of Immigration’s flagship programmes, is intended to support national economic growth,” Yuldi said, as quoted in a press release published on Thursday (Sept 25).
Foreign companies establishing subsidiaries in Indonesia account for the lion’s share of the investment at Rp 46.5 trillion while personal investors contributed Rp 249.3 billion, and other Golden Visa recipients the remaining Rp 1.45 trillion.
The immigration office revealed that the people receiving Golden Visa's so far originated from 61 countries.
“The achievement of the Golden Visa [programme] as of September 2025 has proven that Indonesia is becoming increasingly attractive to global investors and talents. We hope this positive trend continues to support national development and strengthen Indonesia’s economy,” Yuldi concluded.
The Golden Visa stay permit is granted to foreign nationals in specific categories, including investors, foreign nationals with special expertise and world-renowned figures as well as former Indonesian citizens and their family children.
The special permit comes with a validity period of five to ten years and offers benefits such as priority access at airports, simplified immigration services and legal certainty for investing and working in Indonesia.
To qualify, individual investors can set up a company worth at least US$2.5 million to obtain a Golden Visa for five years or US$5 million for a 10-year one.
Alternatively, individual foreign investors who do not intend to establish a company in Indonesia can still apply if they place a certain amount of funds in the country, namely US$350,000 for a five-year visa or US$700,000 for the 10-year one.
Corporate investors, meanwhile, are required to invest US$25 million to get five-year visas for their directors and commissioners or US$50 million to gain 10-year permits.
The Golden Visa programme was launched by then-president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo last year to attract well-heeled foreigners. During the programme’s launch in July 2024, Jokowi emphasised that the visas were “only for high-quality travelers, so [authorities] must carefully select and evaluate the contribution [of each applicant]”.
He also explained that the initiative aimed to create a multiplier effect for the Indonesian economy by facilitating investment from foreign nationals.
The initiative took time to generate interest. According to the immigration's 2024 year-end report, investment from the Golden Visa programme was projected to reach Rp 9 trillion from the expected 471 permits issued by December last year, which was less than half of the set target for 2024.
However, investment has increased since then, as reflected in the latest data. At the Golden Visa launch ceremony, Silmy Karim, who served as immigration director general at the time, said the goal was to welcome 1,000 Golden Visa recipients, Kompas.com reported. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
