Question:
Can I work in Bali?
Answer:
The answer to this question is YES and NO.
You can’t work in Bali if you come with social or business visas. You can only stay in Bali for some period of time, but neither of them is suitable for you to find a job in Bali. If you are persistent in looking for a job, or working as a freelancer in Bali, gaining money from local businesses in Bali with these types of visas, that comes to an illegal practice and you can always get deported or pay a really nice fine.
If you really want to work in Bali you will need KITAS, also known as Temporary Stay Permit Card, and Work Permit, or people also called it with IMTA. It has to be both to get a job legally, not only KITAS! A specific company in Bali that going to hire you has to become your sponsor and apply those documents for you.
To obtain an IMTA, you also need to find a company that is registered within Indonesia. The company can be either a foreign-owned company, a representative office, or a legal local company with a specific amount of capital that is allowed to hire a foreigner. The company then needs to prove and argue the reason why they want to hire a foreigner for a certain position in their company.
You need to keep in mind that only people with higher qualifications can get approval on the KITAS and IMTA. Working as a babysitter, waiter, or assistant manager is not going to work because it means you’re “stealing” jobs from locals. And Indonesian government is quite strict with this rule. The idea behind this particular rule is to accept only qualified foreigners in Indonesia and hope for a transfer of knowledge from foreigners to locals.
So, check your current visa.
If you only have a Visa on Arrival, we suggest you only enjoy your vacation days in Bali and avoid the hassle with the local immigration. If you’re planning to get your KITAS and IMTA, check with the company that you want to work for and apply for the documents legally.