Illustration of an Indonesian visa. (Shutterstock/Paolo Gallo)
JAKARTA: Indonesia has generated 48 trillion rupiah worth of investments 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 12.96 billion rupiah in non-tax 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.
Foreign companies establishing subsidiaries in Indonesia account for the lion’s share of the investment at 46.5 trillion rupiah, while personal investors contributed 249.3 billion rupiah, and other golden visa recipients the remaining 1.45 trillion rupiah.
The immigration office revealed that the people receiving golden visas 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 said.
The golden visa 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 families.
The special permit comes with a validity period of five to 10 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$2.5mil to obtain a golden visa for five years or US$5mil 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$25mil to get five-year visas for their directors and commissioners, or US$50mil 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 travellers, 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 has taken time to generate interest.
According to the immigration’s 2024 year-end report, investment from the golden visa programme was projected to reach nine trillion rupiah from the expected 471 permits issued by December last year, which was less than half of the set target for 2024.
However, updates have 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. — The Jakarta Post/ANN
