In the past few months, the Indonesian government has received complaints from many expatriates about the unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape involved in obtaining a work permit in Indonesia.  As a result, a new decree was announced at the end of April 2006 that allows expatriates to obtain work permits before they arrive for work in Indonesia.  

Up until now, once an expatriate arrived in Indonesia, he/she would have to visit several offices and submit numerous documents and recommendations, and then wait up to 3 months before a work permit was issued.  With no clear regulations governing the work permit application process, it was common for administrative officials to demand cash in order to process the work permit.  

With this new policy, employers can now apply for a work permit for their expatriate employee before he/she arrives in Indonesia; upon arrival, the expatriate can begin work immediately.  Although this is one small change in the work permit process, the Indonesian government has expressed concern about the bureaucracy and corruption surrounding the work permit process and remains determined to improve the situation.