Checking Company Information in Indonesia
Checking company information in Indonesia means confirming three separate things before you sign anything: that the company legally exists, that its business license covers what it claims to do, and that the person signing on its behalf is still legally authorised to. You can check basic registration status for free through the OSS system at oss.go.id and the Ministry of Law's AHU Online portal. For ownership percentages, capital proof, sponsor eligibility for a KITAS, or litigation history, you generally need a lawyer or notary to pull the certified documents, because that detail is not available to the public self-serve.
Table of contents
- What checking company information in Indonesia actually involves
- How to check a company's NIB and business license online
- How to check company registration at AHU Online
- How to check if a company can sponsor your KITAS
- Checking PT PMA status and foreign ownership
- What a lawyer due diligence check adds
- Verification methods compared
- FAQ
What checking company information in Indonesia actually involves
Most people come to this question for one of three reasons: they have been offered a job and need to check whether the employer can legally sponsor a KITAS, they are about to invest money or sign a partnership agreement, or they are buying a villa, land lease, or vendor contract through a company structure and want to know who actually controls it. Indonesia does not have a single centralised, free, public database that answers all of this in one search the way a Companies House search does in some countries. The information sits across two separate government systems, plus court records, plus the company's own notarised documents. Checking properly means pulling from more than one source and cross-referencing what the company tells you against what the registries show.
How to check a company's NIB and business license online
Since 2018 Indonesia consolidated business licensing into a single number called the NIB (Nomor Induk Berusaha), issued through the OSS system at oss.go.id. The NIB replaced older documents like the SIUP and TDP that you may still see referenced in older contracts. Ask the company to share its NIB and the KBLI codes attached to it. KBLI is the five-digit business classification system, and it matters because a company can only legally operate in the fields its KBLI codes cover. A company registered under a KBLI for food and beverage service cannot legally sign a construction contract or run a property rental business under that same entity, no matter what its name or marketing suggests.
Full third-party lookup of another company's NIB through OSS is limited for outsiders, so in practice you ask the counterpart to provide a copy and you check that the KBLI codes match the activity in front of you. A mismatch here is one of the most common things that surfaces during a proper check, and it is often not deliberate fraud, just a company that expanded faster than it updated its licensing.
How to check company registration at AHU Online
AHU stands for Administrasi Hukum Umum, the directorate under the Ministry of Law and Human Rights that holds the legal record of every incorporated entity in Indonesia. The portal, ahu.go.id, lets you search whether a PT, CV or foundation exists, its SK number (the decree approving its establishment or latest amendment), and whether it is listed as active, dissolved or merged. Basic status search is free. A certified printout of the full deed history, including past amendments and current directors and commissioners, usually has to be requested through a notary for a modest administrative fee, figures vary by notary and by how many pages of history you need.
This is the layer that catches the most common mistake in practice: a contract signed by someone who used to be a director but was legally replaced a year or two earlier, with the company never having told its counterparts. Only the people named in the current SK can bind the company. If the person across the table from you is not on the current AHU record, their signature may not hold up.
How to check if a company can sponsor your KITAS
If you are being offered a job in Bali or anywhere in Indonesia, the company's legal existence is only step one. To sponsor a foreign worker, the employer needs an active NIB, KBLI codes that cover your actual role, and an approved RPTKA (Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing), which is the government-approved plan setting out which foreign positions the company is permitted to fill and in what number. Without a current RPTKA, Immigration will not issue the work-related KITAS no matter how good the job offer sounds.
Ask the employer directly to show you their NIB, their KBLI codes, and confirmation that an RPTKA slot exists for your position before you resign from anything. A company that has never sponsored a foreign worker before, or that asks you to personally pay for the sponsorship paperwork, is worth slowing down for. Our Bali work visa and KITAS guide covers the full sponsorship process in detail, and the work permit and residence visa process page breaks down what the employer side of the paperwork actually looks like.
Checking PT PMA status and foreign ownership
A foreigner cannot be a shareholder, director or commissioner of a plain local PT. The only vehicle that allows foreign capital, foreign directorship or foreign commissioner roles is a PT PMA (Penanaman Modal Asing, foreign investment company). If a company presents itself as foreign-friendly but its AHU record shows it registered as an ordinary PT, that is a signal to stop and ask questions, because any arrangement putting a foreigner in day-to-day control of a local PT without matching shares on paper is a nominee structure, and nominee arrangements carry real legal risk if the relationship with the local partner breaks down.
PT PMA entities also carry minimum capital requirements. The figure commonly referenced is a total investment above IDR 10 billion excluding land and buildings per five-digit KBLI business line, with at least 25 percent of that required as paid-up capital, roughly IDR 2.5 billion. These thresholds are set and periodically revised by the Ministry of Investment, so confirm the current figure with OSS or a lawyer rather than relying on a number from an old forum post. Some business fields also carry foreign ownership caps or outright restrictions under the investment list in force at the time, which the Articles of Association should reflect accurately.
