Taxes, Banking and Money in Indonesia for Digital Nomads

You can become an Indonesian tax resident if:

• you are in Indonesia for more than 183 days in any 12-month period, or
• you are in Indonesia during a tax year and intend to reside there, which tax offices can infer from things like a long-stay permit, a long lease or where your economic life is centred.

A regulation issued in December 2025 tells tax offices to look at substance (where you live, work and keep assets) as well as day counts. Residents are taxed on worldwide income. Non-residents are taxed only on Indonesian-source income, generally at 20%.

When the E33G remote worker visa launched, immigration officials said remote workers paid from abroad would not be taxed in Indonesia. But tax residency is decided by tax law, not by immigration, and holding a one-year residence permit can count as intent to reside. In practice the position is grey:

• Some advisers say E33G holders who keep their income abroad and stay under 183 days are low-risk.
• Others say a KITAS holder living in Bali for a year is a tax resident and should register and file.

Indonesia also has a special rule that taxes some foreign experts only on Indonesian-source income for their first four years of residence, but it applies to approved areas of expertise, not to remote workers in general. If you plan to stay most of a year, get advice from an Indonesian tax adviser before you arrive.

Indonesia has tax treaties with around 70 countries, including the UK, US, Australia, Canada and most of the EU.

These are ballpark monthly costs for one person living comfortably, with a private room in a villa or a one-bedroom apartment on a monthly rate, eating out most days, a coworking desk, a scooter and a social life, at about IDR 16,500 to the dollar.

Rough prices in Bali: a warung meal IDR 25,000 to 50,000, a cafe meal IDR 80,000 to 150,000, a flat white IDR 35,000 to 55,000, a large Bintang in a bar IDR 40,000 to 60,000, a coworking day pass IDR 150,000 to 250,000, a month of coworking IDR 2 to 4 million, a scooter IDR 1 to 1.8 million a month, and a gym membership IDR 600,000 to 1.5 million a month.

Cafes, gyms, supermarkets and most restaurants in Bali take cards. QRIS, Indonesia’s national QR code, is accepted at almost every shop and warung, and some foreign banking and travel apps can now pay QRIS codes. Warungs, markets, small shops and scooter rentals often want cash. Villa rent is usually paid in cash or by bank transfer, often for several months up front.

Use ATMs inside or attached to banks (BCA, Mandiri, BNI, BRI) or inside minimarkets, and avoid standalone machines on quiet streets, because card skimming happens in Bali. Most ATMs dispense IDR 2.5 to 3 million per withdrawal and charge foreign cards a fee. Always decline the ATM’s currency conversion. Count your cash at money changers, use authorised changers with a printed rate, and walk away from deals that look too good.

Opening an Indonesian bank account needs a KITAS, such as the E33G, plus a local tax number in some banks. Most nomads on visit visas use a foreign card, cash, and Wise or a similar service to pay rent to a landlord’s Indonesian account.