By completing an internship in Indonesia, you will have the opportunity to develop and聽experience one of the many corporate cultural backgrounds. A successful internship combines聽the needs of a company with your personal skills so that both parties can benefit from the聽experience. There are several internship programs in Indonesia that can meet your聽expectations. Some of these programs, however, have been temporarily suspended due to the聽Covid-19 pandemic, but they should be back in operation when things get back to normal. It is,聽therefore, important that you get all the information you can about the validity of your聽internship before you register.
Many international hotel chains offer programs where you can develop your skills in becoming聽a hotelier, understand the hospitality industry, and become familiar with the culture and聽management philosophy of a specific hotel.
Internships cover a wide scope of professional sectors and vary in length according to the聽company, the sector, and the specific project requirements. Many businesses offer certain聽benefits and assist candidates in obtaining work permits for Indonesia. Some internships also聽offer stipends, meals, or accommodations. In any case, it is best to travel to Indonesia with聽sufficient personal funds for the duration of your internship.
Most companies in Indonesia will only accept undergraduate or graduate students with a strong聽academic background, good communication skills, and strong written and spoken English skills.
The nature of an internship program often requires interns to be flexible and able to take on聽multifaceted roles.
Visas to do an internship in Indonesia
The easiest way to apply for an internship in Indonesia is to request a "Visit Visa (221)"聽at the聽nearest Indonesian embassy. This Visa is similar to the social/cultural visit visa. It is a single-entry permit for a maximum stay of 60 days in Indonesia. It can be renewed five times for an聽additional 30 days each time. However, for the Visit Visa 221, you will need to provide a letter聽of invitation issued by the company hosting you in Indonesia. This visa is not among the visas聽for Indonesia suspended due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Visa requirements and fees, as always, will vary depending on your nationality and your local聽embassy, especially with laws known to change regularly. It is, therefore, essential to contact聽your nearest embassy well in advance of your departure to obtain up-to-date information聽regarding 221 visa requirements and procedures. It is also advisable to start the application聽process at least one month before the start of the internship in Indonesia.
You will also need to submit the following documents, although the list may differ as per each聽embassy requirements (for example, the Indonesian Embassy in Paris also requires a telex visa,聽which is an approval from the Directorate of Immigration in Jakarta). This process can take up聽to 14 working days.
- Completed online visa application form
- Original passport (valid for a minimum of 18 months)
- Two passport photos (4 to 6 cm)
- Copy of your return airline ticket
- Internship agreement (signed by your university dean and your host company)
- Sponsorship letter (the company you will be interning with must indicate that they will act as聽your sponsor during your stay in Indonesia)
- Identity card (KTP) of the Indonesian director of the company sponsoring you.
Once you have your visa, you will have 90 days to enter Indonesia. The visa will be valid for 60聽days from your arrival date. If your internship is longer than two months, you can apply for a聽30-day visa extension up to five times at your local immigration office in Indonesia.
Finding an internship in Indonesia
Many international companies, such as and , offer internship programs in聽Indonesia for undergraduate students. It is therefore advisable to check out the websites of the聽companies you wish to work for and subscribe to their newsletters.聽The same applies when seeking an internship in the hotel industry. Major hotels, such as聽, and , usually post internship opportunities on their websites.
Independent agencies, such as , provide paid internship programs. When聽you apply for an internship through them, you can easily find accommodation in Indonesia and聽all the help you need to get your visa, flight tickets, etc. These companies also manage the聽process of applying for a visa extension once you are in Indonesia.
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