Hiring a Japanese Chef in Indonesia: RPTKA, KITAS and the 5 Year Rule

Indonesia added more Japanese restaurants between 2023 and 2025 than any other country in the top ten of Japan's agriculture ministry survey. The foreign worker system is built around a single idea, that a foreigner fills a role only until an Indonesian can take it over, and every step reflects that. This guide sets out the process as of September 2026.

1. The fastest growing Japanese restaurant market

• MAFF counted 6,580 Japanese restaurants in Indonesia in 2025, up 2,580 on 2023. That is growth of about 65% in two years, the largest absolute increase among MAFF's top ten countries, and it took Indonesia past Thailand (5,920).
• Over the same period, Asia as a whole fell by about 10%, mostly because of China.
• The Japanese community is much smaller than the restaurant count suggests: 15,266 Japanese nationals lived in Indonesia on 1 October 2025, up 2.2% on the year, with 5,419 in South Jakarta, the largest concentration (MOFA).

That is about 2.3 Japanese residents per Japanese restaurant, against about 12 in Thailand. Japanese expatriates cannot be the main customer base. It also tells you there is almost no local pool of Japanese chefs to hire from. If you want one, you are almost certainly bringing them in.

2. The starting principle: Indonesians first

Government Regulation 34 of 2021 makes priority for Indonesian workers the basic rule. Foreigners may be employed only in specific positions, for a specific period, where Indonesians cannot fill them. Employing a foreigner requires, in JETRO's summary:

1. an approved foreign worker utilisation plan (RPTKA);
2. payment of the foreign worker compensation fund charge (DKP-TKA);
3. a residence permit;
4. naming an Indonesian counterpart who will take over the foreigner's skills;
5. training for that counterpart;
6. Indonesian language training for the foreign worker;
7. enrolment of the foreign worker in national social security; and
8. reporting on the foreign worker's employment.

3. Who qualifies: the 5 year rule and the position list

Minister of Manpower Regulation 8 of 2021 requires a foreign worker to have:

• education appropriate to the position;
• at least 5 years of work experience in line with the position; and
• readiness to transfer expertise to Indonesian workers, especially the named counterpart.

The 5 year requirement is the one that shapes recruitment. It is higher than Australia (1 year) or New Zealand (2 years), and it rules out the younger Japanese cooks who fill kitchens elsewhere. Ask for documented experience at the first interview.

Positions are also restricted by title. Minister of Manpower Decision 228 of 2019 (27 August 2019) lists the job titles foreigners may hold, by sector, and hotels and restaurants are one of the 18 sectors covered. A separate decision (349 of 2019) lists positions foreigners may not hold, mostly in human resources and recruitment. The texts are on the Ministry of Manpower's legal database (JDIH). Check that the exact title you intend to use for your chef appears in the hotel and restaurant section before you apply, and use that title consistently.

4. Step 1: RPTKA through TKA Online

The RPTKA (Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing) is the plan for using foreign workers. It is filed online through the Ministry of Manpower's TKA Online system. The application sets out:

• the employer's details and why a foreign worker is needed;
• the position title and duties, number of foreign workers, period and work location;
• how many Indonesians the business employs and the jobs it creates;
• the Indonesian counterpart, and commitments on counterpart training and Indonesian language training for the foreigner.

Supporting documents include the company's deed of establishment, business identification number (NIB), business licence, proof of location, organisation chart, the mandatory manpower report and the foreign worker's employment contract. The ministry assesses the application, including by video call with the employer. RPTKA periods are usually 1 to 2 years.

5. Step 2: worker data and the DKP-TKA charge

After the assessment, the employer uploads the chef's data to TKA Online: identity, education, passport, position and period, workplace, and documents such as certificates or proof of experience, the employment contract and a colour passport scan.

Then the employer pays the DKP-TKA of US$100 per foreign worker per month of employment, in advance. For a 12 month RPTKA that is US$1,200 per chef. The RPTKA is approved once payment is confirmed. If the worker then cancels and does not come, the employer can apply for a refund within one year of the notification.

6. Step 3: VITAS and ITAS (KITAS)

Once the RPTKA is approved, the immigration side follows. The chef receives a limited stay visa (VITAS) and, on entry, a limited stay permit (ITAS, still widely called KITAS). JETRO notes that under 2024 changes, a VITAS application is treated as an ITAS application, and an electronic ITAS is sent to the employer a few days after the chef enters through a designated airport. The first ITAS is granted for up to 2 years with a multiple re-entry permit for the same period.

Within 30 days of the ITAS being issued, the foreigner must report to the national police and then to the local police for the area where they live.

7. The counterpart and training obligations

This is where restaurants underestimate the work. You must name an Indonesian cook as the counterpart to your Japanese chef, and run training to transfer the chef's skills to them. The Japanese chef must also receive Indonesian language training.

Treat this as a real plan, not a form. It suits a restaurant well: the counterpart becomes your sous chef, and if the chef leaves you have someone who can run the kitchen. Our guide on training local staff in Japanese cuisine is a starting point. If your restaurant serves Muslim customers, see also halal Japanese kitchen staffing.

8. How to plan a hire

1. Confirm the position title against Decision 228/2019 for hotels and restaurants.
2. Find a chef with at least 5 years of documented experience in that role, and collect the evidence with translations.
3. Choose the Indonesian counterpart and write the training plan before filing.
4. File the RPTKA on TKA Online and prepare for the video assessment.
5. Upload the chef's data, pay the DKP-TKA (US$100 per month), then arrange the VITAS and ITAS.
6. On arrival: police registration within 30 days, social security enrolment, and the start of language and counterpart training.

Compare the region: Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines. For market data on Japanese restaurants abroad, see our Japanese language data summary.

General information checked in September 2026 against JETRO's summaries of Indonesian regulations and Japanese government statistics, not legal or immigration advice. Indonesian procedures and position lists change. Confirm with the Ministry of Manpower, the Directorate General of Immigration or an Indonesian adviser before applying.