Seasonal work in Indonesia: island tourism, diving and coffee harvests

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What does the season look like in Indonesia?

The archipelago has more than seventeen thousand islands and two big engines of temporary work: international tourism, concentrated in Bali and the neighbouring islands, and agriculture, which employs millions of Indonesians every year for rice, coffee, cocoa and palm oil.

For foreigners the picture is narrower. Accessible roles are mostly in upscale hospitality, diving, surfing, yoga, villa management and guest relations for international visitors, and they are almost always reserved for qualified profiles sponsored by an Indonesian company.

Which regions hire the most?

Bali dominates demand: Badung, Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Uluwatu, Ubud and Nusa Dua. Next come Lombok and the Gili Islands, Labuan Bajo as the gateway to Komodo National Park, Raja Ampat in West Papua for diving, and Yogyakarta and Jakarta for events.

Harvests take place elsewhere: arabica coffee on the Gayo highlands in Aceh, in Toraja on Sulawesi and in Kintamani on Bali, cocoa on Sulawesi, and oil palm plantations on Sumatra and Kalimantan. These farm jobs are filled by local workers, not by foreign nationals.

When do the seasons run?

The dry season, from April to October, is the tourist high season, peaking in July and August and again around Christmas and New Year. The rainy season, from November to March, slows activity, except at some dive destinations such as Raja Ampat.

The arabica coffee harvest generally runs between May and September depending on altitude and region. Major national holidays, especially the end of Ramadan, also bring waves of domestic tourists and extra staffing needs in hotels, transport and retail.

Which jobs are advertised?

Listings on Bali job boards cover front office, reservations, housekeeping, security, food and beverage, pastry, maintenance and event coordination. Foreigners are mainly sought as dive instructors, chefs, restaurant managers, sales managers for overseas markets and specialist trainers.

Who is allowed to work in Indonesia?

There is no free movement and no working holiday scheme open to European citizens. Any foreigner who works, even for a few weeks and even without a local salary, needs a work-based stay permit obtained by an Indonesian employer, which remains legally responsible for them.

How do the RPTKA, the E23 visa and the KITAS work?

The employer first files a foreign manpower utilisation plan, the RPTKA, on the TKA Online platform of the Ministry of Manpower. It then pays the DKP-TKA levy of 100 US dollars per month per position before the plan is ratified.

The ratified plan serves as the work authorisation. The employer then applies for the E23 work visa on the immigration e-visa portal, the worker enters Indonesia, attends a biometric appointment and receives the ITAS, commonly called KITAS, together with a re-entry permit.

What conditions must be met?

In practice the authorities expect a degree or experience matching the position, a valid passport, a contract with a registered Indonesian entity and a role that is open to foreigners. Unskilled jobs such as waiter or picker are normally not available to foreign nationals.

Can a tourist visa be used for work?

No. The visa on arrival, the e-VOA and visit visas prohibit any paid activity, including surf or yoga lessons paid locally. Immigration officers regularly carry out checks in Bali and issue deportation orders combined with re-entry bans.

What pay and working conditions can be expected?

There is no single national minimum wage: each province sets a provincial minimum wage, the UMP, every year, and districts may set a higher one, the UMK. Badung regency, which covers much of Bali's tourist belt, is among the better-paid areas.

How is pay structured?

In hotels, pay often combines a base salary, a service charge shared among staff, meals and sometimes accommodation. Foreigners on a KITAS are paid according to their contract, usually well above local minimums, but rarely at European salary levels.

What hours and housing apply?

The standard reference is forty hours a week, spread over five or six days. Overtime is common during the high season. Employer-provided housing is rare for foreigners, who usually rent a room or a shared villa in Canggu or Ubud.

What formalities follow arrival?

After six months of work, enrolment in the BPJS social security schemes becomes compulsory. A specialist guide also mentions reporting to the local manpower office, residence registration and obtaining an NPWP tax number, all of which should be planned with the employer.

How to land a seasonal job in Indonesia

1. Target an occupation genuinely open to foreigners: diving, cooking, hotel management or international sales.
2. Check vacancies from hotel groups and dive centres on Jobstreet Indonesia and employer websites.
3. Obtain a written offer from a registered Indonesian company able to sponsor a KITAS.
4. Make sure the employer files the RPTKA on TKA Online and pays the DKP-TKA levy.
5. Supply passport, diplomas, CV and photos for the E23 visa application on the e-visa portal.
6. Collect the visa, enter Indonesia and attend the biometric appointment for the ITAS.
7. Sign the final contract and enrol in social security within the required deadlines.

Which costs and documents are involved?

Which mistakes and scams should be avoided?

• Working on a tourist visa or e-VOA in the belief that it is tolerated.
• Paying an intermediary who promises a KITAS without a real employer.
• Accepting a KITAS from a company that does not actually employ you.
• Paying recruitment fees to unknown agencies contacted through social media.
• Confusing the digital nomad visa with permission to work for a local company.

Frequently asked questions about seasonal work in Indonesia

The questions below cover the situations foreigners most often face in Bali and the islands: volunteering, teaching diving, processing times, and how Indonesian jobseekers themselves look for vacancies in tourism and other sectors.

Is volunteering in exchange for housing allowed in Bali?

Work-for-accommodation arrangements are treated as work when they replace a paid job. The authorities consider that a foreigner who serves guests, teaches classes or runs a hostel is working, even without a salary, and can therefore be penalised.

How long does a work KITAS take?

A specialist guide indicates six to ten weeks from filing the RPTKA to receiving the KITAS, and about four weeks in the best case. Preparing the company's and the worker's documents remains the main source of delay in practice.

Can a foreign dive instructor be hired?

Yes, this is one of the most common foreign profiles, provided the dive centre is a registered company that files an RPTKA. Instructor certifications must be current, and teaching on a simple tourist visa exposes the instructor to deportation.

Where do Indonesians find vacancies?

The Ministry of Manpower runs the public Karirhub portal, which listed more than 81,000 active vacancies on 4 September 2026 from over 32,000 companies. Jobstreet Indonesia remains widely used for hospitality and tourism jobs in Bali.