Indonesia’s main business license types are the NIB, Standard Certificate and business license, or Izin, assigned according to risk. Applicable supporting approvals, called PB-UMKU, and location requirements must also be checked before operations begin.
Key Takeaways
- Government Regulation No. 28 of 2025 assigns main business licensing instruments across four risk levels.
- Medium high risk activities need a verified Standard Certificate before the relevant operational or commercial activity; high risk activities need the required Izin.
- PB-UMKU addresses additional approvals for specified activities or products. It is a separate check from the main risk category.
- Check the activity, premises and approval status together. Bali’s published restrictions on certain foreign investment activities require an additional eligibility review.
Compare Indonesia’s Four Risk Levels
Your activity’s risk level determines its main licensing instruments. Articles 130 to 133 of Government Regulation No. 28 of 2025 distinguish the NIB, self-declared certification, verified certification and Izin.
The NIB, or Nomor Induk Berusaha, identifies the business operator. Our guide to NIB and OSS licensing explains that identifier and its registration process.
| Risk Level | Main Licensing Documents | Position Before Commercial Operations |
|---|---|---|
| Low | NIB | The NIB provides business legality for the activity. Check applicable basic requirements and supporting approvals. |
| Medium Low | NIB and Standard Certificate without verification | The operator declares compliance with business standards and must meet those standards while conducting the activity. |
| Medium High | NIB and Standard Certificate requiring verification | An unverified certificate supports preparation. The relevant operations require the verified certificate. |
| High | NIB and Izin | The NIB supports preparation while the operator obtains the required license before the relevant operations. |
Article 186 of Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of BKPM Regulation No. 5 of 2025 confirms this distinction. It also requires PB-UMKU where supporting legality is necessary for operational or commercial activities.
For medium low risk activities, Article 131 of the government regulation permits preparation and operations under the NIB and Standard Certificate. The operator remains responsible for meeting the declared standards and other applicable requirements.
Notes From InvestinAsia Consultants
Keep separate entries for document issuance and verification. For a medium high risk activity, downloading a Standard Certificate does not settle whether you can open; check its verification status against the intended operation.
Use the Current Legal Basis When Reviewing Older Documents
Government Regulation No. 28 of 2025 governs the framework. The Ministry of Finance’s legal register records its effective date as 5 June 2025 and its revocation of Government Regulation No. 5 of 2021.
BKPM’s legal register lists Ministerial Regulation No. 5 of 2025 as in force. It provides implementing procedures for business licensing through the Online Single Submission system, or OSS.
Existing documents need a transition review. Articles 547 and 549 of the government regulation address unfinished applications and previously issued approvals; an older document’s name alone does not establish that it needs replacement.
Compare the issued document, its validity and the project’s application history with the applicable transitional provisions. Treat a new activity or site as a separate review question.
Distinguish Main Licenses From Supporting Approvals
A sector requirement can concern the main business license or an additional supporting approval. Identify its legal role before treating a permit name as the complete licensing requirement.
Main Sector Licenses
For high risk activities, Article 133 requires the relevant government approval called Izin alongside the NIB. The responsible authority must grant that approval before the operational or commercial activity it covers.
A broad label such as a tourism or industrial license leaves the approval scope unresolved. Check the exact activity and applicable sector requirements.
Supporting Approvals Under PB-UMKU
Article 135 identifies PB-UMKU purposes including product circulation, operational suitability and product or service standardization. These approvals support particular operations beyond the main licensing instruments.
The OSS PB-UMKU directory provides searches by approval name and sector. Our guide to PB-UMKU in Indonesia explains how to investigate the approval holder and scope.
Import and Export Permissions
Article 135 excludes specified export, import and restricted goods permissions from PB-UMKU and provides for processing through Indonesia National Single Window. Include a trade permissions review if your proposed operations involve importing or exporting.
Recording the business activity in OSS cannot establish that you have completed the permissions needed for a particular shipment.
Match the KBLI and Location Before Filing
Start with the work and operating location. Article 127 of Government Regulation No. 28 of 2025 connects activity identification to KBLI scope and includes location among the hazard assessment criteria.
KBLI means Klasifikasi Baku Lapangan Usaha Indonesia, the Indonesian business classification. Use our KBLI guide for foreign investors to distinguish activity classification from permission to operate.
- Describe the actual work, products and customer transactions. Separate activities that perform different commercial functions.
- Match those descriptions to the applicable KBLI scope in OSS. Check the proposed ownership and activity’s eligibility before committing to the filing.
- Enter the actual operating location and project information. Review the risk classification and required licensing instruments for that proposal.
- Identify applicable basic requirements for the premises and check any claimed exception.
- Identify supporting approvals and sector requirements. Record their applicant, scope, conditions and required completion stage.
- Review the issued results and outstanding requirements before deciding which preparation or operational activities can begin.
Use one review record for each activity and site combination. Include the KBLI description, risk level, required documents, verification status and unresolved questions so you can identify outstanding approvals alongside the NIB.
Location requirements form a separate part of the licensing assessment. Article 12 of Government Regulation No. 28 of 2025 identifies spatial conformity, environmental approval, and building approval and functional certification as basic requirements.
