Two Distinct Long-Stay Routes
Indonesia has no visa officially branded "digital nomad visa," but two real programs serve similar and adjacent purposes: the Second Home Visa (a 10-year, wealth-based long-stay residency) and the Remote Worker Visa, known as E33G, a limited-stay permit (KITAS/ITAS) specifically for remote professionals. Understanding which fits your situation, and what each does and doesn't require, matters before committing to either.
The Second Home Visa
Duration: Up to 10 years, a genuine long-term residency option comparable to Malaysia's MM2H or the Philippines' SRRV in ambition, though structured differently.
Financial requirements: A fixed deposit in an Indonesian bank or a real estate purchase, both around a $130,000 minimum, plus proof of roughly $60,000 in annual income sourced entirely from outside Indonesia.
Restrictions: Local employment and earning Indonesian-sourced income are prohibited, this is a wealth-and-passive-income based residency, not a work visa.
The Remote Worker Visa (E33G)
Duration: Typically up to 1 year initially, with renewal possible depending on circumstances, shorter than the Second Home Visa but with a much lower entry barrier.
Eligibility: Designed for remote professionals working for companies or clients based outside Indonesia. It's issued as a limited-stay permit (KITAS/ITAS), classifying holders as temporary residents rather than tourists.
Restrictions: Cannot work for Indonesian companies or clients, or earn Indonesian-sourced income, mirroring the Second Home Visa's foreign-income-only requirement but built specifically around active remote work rather than passive wealth.
The Shorter-Term Fallback: B211A
For those not ready to commit to either long-term option, the B211A Social/Cultural Visa offers 60 days, extendable to 180 days, for roughly $300 total, a popular choice for remote workers testing out Indonesia before committing to E33G or the Second Home Visa. It doesn't offer the same residency stability, useful for FEIE's Bona Fide Residence Test, that either of the longer programs can.
Tax Treatment: Consistent Regardless of Visa
Whichever visa route you choose, your Indonesian tax residency depends on the 183-day presence test, not your visa category directly, and your US filing obligation (Form 1040, FEIE, FBAR, FATCA) is entirely unaffected by which Indonesian visa you hold. The choice between Second Home Visa, E33G, and B211A is fundamentally an immigration and lifestyle decision, not a tax optimization one.
Worked Example: A Remote Consultant Choosing Between Options
An American consultant earning $75,000 remotely for US clients starts on a B211A visa to test out living in Bali, then transitions to an E33G Remote Worker Visa for a more stable one-year stay once she decides to commit. Her US tax position, FEIE claim once she satisfies the Physical Presence Test, standard FBAR/FATCA obligations, is identical regardless of which visa she holds; the switch from B211A to E33G is purely about Indonesian immigration stability and legal clarity around her remote-work status.