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Practising law in Indonesia as a foreign lawyer

No route for foreign-qualified lawyersLimited home-law practice is possible

Foreign lawyers may not appear in Indonesian courts or open their own offices. The exception is that a foreign lawyer can work as a staff member or adviser on foreign law in an Indonesian law firm, with approval from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Rules change. This page describes the kinds of route that exist. The regulator listed under “Official sources” publishes the current requirements, fees and dates, so always confirm with them. This is general information, not legal advice.

The routes

Foreign lawyer working in an Indonesian law firm

For: Foreign lawyers who want to advise on foreign law in Indonesia.

  1. An Indonesian law firm sponsors the lawyer and asks the Indonesian advocates' organisation for a recommendation. The organisation has run an examination for foreign lawyers, which focuses on the code of ethics.
  2. The Ministry of Law and Human Rights approves the employment, after which the firm obtains the immigration and work permits.
  3. The approval is limited in time (reported as one year) and must be renewed.

Sources differ on which implementing regulation applies today, so check the current Ministry rules.

Practising only your home-country law

Under Law 18 of 2003 on Advocates, a foreign lawyer can advise on foreign and international law inside an Indonesian firm. Only Indonesian citizens who meet the law's conditions and pass the bar exam can be registered as Indonesian advocates.

Understand the legal system first

Indonesia belongs to the Civil law family. Knowing how its system works makes the admission route easier to follow.

Read the Indonesia legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Compare Indonesia with another country →

Official sources

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s Bar Admission guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the regulator’s own information. Report a mistake.