Raja Ampat Resort Investment Guide
**Foreign investors cannot own land outright in Raja Ampat. The workable path is a PT PMA (foreign-owned company) holding HGB or Hak Pakai title, or a long 25–30 year lease over customary clan land — built inside one of the world’s strictest marine protected areas. Expect IDR 8–48 billion in real capital and a multi-year permit runway.**
This is the pillar guide. It maps the whole route end-to-end, then hands you off to the deeper legal, money and risk pages below. We are Bali Premium Trip — an independent broker and concierge, not the asset owner, not a government body, and not a licensed legal, tax or financial adviser. Everything here is a starting map. Your final structure rests with your notary, your licensed counsel, and the relevant Indonesian authorities. Figures are date-stamped because they change.
Can a foreigner actually own a resort in Raja Ampat?
Not the land itself. Indonesian law reserves freehold (Hak Milik) for Indonesian citizens. A foreign individual who somehow ends up holding Hak Milik must relinquish it within one year or lose the right. So nobody sells you a Raja Ampat island freehold — anyone who claims otherwise is using a nominee (legally fragile) or relabelling a lease.
What you can control:
- HGB (Right to Build) via a PT PMA — the standard vehicle for foreign-invested resorts. The company holds the title and the buildings; you hold shares in the company. Term runs up to 30 years, extendable +20, renewable +30 (roughly 80 years total under current practice).
- Hak Pakai (Right to Use) — registrable by a PT PMA or a foreigner resident on a KITAS/KITAP. Up to 30 + 20 + 30 years. Common for smaller or residential-style builds.
- Leasehold (Hak Sewa) — a contract, not a registered title. In Raja Ampat this is often how you secure customary land from a Papuan clan: typically 25–30 years with extension clauses. The legal floor of any project, but only as strong as the agreement and the community consensus behind it.
The full mechanics live on our [leasehold vs Hak Pakai breakdown](/leasehold-vs-hak-pakai/) and the [PT PMA setup page](/pt-pma-setup-raja-ampat/).
What does the PT PMA structure require?
A PT PMA is a foreign-investment limited company. The headline rule (BKPM/OSS, as applied through 2025) is a minimum investment plan of IDR 10 billion — roughly USD 625,000–700,000 at mid-2026 rates — excluding land and buildings.
A few realities people miss:
| Item | What it means in practice (2026) |
|---|---|
| IDR 10bn threshold | An investment plan, not a day-one deposit — realised over construction, boats, equipment, working capital |
| Paid-up capital | Commonly registered at IDR 2.5bn+; under-capitalised structures get questioned at licensing and audit |
| KBLI codes | Accommodation (e.g. 55111 / 55120 / 55900) usually paired with recreation/dive codes (e.g. 93111) |
| Ownership | Foreigner holds shares in the PT PMA; the PT PMA holds the land title |
Enforcement varies by OSS office and over time. Treat the table as orientation, not gospel — our [capital and tax page](/raja-ampat-investment-costs/) goes deeper, including the PPh, PPN and reporting layer.
What makes Raja Ampat different from Bali?
The water. Raja Ampat sits inside the KKPD network of marine protected areas — Dampier Strait, Misool, Mayalibit Bay and more — among the most biodiverse reefs on Earth and among the most watched by conservation NGOs. That shapes every build decision.
Practical consequences:
- Zoning is real. Resorts go in designated tourism or general-use coastal zones only. Core zones are off-limits.
- Environmental approval (UKL-UPL or full AMDAL, depending on scale) plus coastal-setback and building permits are non-negotiable.
- Over-water bungalows, jetties and piers draw extra scrutiny — expect to show minimal reef impact and mooring (not anchoring) plans.
- The conservation tag. Every foreign guest pays the marine park PIN — IDR 700,000, valid 12 months (as of 2024–2025). From January 2026 reporting, a separate regency visitor ticket of IDR 1,000,000 for foreigners applies on top. Operators help collect and report these. Verify current rates with Raja Ampat Regency before you budget.
There is also the adat layer, covered next — and in full on our [conservation and customary land page](/conservation-zone-rules/).
How does customary (adat) land work?
Most coastal land is held collectively by Papuan clans (marga), often without a formal certificate. You will negotiate land use, long leases and benefit-sharing — jobs, community payments, infrastructure — directly with clan leaders. The risk is elite capture: a deal signed by one faction without broad consensus can unravel. Successful operators formalise both the adat agreement and a notarial/registered lease or title, and bake conservation and employment commitments into the contract.
What does a Raja Ampat resort actually cost?
Order-of-magnitude ranges for 2024–2026, remote-logistics included (materials shipped via Sorong, high fuel, long build times). These are planning estimates, not quotes, and carry no implication of returns.
| Tier | Scale | Capital (USD) | Capital (IDR ≈) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple eco/dive lodge | 8–12 bungalows | 0.5–1.0M | 8–16bn |
| Mid eco/dive resort | 12–20 bungalows, dive op | 1.0–3.0M | 16–48bn |
| Ultra-remote island resort | Independent power/water | 3.0–5.0M+ | 48–80bn+ |
Note the IDR 10bn PT PMA plan usually sits below a serious resort’s true cost — most viable projects invest more over several years.
What are the main risks?
- Tenure fragility — weak leases or nominee structures can be challenged.
- Adat disputes — contested clan deals, rising community expectations.
- Conservation enforcement — reef damage or illegal building risks fines, closure and reputational harm in a globally visible area.
- Logistics and FX — fuel volatility, supply chains, EUR/USD revenue against IDR costs.
- Regulatory drift — thresholds, KBLI and zoning can shift.
No part of resort investment here carries a guaranteed return. Our [due diligence and risk page](/due-diligence-risks/) turns each of these into a checklist.
A clear step path
- Define the model and scout zones (tourism/general-use only).
- Verify adat ownership and reach broad clan consensus.
- Incorporate the PT PMA; lock KBLI codes.
- Secure title (HGB/Hak Pakai) or a registered long lease.
- Run environmental approval and permits.
- Build with marine-safe methods; set up tag collection.
Where to start
If you want a grounded, honest read on a specific island or parcel before you commit, talk to our concierge. We are a broker and concierge — we help you map the route and reach the right professionals; the decisions and approvals rest with you and the authorities.
WhatsApp +62 811-2859-0000 or email info@rajaampatresortinvestment.com.
Independent guide operated by Bali Premium Trip. Publisher: Juara Holding Group. Figures current to mid-2026 and subject to change.