Indonesia Cuts Nusantara Golden Visa Threshold by 80% t...

Indonesia's golden visa has issued a little over 1,000 permits since September 2023, attracting around USD 3 billion in investment. The headline story still features Sam Altman as the first recipient. The actual program has shifted: on January 13, 2026, the government slashed Nusantara-specific golden visa investment thresholds by 80%, cutting the 5-year permit from USD 25 million to USD 5 million and the 10-year from USD 50 million to USD 10 million. The golden visa is still an FDI channel in residency clothing. It is just a cheaper FDI channel now if you are willing to anchor capital to the new capital city.

The thresholds

Outside Nusantara, individual investors qualify through passive investment (government bonds, shares, mutual funds): USD 350,000 for five years, USD 700,000 for ten. Residential property purchases require USD 1 million for the ten-year track. Establishing a company costs USD 2.5 million (five years) or USD 5 million (ten years). Corporate golden visas for directors and commissioners of qualifying firms: USD 25 million (five years) or USD 50 million (ten years).

The Nusantara (IKN) tier, formally operational since January 2026, now stands at USD 5 million (5-year) and USD 10 million (10-year). The 80% cut aligns with President Prabowo's order to relocate 1,700 to 4,100 civil servants to Nusantara during 2026 and target capital readiness by 2028. Investment has lagged the political timeline; the threshold cut is Indonesia's response.

All applicants must demonstrate minimum overseas income of USD 5,000 per month. Investment must be placed within 90 days of entering Indonesia through an Indonesian bank or brokerage account.

The new GCI initiative

Early 2026 also brought the Global Citizen of Indonesia (GCI) initiative, targeting the Indonesian diaspora who changed nationality. It complements rather than replaces the golden visa and is aimed at attracting financial and professional capital from former Indonesian citizens now holding Singaporean, Australian, or American passports.

What the golden visa is not

The golden visa does not lead to permanent residency or citizenship. It is a long-stay permit with investment conditions. Spending 183 or more days in Indonesia triggers tax residency, which means worldwide income becomes taxable under Indonesian progressive rates. The investment must be maintained for the entire visa duration; early withdrawal risks cancellation.

For individuals who want residency without the multi-million-dollar investment, Indonesia's digital nomad visa (E33G) requires USD 60,000 in annual foreign income and USD 2,000 in savings. It lasts one year. Freelancers are excluded: you need an employment contract with a foreign company. Most digital nomads in Bali still use quarterly visa runs on tourist entries, which is technically non-compliant but widely tolerated.

Permit growth has been modest

Cumulative golden visa issuance has not moved dramatically beyond the roughly 1,000 figure reported in late 2025. Total invested capital is around USD 3 billion (IDR 48 trillion). The January 2026 threshold cut reflects a recognition that the premium tiers were not attracting meaningful volume. Whether lower entry points reverse the trend will be visible in Q3 or Q4 2026 data, not sooner.

The program's entanglement with Bali's housing affordability pressures remains a political overhang. Most Bali nomads are not golden visa holders, but the program's marketing makes it a convenient target for frustration about foreign purchasing power. Indonesia keeps iterating on the program because the investment numbers, while modest, are still meaningful relative to the administrative cost.