Study in Indonesia

Higher education in Indonesia is overseen by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek), while state Islamic universities fall under the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Institutions are public (PTN, including legally autonomous PTN-BH universities such as UI, UGM, ITB, IPB and Unair), private (PTS), institutes and polytechnics. Study is measured in semester credit units (SKS): • Bachelor's (S1 – Sarjana): usually 4 years; medicine is longer, with a professional stage. • Master's (S2 – Magister): usually 2 years (4 semesters). • Doctorate (S3 – Doktor): 3–4 years. • Vocational D3 and applied D4 diplomas at polytechnics. The academic year opens with the odd semester in August or September (to January), followed by the even semester from February to June or July; some universities also admit in January. The main language of instruction is Bahasa Indonesia, while the leading universities run English-taught International Undergraduate Programs (IUP) and English-taught master's and doctoral programmes.

1) There is no national portal for international students: apply directly on the university's portal, or through the scholarship portal (KNB, TIAS or Darmasiswa), choosing your university within it. 2) Typical requirements: a secondary-school, bachelor's or master's certificate with transcripts (often legalised), a passport with long validity (18 months for some scholarships), an English certificate such as TOEFL ITP 477–530 or IELTS 5.5–6.0 depending on level, or an Indonesian certificate for programmes taught in Indonesian, a medical report and a motivation letter. KNB, TIAS and some university scholarships also require a recommendation letter from the Indonesian embassy in your country. 3) Dates: the KNB call ran from 2 February to 31 March 2026, TIAS from 16 February to 17 April, and Darmasiswa from 15 May to 15 June. Direct admission usually opens between February and July for an August start, in several batches for programmes such as ITB's IUP. 4) After admission, the university obtains your study permit (izin belajar) from the Ministry and then sponsors your visa application; the whole process can take about two months, so apply early.

Tuition: there is no single fee for international students; each university sets its own fees in rupiah per semester, often plus a one-off institutional development contribution (IPI) at enrolment. Examples: • Institut Teknologi Bandung, International Undergraduate Programs (IUP) 2026–27: IDR 24.5–30 million per semester, plus a one-off contribution of IDR 50–70 million. • Universitas Gadjah Mada, international undergraduate law (2024–25): IDR 28 million per semester for foreigners plus a contribution of IDR 100 million; the Master in Economics of Development costs IDR 35.75 million per semester. Private universities and regular Indonesian-taught programmes are often cheaper, while medicine costs far more. Living costs: Indonesia is one of Asia's cheapest study destinations. Near Universitas Indonesia in Depok, a student boarding room (kos) costs IDR 1–1.5 million a month, an apartment IDR 2.1–3.7 million and a campus dormitory IDR 200,000–500,000; a canteen meal costs IDR 20,000–35,000 and Jakarta public transport IDR 3,000–14,000 a trip. In Bogor, accommodation runs at IDR 2–3 million a month. For comparison, the Darmasiswa scholarship pays IDR 4.7 million a month and UI GREAT IDR 3.5 million.

For degree study you need the E30B higher-education visa (which replaced the old C316 study visa), a multiple-entry limited-stay visa; you cannot study on a tourist visa or a visa on arrival: 1) Your university is the sponsor: after admission it obtains your study permit from the Ministry and applies online at evisa.imigrasi.go.id, usually without an embassy visit, and the visa is emailed to you. Processing takes 5 working days after payment, and the visa must be used within 90 days. 2) Documents: a passport valid for more than 6 months, a recent colour photo, a bank statement for the last 3 months showing at least USD 2,000 in your or your sponsor's name, an admission letter stating the study period, a CV and a sponsor guarantee letter. 3) Official fees: IDR 6 million for a one-year stay, IDR 8.5 million for two years and IDR 12 million for four years (covering the visa, limited stay permit and re-entry permit). Scholarships such as KNB and UI GREAT pay these costs. 4) After arrival: you receive an electronic stay permit (E-ITAS) by email after reporting to your university's international office within about a week; extensions require a police registration letter (STM) and a civil registry record (SKTT). When you leave for good you request an exit permit (EPO). Overstaying costs IDR 1 million per day. Since July 2025, non-degree language courses use the E30 non-formal education visa, and internships use the C22A visa.

The student stay permit (E30B) does not allow work: Immigration prohibits holders from taking employment, selling goods or services or receiving pay from Indonesian individuals or companies, and violations can lead to fines or deportation. You may take part in academic and research activities linked to your studies, but an internship outside the university needs a separate internship visa (C22A) arranged by the host. You should therefore be able to cover all your costs yourself or hold a scholarship. After graduation: there is no dedicated post-study job-seeker visa. To work in Indonesia, an employer must sponsor you and obtain Ministry of Manpower approval to hire a foreigner, after which you receive a work visa (such as E23) and a new stay permit. TIAS graduates must return home and serve their country for at least two years.