What a lawyer due diligence check adds that you cannot do yourself
Self-serve checks through OSS and AHU answer whether a company exists and what it is licensed to do. They do not reliably show you the full shareholder breakdown and percentages, the history of capital injections, whether the company or its directors are party to a commercial court case, or whether the company holds clean title to the land or building it claims to operate from. A lawyer requests certified copies directly from the notary who holds the deed, checks the relevant district and commercial court registries for pending disputes or PKPU bankruptcy filings, and confirms tax status where relevant. This is the layer that catches structural problems rather than paperwork problems: a company that looks fine on paper but is mid-dispute with a former partner, or one whose land certificate does not actually match the address on the lease.
Cost varies with scope. A basic status and KBLI check a lawyer can turn around quickly costs relatively little. A full due diligence report covering ownership, litigation, land title and tax status is a larger engagement, costs vary meaningfully depending on how many entities and documents are involved, and it is worth asking for a fixed quote before work starts rather than an hourly estimate. If you are weighing a company's offer to arrange your visa and sponsorship as part of a larger deal, it is also worth checking the credentials of whoever is arranging it, see our page on how to choose a Bali visa agency for what to ask before you pay anyone.
Verification methods compared
| Method | What it shows | Typical cost | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSS self-check (oss.go.id) | NIB status, KBLI codes attached to the business | Free | Minutes, if you have the NIB number |
| AHU Online basic search | Entity type, SK number, active or dissolved status | Free | Minutes |
| Certified AHU printout via notary | Current directors, commissioners, deed amendment history | Modest fee, varies by notary | A few days |
| Court registry check | Pending litigation, bankruptcy or PKPU filings | Usually included in a lawyer's fee | A few days to a week |
| Full lawyer due diligence | Ownership, capital history, litigation, land title, tax status | Varies with scope, confirm with a fixed quote | One to two weeks typically |
The most expensive mistake: signing an investment agreement or accepting a job offer based only on a company's own claim that it is a properly licensed PT PMA, without pulling the AHU deed and NIB yourself. People have put capital into what turned out to be a nominee PT, with no shareholding to show for it, or accepted a job and resigned their previous position before learning the employer had no RPTKA approval for their role. Both situations are avoidable with a check that costs a fraction of what the mistake costs.
FAQ
How can I check if a company is legally registered in Indonesia?
Search the company name on AHU Online (ahu.go.id) to confirm its entity type, SK decree number, and whether it is listed as active. Then ask the company for its NIB and check that the business activity matches the KBLI codes attached to it on the OSS system. Both basic searches are free, though a certified copy of the full deed usually requires a notary request.
What is NIB and why does it matter when checking a company?
NIB stands for Nomor Induk Berusaha, the single business identification number issued through Indonesia's OSS system since 2018. It replaced older licenses like the SIUP and TDP. Checking a company's NIB and its attached KBLI codes tells you whether the company is actually licensed for the activity it is offering you, which is one of the most common mismatches found during a proper check.
How do I check a company's shareholders in Indonesia?
Shareholder percentages are not shown on the free AHU self-search. You need a certified copy of the deed of establishment and any amendments, which a notary or lawyer can request on your behalf. This also shows whether a foreign individual's role is backed by actual shares, which matters because informal control without matching shares is a nominee arrangement and carries legal risk.
Can I check a company online for free before signing a contract?
Yes, for basic status. OSS and AHU Online both offer free searches showing whether a company exists, its entity type, and its registered business activity. For deeper checks, ownership percentages, litigation history, or tax compliance, you will need a lawyer or notary to pull certified documents, since that detail is not available through the free public portals.
How much does a company background check cost in Indonesia?
A basic status and KBLI check costs little since the self-serve portals are free, though a lawyer's time to interpret the result adds a small fee. A full due diligence report covering ownership, capital, litigation and land title is a larger engagement with cost varying by scope. Ask for a fixed quote rather than an hourly estimate before committing.
How do I know if a company can sponsor a KITAS?
Ask the employer to show its active NIB, the KBLI codes covering your intended role, and confirmation of an approved RPTKA (Rencana Penggunaan Tenaga Kerja Asing) slot for your position. Without a current RPTKA approval, Immigration will not issue the related work KITAS. Confirm this before resigning from any current job or relying on a verbal offer.
What is the difference between a PT and a PT PMA?
A PT is a standard local Indonesian company limited to domestic shareholders. A PT PMA (Penanaman Modal Asing) is the only entity type that legally allows foreign shareholders, directors or commissioners. A foreigner acting as a director or controlling party of a plain PT without matching shares is operating outside the law, commonly through a nominee arrangement.
What does AHU Online show about a company?
AHU Online, run by Indonesia's Ministry of Law and Human Rights, shows a company's legal entity type, its SK decree number and date, and whether its status is active, dissolved or merged. A certified printout, usually requested through a notary, adds the current list of directors and commissioners and the full history of deed amendments.