Ubud Nomad E33G vs Other Indonesia Visas: B211A, VoA, D12 & Investor KITAS Compared

The Ubud Nomad E33G Digital Nomad KITAS is Indonesia’s dedicated one‑year remote worker stay permit that lets you live in Bali, work online for a foreign employer, and enter/exit the country multiple times without border‑run stress. It sits in a very different category to B211A, Visa on Arrival, D12 and Investor KITAS – and for serious Bali nomads, that difference is everything.

Hi, I’m Iris from Ubud Nomad – I’ve spent the last decade fixing overstays, cleaning up “creative” visa setups and helping remote workers settle into long, calm years in Ubud. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how the E33G stacks up against the usual suspects so you can confidently choose the best visa for a 1 year stay in Ubud.

E33G in One Glance: What It Actually Is

The E33G is Indonesia’s official Remote Worker / Digital Nomad KITAS:

Duration: 12 months initial validity, with renewals available in 2026 (many clients plan for 2–3 years straight).
Entry: Multiple‑entry – yes, the Ubud Nomad visa is multiple entry. You can fly out for a wedding, conference or visa run elsewhere and come back without restarting from zero.
Work rights: You can work online legally, but only for a company registered outside Indonesia.
Income threshold: Still set at USD 60,000/year minimum foreign income in 2026, plus at least USD 2,000 consistently in savings.
Format: You enter on the E33G visa approval, then convert to an onshore KITAS (residence permit) once in Indonesia.

In practice, that means: if you’re a salaried remote employee for a foreign company and you’re tired of hopping visas, the E33G is the first Indonesian visa that’s built exactly around you.

E33G vs B211A: Which Is Better for Bali Nomads?

The most common question in my inbox lately is: “E33G vs B211A visa – which is better for Bali nomads?” The answer depends on how you earn and how long you’re staying.

Stay Length & Lifestyle

E33G Digital Nomad KITAS: Designed for 12+ months with stability. No monthly extension appointments, no “will they / won’t they extend my stay again” anxiety. If your plan is a 1‑year stay in Ubud or longer, E33G is almost always the cleanest solution.
B211A Visit Visa: Starts with 60 or 180 days, then extensions up to a maximum of 180 days total per stay. By month five most people are calculating exit dates instead of planning projects.

Work Rights: Can I Work Online on B211A Visa?

Here’s the uncomfortable one: can I work online on B211A visa?

E33G: Explicitly a remote worker visa. You are allowed to perform your job online for a foreign employer. That’s the whole point of the category.
B211A: Officially a visit visa (social / business). It does not give you work rights in Indonesia. That includes online work performed while physically in Indonesia, even if all your clients are abroad. In reality, many nomads still use B211A as a grey‑area solution, but it is not a visa “for remote work”.

If you care about doing things legally and sleeping well, the answer to “which Bali visa allows remote work legally?” in 2026 is simply: E33G.

Who Qualifies More Easily?

E33G: Great if you’re a salaried remote employee with a contract from a foreign company hitting the USD 60k income mark. Less suitable if you’re a new freelancer.
B211A: Much more flexible. In many cases, freelancers and independent contractors with foreign income can qualify, even if they don’t have a formal employment contract. If you’re still building up to those E33G income thresholds, B211A often becomes the stepping stone.

If you’re not sure which route you’re eligible for, send my team a message via our concierge service and we’ll map out a realistic path for your next 12–24 months in Indonesia.

Ubud Nomad Visa vs Tourist Visa on Arrival (VoA)

Next comparison: Ubud Nomad visa vs tourist visa on arrival.

Visa on Arrival (VoA): 30 days, extendable once to 60 days. Single entry. No work rights. Designed for holidays, not your 10‑client Monday to Friday workload.
E33G Ubud Nomad KITAS: 365+ days, multiple entry, online work allowed for foreign employer, residence‑style stability.

If you’re coming for a surf month, a VoA is perfect. If you’re moving your life and your laptop to Ubud for anywhere near a year, trying to “hack it” on tourist status is exactly how people end up with costly overstays and sudden exit orders.

For a simple overview of all the short‑stay options, you can always start at our home page and then circle back here once you know your ideal stay length.

Difference Between E33G Remote Worker Visa and Business Visa (B211A)

There’s a persistent confusion around the difference between E33G remote worker visa and business visa, especially because agents used to push “business visas” as a digital nomad solution.

E33G Remote Worker Visa: Written around doing your existing job online while residing in Indonesia, with income coming from abroad. It’s about location‑independent employees.
B211A Business Visa: Structured for meetings, negotiations, investment research, conferences – not delivering ongoing services or employment work from Indonesia. You can explore opportunities, but not actively work for pay in Indonesia.

So where people used to ask “Which is better for Bali nomads, E33G or B211A?”, the deeper question in 2026 is: Do you want a visa that matches what you actually do all day? If “yes” and you’re employed by a foreign company, E33G wins that comparison every time.

D12 vs E33G KITAS Comparison

The D12 Visit Visa is another one I see mis‑sold to long‑term nomads, so let’s do a clear D12 vs E33G KITAS comparison.

D12: Up to 180 days. Still a visit visa, with no work rights. Good for people doing non‑profit projects, studies, or extended stays where they are not working online every day.
E33G: A Limited Stay Permit (KITAS). One year initial stay, renewable, multiple entry, directly connected to your remote employment and your foreign income.

