When foreign entrepreneurs receive their visa to stay in Indonesia, it often feels like the biggest hurdle has been cleared. The Investor KITAS is in hand, the passport is stamped, and there’s a sense of readiness to begin. But this confidence can be dangerously misleading.

Because while your visa might be entirely legal and valid, your business may still be operating outside the bounds of compliance—and many founders don’t realize it until the consequences arrive.

Here’s the common scenario: A founder secures a visa—usually through a third-party agent—and assumes that everything else is covered. But a visa only allows you to be present in the country. It does not automatically grant you the right to run a business, issue invoices, hire local employees, or sign commercial contracts. Those rights come only with a properly structured legal entity, typically in the form of a PT PMA, complete with an active NIB (Business Identification Number), commercial licenses, tax registration, and operational compliance with local regulations.

We’ve worked with several clients who were surprised to learn that despite holding an Investor KITAS, they could not legally operate. They hadn’t registered their business correctly. They didn’t have the required business permits. Some had even started hiring staff or offering services, unknowingly exposing themselves to serious legal risks.

This isn’t just about ticking bureaucratic boxes. Without proper business registration, you risk being flagged by banks, rejected during visa renewals, or even penalized by authorities. In some cases, foreign nationals have faced fines or blacklisting due to misaligned documents between immigration and local corporate registries.

A smarter, safer approach is to build both pillars at once: immigration and business. While setting up your legal presence in Indonesia, your visa strategy should be aligned. The two are not separate paths, but rather parallel tracks of the same journey. A valid Investor KITAS only works when the company it’s tied to is equally valid, registered, and active under Indonesian law.

At Accura, we don’t just handle the visa paperwork and walk away. Our role is to help you establish the foundation of your business, making sure that your stay in Indonesia is not only legal—but operationally safe and strategically sound. From PT PMA setup, licensing, and tax registration, to ensuring your immigration documents align with your business activities, our team bridges the gap that so many agencies leave behind.

Because having a visa means you’re allowed to be here. But having a business that’s fully compliant? That’s what allows you to stay, grow, and succeed—without looking over your shoulder.

If you’re unsure whether your setup is aligned, or if you’ve already obtained a visa but haven’t formalized your business structure, now is the time to act. Not out of fear, but out of foresight.

Let us help you turn your legal presence into a strong business presence—fully compliant, fully supported, and fully ready for growth.