| Digital nomad or remote-worker visa | Dependent spouse visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Built for the remote-working parent, whose income comes from an employer or clients based outside Indonesia rather than from a local job. | Built for the foreign parent who is married to an Indonesian citizen, so eligibility comes from the marriage rather than from either parent's job. |
| Adding the kids | Children can usually be added as dependents once the remote-working parent's permit is approved, as a separate step after the main application. | Children of the couple typically follow the same Indonesian spouse who sponsors the foreign parent, since the family's status is tied to the marriage. |
| Work rights for the other parent | The permit only covers remote work tied to the holder's foreign employer or clients; it does not let the remote-working parent take local paid work in Indonesia. | The foreign parent traditionally has no right to local paid work, though 2026 rule changes opened narrower paths for spouse-visa holders to work legally in some cases. |
| School enrollment paperwork | Schools generally accept the child's dependent permit on its own, as long as it's current when the school year starts. | Schools usually also ask to see the marriage certificate, since the child's status runs through the Indonesian spouse rather than through an employer. |
| Renewal and stability of stay | Renewal depends on proving the remote job or client income is still active, so the family's stay rests on the remote-working parent's job situation staying steady. | Renewal depends on the marriage remaining legally registered, so the family's stay rests on the relationship rather than on employment. |
| Cost level | Setup and renewal costs run lower overall, since the process centers on one parent's employment paperwork. | Setup costs run higher upfront because of the marriage documentation involved, though later renewals can end up comparable. |
Choose Digital nomad or remote-worker visa if…
Choose the digital nomad or remote-worker visa if your family's move to Bali depends on one parent's remote job rather than on marriage to an Indonesian citizen, and you want a permit that renews around that employment.
Choose Dependent spouse visa if…
Choose the dependent spouse visa if one parent is married to an Indonesian citizen, since it lets the family's stay follow the marriage itself and opens a more direct route toward long-term residency.
Still weighing it up for your family?
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