If your plan is, “I want to try Ubud for five or six months, then likely leave,” D12 can be fine. If you already know you want a year or more and you are working remotely full‑time, then functionally E33G is the more logical choice.

E33G vs Investor KITAS vs Retirement KITAS

A lot of remote workers ask about Investor KITAS and Retirement KITAS, because they hear influencers mention them as “long‑stay solutions”. Time to untangle that.

Investor KITAS (E28A/E28B): Tied to investment in a foreign‑owned company (PT PMA) in Indonesia. Requires share capital, company setup costs, ongoing reporting and tax filings. It is designed for people running a business in Indonesia, hiring staff, and paying Indonesian taxes.
Retirement KITAS: Typically for those 55+, with specific financial requirements, local insurance and restrictions (for example, you are not allowed to work at all). A classic choice for long‑stayers who truly want to retire.
E33G: The clean answer to “digital nomad visa vs retirement KITAS Indonesia”. If you are still working remotely and under retirement age, E33G is what immigration expects you to be on; Retirement KITAS is not a “cheap workaround” to keep freelancing in Bali.

Investors, on the other hand, sometimes hold both: an Investment KITAS for their Indonesian operation, and another status for family or different roles. If you’re trying to choose between E33G and Investor KITAS, ask yourself: Am I actually building an Indonesian company, or do I just want to live in Ubud while working online for a foreign firm? If it’s the latter, E33G is more appropriate and far simpler operationally.

Indonesia Digital Nomad Visa vs Thailand DTV & Malaysia

Digital nomads don’t just compare Bali visas; they compare countries. So how does the Indonesia digital nomad visa vs Thailand DTV and Bali E33G vs Malaysia digital nomad visa stack up?

Thailand DTV (Digital Nomad Visa): Announced with long validity but tight conditions, focused heavily on specific professions and sometimes corporate‑style requirements. Attractive if you’re set on Thailand, but it doesn’t have Bali’s community density in Ubud, Canggu and Pererenan.
Malaysia’s DE Rantau / digital nomad scheme: Friendly to freelancers and contractors with lower income thresholds, but less of that “walk 200m and stumble into another co‑working hub” ecosystem that Bali has built.
Indonesia E33G: In 2026, it’s one of the more straightforward, lifestyle‑aligned digital nomad visas globally: clear income requirement, online process, and a destination that already lives and breathes remote work.

If you’re choosing purely on visa ease and you’re a freelancer under USD 60k/year, Malaysia or Thailand might be the better fit. If your income qualifies and your heart is set on rice fields, ceremony days and ubudian coffee, E33G is the more natural home base.

Pros and Cons of E33G KITAS

Let’s distill the pros and cons of E33G KITAS based on what I see with clients week in, week out.

Pros

Legality: It’s the only Indonesia visa in 2026 that squarely answers “Which Bali visa allows remote work legally?”
Stability: One‑year stay without monthly extension stress. Plan your life in semesters and years, not 30‑day blocks.
Flexibility: Multiple entry – easy to fly out for trips, retreats, or Schengen‑run obligations and come back without starting over.
Reputation: Immigration officers increasingly understand and respect the E33G category; it matches your laptop‑at‑co‑working reality.

Cons

Income barrier: The USD 60,000/year foreign income requirement is a real hurdle for early‑stage freelancers.
Employment contract requirement: Classic E33G rules favour employees over pure freelancers, though many freelancers now structure themselves as employees of their own foreign company to qualify.
Paperwork depth: More documentation than a simple B211A: employment proof, income proof, accommodation, sometimes CV and police clearance.

If you want the nuance by passport and profession, I’ve written a separate breakdown: Ubud Nomad Visa by Nationality: E33G Rules for US, UK, EU, Australian & Other Passports.

FAQ: Quick Answers for Busy Nomads

1. Is Ubud Nomad (E33G) visa multiple entry?

Yes. The E33G Digital Nomad KITAS is multiple‑entry. You can leave and re‑enter Indonesia freely during its validity without losing your stay permit, as long as your passport and KITAS remain valid.

2. E33G vs B211A visa – which is better for Bali nomads?

If you earn at least USD 60,000/year from a foreign employer and plan to stay 9–12 months or more, E33G is better: legal remote‑work rights, one‑year stability and multiple entry. If you’re under the income threshold or only testing Bali for a few months, a B211A can be a practical short‑term option.

3. What’s the best visa for a 1 year stay in Ubud?

For most genuine remote workers in 2026, the best visa for a 1 year stay in Ubud is the E33G Digital Nomad KITAS. It’s designed for exactly that timeline and lifestyle, whereas tourist and visit visas are structurally short‑term.

Your Next Step

If you already know E33G is your route, start here: Step‑by‑Step: How to Apply for the Ubud Nomad (E33G) Digital Nomad KITAS Online & Onshore. It walks you through each document and deadline in plain language.

If you’re still undecided between E33G, B211A, D12 or another path, or you’re wondering how your nationality and tax situation affect the decision, reach out through our concierge service and we’ll map out a visa strategy that matches your income, your risk tolerance, and your real plan for Bali.

Ready to talk to a human? Message us on WhatsApp now and mention “E33G comparison” – you’ll get a reply from my team within one business day with your best options and next steps.

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General information, not legal advice; fees are agency estimates, not government fees. We confirm the latest rules for your case before you apply.