Spatial Conformity
Check whether the proposed activity fits the selected premises through the applicable KKPR route. Our guide to KKPR spatial suitability explains the location assessment.
A landlord’s description of the property should be checked against the exact plot and proposed use before you rely on it.
Environmental Requirements
Assess the environmental requirements for the proposed activity and site under the applicable rules. Article 12 lists environmental approval within the basic requirements framework.
Request the relevant documents and compare their covered activity and location with your project.
Building Documents
Article 12 also identifies PBG, or building approval, and SLF, or functional worthiness certification. Check the applicable building documents for the premises and intended use.
Discuss proposed construction or alterations during that review rather than assuming an existing address settles the building requirements.
Article 13 provides an exception for trade or service operators in shared buildings or commercial complexes where the manager holds the specified basic approvals. Qualifying operators can proceed to PB or PB-UMKU applications.
Check the manager’s documents and whether your proposed activity meets the provision. The exception concerns basic requirements; the operator must still assess its main and supporting business licensing.
Assess Bali Restrictions Before Committing to a Site
Bali requires an additional activity eligibility check alongside the national risk framework. Its provincial government reported on 24 July 2026 that OSS access had closed for new foreign investment licensing in 18 KBLI categories.
The announcement concerns specified low and medium low risk categories and reports implementation from the third week of May 2026. PMA means foreign investment in this context.
The published categories include management consulting, certain accommodation activities, real estate and cafes. The government’s announcement describes a restriction on new applications; it does not provide a permit checklist for an individual project.
Before leasing a Bali site, confirm the activity, ownership profile, project location and current OSS availability with the competent authority. A low risk classification alone cannot establish that a new PMA application is available.
For a Bali opening, review national licensing documents, premises requirements and supporting approvals alongside that eligibility check. Avoid assigning a risk level or permit package from the word “villa,” “cafe” or “consultancy” alone.
Notes From InvestinAsia Consultants
Separate the registered office from the place where customers receive services or goods. For a Bali proposal, put the operating address and activity beside the eligibility review before committing to premises or a launch date.
Review the Evidence Before Opening
Base the opening decision on the documents and conditions for your actual operations. Articles 131 to 135 distinguish the relevant business licensing stages and supporting approvals.
- Confirm that the company, activity and project location match the OSS records.
- Check the required main instrument: NIB, Standard Certificate or Izin.
- For medium high risk activities, retain evidence of certificate verification.
- Confirm applicable basic requirements or document the basis for a shared building exception.
- Review required PB-UMKU and any separate trade permissions against the proposed products and operations.
- Read approval conditions, validity information and remaining obligations. Assign someone to each unresolved requirement before the relevant activity begins.
Budget and timing should follow that permit list. Check the requirements for each approval rather than applying one processing estimate or service package to the whole business.
Prepare the NIB Filing With a Defined Scope
A documented activity and location review gives you a clearer starting point for registration. Through InvestinAsia Indonesia NIB Registration, we provide document readiness review and OSS submission support.
Confirm the engagement scope against your permit checklist. NIB filing assistance should sit alongside any additional certification, sector or premises work your proposal requires.
Unsure Which Documents Your Opening Depends On?
Prepare your NIB filing with InvestinAsia, the market entry arm of vOffice Group.
- Government of Indonesia. (2025). Government Regulation No. 28 of 2025 on the Implementation of Risk-Based Business Licensing. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from
https://jdih-storage.bkpm.go.id/jdih/jdih/Salinan-PP-Nomor-28-Tahun-2025-.pdf - Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of BKPM. (2025). Regulation No. 5 of 2025 on Guidelines and Procedures for Risk-Based Business Licensing and Investment Facilities Through the Electronically Integrated Business Licensing System. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from
https://jdih-storage.bkpm.go.id/jdih/jdih/2025Permeninvesthil005-.pdf - Ministry of Finance. (n.d.). Legal Record for Government Regulation No. 28 of 2025. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from
https://jdih.kemenkeu.go.id/dok/pp-28-tahun-2025/overview - Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming/BKPM. (n.d.). Legal Record for Ministerial Regulation No. 5 of 2025. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from
https://jdih.bkpm.go.id/id/document/peraturan-menteri-investasi-dan-hilirisasikepala-badan-koordinasi-penanaman-modal-nomor-5-tahun-2025-tentang-pedoman-dan-tata-cara-penyelenggaraan-perizinan-berusaha-berbasis-risiko-dan-fas - Online Single Submission. (n.d.). Business Licensing to Support Business Activities (PB UMKU). Retrieved October 16, 2026, from
https://oss.go.id/en/umku - Bali Provincial Government. (2026, July 24). Gubernur Koster Batasi Akses OSS untuk PMA di Sejumlah KBLI, Lindungi UMKM Lokal dari Persaingan Tidak Sehat. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from
https://www.baliprov.go.id/web/gubernur-koster-batasi-akses-oss-untuk-pma-di-sejumlah-kbli-lindungi-umkm-lokal-dari-persaingan-tidak-sehat
