Important Information on How to Change ITAS Status to ITAP

When it comes to living in Indonesia, foreign nationals must adhere to the Indonesia immigration regulations. One of the things that must be known about this is how to change ITAS status to ITAP for those who intend to do so.

Staying in Indonesia for work purposes requires a different arrangement. The process will not be the same as a tourist visa application as the requirements also differ. It needs to be known that ITAS and ITAP holders basically hold the rights to reside in Indonesia for a longer period of time as opposed to visiting for a short period of time.

In order to understand how to change ITAS status to ITAP, you need to know what makes these two permits different in the first place. Without further ado, let’s check out the information below!

What is ITAS?

ITAS stands for Izin Tinggal Terbatas, which means a limited stay permit. Usually, you will hear people use the terms ITAS and KITAS interchangeably. These two are the same thing. What makes it different is that KITAS takes the form of a card, while ITAS is the stay permit in electronic form.

Ever since the pandemic, the limited stay permit has been given in an electronic form, usually known as e-ITAS, or simply ITAS. Hence, the immigration office will only issue the permit electronically instead of giving out a card directly to the applicant.

It’s important to note that ITAS is valid for six months to a year. In order to prolong your stay in Indonesia, you must apply for an extension. You can extend this temporary stay permit four times. With each extension, you will be granted a maximum one-year stay.

As mentioned before, ITAS holders are not like casual tourist visa holders. ITAS is only required for foreigners who intend to stay for a longer period of time in Indonesia due to specific purposes. Here are some of the people who qualify for ITAS applications:

Employees of an Indonesian company.
Experts who work in Indonesia
Investors who deal with businesses in Indonesia
Scientists who intend to do research
International students who study in Indonesia
Spouses of Indonesian citizens
Retirees/tourists who are over 55 years of age
Foreigners’ children born in Indonesian territory
Captains or crews of a ship

What is ITAP?

Before getting important information about how to change ITAS status to ITAP, you must understand what ITAP is. ITAP is used interchangeably with KITAP. However, similarly to ITAS, the immigration office today only issues the electronic form of this permanent stay permit called e-ITAP, or commonly known as ITAP.

Unlike ITAS, which is usually only valid for one year, ITAP has a longer validity of five years. With ITAP, you can extend your permanent stay in Indonesia an unlimited number of times. ITAP can only be given to the following groups of people:

ITAS/KITAS (limited residency permit) holders who are clergymen, employees, investors, and elderly tourists.
Children of ITAP/KITAP holders who are born in Indonesia.
Family of a mixed marriage.
Family members (wife, husband, children) of ITAP/KITAP holders.
Foreigners with former Indonesian citizenship.
Children with former dual citizenship.

How to Change ITAS Status to ITAP

When it comes to changing status from ITAS to ITAP, there are requirements that need to be met by the applicant. Since the ITAP’s status depends on the holder’s profession, it is important to separate the applications based on the occupation or status of the applicants.

Changing ITAS to ITAP is not that simple. Applicants have to wait for at least two years before being able to apply for the status change. Since the application process for ITAP can take several months, it is generally recommended that applicants apply well in advance of the expiration of their ITAS.

Here are the required documents to change ITAS status to ITAP according to each applicant’s purpose of staying in Indonesia:

For Clergymen

A valid foreign passport
Copy of a valid ITAS
Certificate of domicile
An integration statement signed by the applicant
A recommendation letter from the related ministry or institution

For Retirees

A valid foreign passport and its copy
A copy of valid ITAS
A guarantor letter
Certificate of domicile
An integration statement signed by the applicant
A sponsorship letter from the official Travel Bureau appointed by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy

For Spouses of ITAP Holders

A valid foreign passport
Copy of a valid ITAS
Certificate of domicile
An integration statement signed by the applicant
A guarantor letter
Copy of the marriage certificate
Copy of the spouse’s valid foreign passport
The decision regarding the change of stay permit status

For Children of A Foreign ITAP Holder and An Indonesian

A valid foreign passport
Copy of a valid ITAS
Certificate of domicile
An integration statement signed by the applicant
A request letter from the Indonesian father or mother
Copy of the marriage certificate of the parents
Copy of the valid KTP (Kartu Tanda Penduduk) of the father or the mother
Copy of the KK (Kartu Keluarga) of the Indonesian parent

For Children Under 18 Years Old Who Are Not Yet Married

A valid foreign passport
Copy of a valid ITAS
Certificate of domicile
An integration statement signed by the applicant
A guarantor letter
Copy of the birth certificate
Copy of the marriage certificate of the parents
Copy of the valid passport of the father or the mother
Copy of the valid ITAS of the father or the mother

For Spouses of Indonesian Citizens

A valid foreign passport
Copy of a valid ITAS
Certificate of domicile
An integration statement signed by the applicant
A request letter from the Indonesian spouse
Copy of the marriage certificate
Copy of the marriage report from the overseas authorized agency
Copy of the valid KTP (Kartu Tanda Penduduk) of the Indonesian spouse
Copy of the valid KK (Kartu Keluarga) of the Indonesian spouse

Thus, all the information you need to know on how to change ITAS status to ITAP. There are important documents you need to prepare based on your occupation or status as a foreigner in Indonesia that you shouldn’t miss as well.

Since the status change requires quite a long process, you may need the help of a trusted agency to assist you. Therefore, don’t hesitate to contact DoorToID to get much-needed professional, quick, and transparent service for your visa application.