**To run a foreign-owned resort in Raja Ampat you almost always need a PT PMA — an Indonesian limited company with foreign shareholding. As of October 2025 it requires roughly IDR 2.5 billion paid-up capital, a stated investment plan above IDR 10 billion per tourism KBLI per location, and land held as HGB or Hak Pakai, never freehold. These figures change; confirm with licensed counsel.**
A PT PMA (Penanaman Modal Asing) is the standard legal vehicle a foreigner uses to legally own, build, and operate a tourism business in West Papua. You cannot, as a foreign individual, hold Indonesian freehold (Hak Milik) land or directly run a licensed resort. The company sits between you and the asset: it holds the land right, carries the licenses, files the taxes, and employs the staff. Getting that structure right at the start is far cheaper than fixing it after construction begins.
We are Bali Premium Trip, an independent broker and concierge — not a law firm, not a notary, not a tax adviser, and not a government agency. What follows is an orientation, not legal advice. Every threshold below is date-stamped because Indonesia revises these rules often, and the final say rests with BKPM, BPN, and your appointed counsel.
Why does a foreign resort investor need a PT PMA at all?
Indonesia restricts most commercial activity to Indonesian legal entities. For foreign capital, the entity is the PT PMA — a perseroan terbatas (limited company) registered with the Ministry of Investment/BKPM and the OSS system, with at least one foreign shareholder. Tourism activities such as hotels, villas, dive resorts, and homestays are run under specific KBLI business codes held by that company.
The PT PMA does three things that matter to a resort project:
- Holds the land right. The company — not you personally — registers HGB or Hak Pakai over the resort footprint.
- Carries the licenses. Your NIB (business number) and tourism/environmental permits attach to the company and its KBLI codes.
- Creates a bankable record. Audited accounts, quarterly LKPM reports, and a clean ownership chain are what make the asset financeable or saleable later.
Nominee arrangements — where a local “holds” land or shares for you informally — are a well-known shortcut and a well-known way to lose everything. We do not arrange them and would steer you away from anyone who does.
What land rights can a foreign-owned PT PMA actually hold?
This is where Raja Ampat investors get caught. A PT PMA cannot own Hak Milik (freehold). It can hold two principal use rights under the Basic Agrarian Law (Law No. 5 of 1960):
| Right | What it is | Typical duration (subject to change) | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| HGB — Hak Guna Bangunan | Right to build and own buildings on land | ~30 yrs initial + ~20 yrs extension + ~30 yrs renewal, up to ~80 yrs cumulative | The usual choice for resort structures |
| Hak Pakai | Right to use/benefit from land | ~25–30 yrs initial, extendable toward ~70–80 yrs cumulative | Used where HGB is not available |
For a built resort, HGB is normally the target because it cleanly supports owning the buildings. Hak Pakai is the fallback when HGB cannot be granted over a given parcel. Durations are not automatic — extensions and renewals depend on compliance, land status, and BPN (land agency) approval.
Papua adds a layer most guides skip: customary (adat) land. Much of Raja Ampat sits under adat tenure tied to clans and villages, and West Papua’s special autonomy rules give that real legal weight. In practice, investors negotiate long-term arrangements with the customary owners, then convert or release the land into a state-recognised title the PT PMA can register as HGB or Hak Pakai. Skip the adat step and your “secured” land can unravel years later. This is a job for a local land notary in West Papua, full stop.
How much capital does a PT PMA tourism company need in 2026?
Two separate numbers confuse almost everyone. They are not the same thing.
- Minimum paid-up (issued) capital — about IDR 2.5 billion. Under Minister of Investment/BKPM Regulation No. 5 of 2025 (effective 2 October 2025), the paid-up minimum was reduced from the earlier IDR 10 billion to roughly IDR 2.5 billion. This must be genuinely paid into the company account and is generally subject to a 12-month lock-up before it can be withdrawn for non-operational reasons.
- Minimum investment value — above IDR 10 billion per KBLI per location. Separately, the PT PMA must declare a total investment plan exceeding IDR 10 billion for each 5-digit tourism KBLI at each project location, excluding the cost of land and buildings. Your paid-up capital can count toward this larger figure.
For a single resort under one accommodation KBLI in Kabupaten Raja Ampat, that means budgeting around IDR 2.5 billion actually paid in, and a stated plan above IDR 10 billion for the activity at that site. These thresholds have moved several times in the past decade — IDR 10 billion paid-up was the rule as recently as 2021 — so treat the figures here as accurate to late 2025 and verify before you wire anything.
What does OSS-RBA licensing involve for a Raja Ampat resort?
Indonesia licenses businesses by risk through the OSS-RBA system. The company first obtains an NIB (Nomor Induk Berusaha), then layers on permits based on the risk level assigned to each tourism KBLI:
- Low risk — NIB often suffices.
- Medium-low / medium-high — NIB plus a standard certificate, sometimes verified.
- High risk — NIB plus explicit licenses from the relevant ministries and local government.
Accommodation and resort codes typically land at medium-low to medium-high. For Raja Ampat specifically, the marine setting usually pulls in environmental clearance — UKL-UPL or full AMDAL depending on scale and impact — plus building approval (PBG) and a tourism business certificate from the provincial Dinas Pariwisata. Conservation-zone rules in the marine area can add further constraints on what and where you build.
Where Bali Premium Trip fits
Company structure, land conversion, and conservation permitting in West Papua are genuinely complex, and the rules above will keep shifting. We don’t pretend to be your lawyer — we connect you to vetted Indonesian notaries, land counsel in Papua, and licensing specialists, then help coordinate the moving parts so nothing falls between advisers.
If you’re weighing a Raja Ampat resort or island project and want an honest sounding-board before committing capital, reach the Bali Premium Trip concierge on WhatsApp at +62 811-2859-0000 or email info@rajaampatresortinvestment.com. We’ll tell you plainly what we can help with and where you need a licensed professional.
*Figures and thresholds stated here are current to late 2025 and are subject to change. Nothing on this page is legal, tax, or investment advice; all decisions rest with the relevant Indonesian authorities and your own licensed advisers. Published by Juara Holding Group.*