If you are considering living permanently in Indonesia you have most likely already know a bit about Bali. North Sulawesi has a lot of advantages over Bali as a place to live. There is an excellent range of beautiful environments to live in…. from your classic tropical coastal paradise with coral reefs and beautiful beaches to the cool, lush highland country of Central North Sulawesi.
The cost of living here is extremely cheap by western standards (and now Bali standards). If you want to build or renovate a property we can connect you with a wide range of reliable, talented and honest tradesmen who can help with your project.
The local people here are extremely friendly and helpful…. like they were in Bali 30 years ago. If you help them with their English skills they will be delighted and at the same time you will improve your own local language skills and make some great new friends.
We can help you make North Sulawesi your new home and guide you through the whole process.
Visas
The Indonesian Government Immigration website is the first place to go to explore the types of visas that you may be eligible for. If you are retired or wanting to work here the requirements are very different. The Expat in Manado Facebook page is a good place to connect with people who have already made North Sulawesi their new home. There is also a Visa and Law Indonesia Facebook page which is an excellent resource for obtaining information about visas. We are happy to put you in touch with expats living here who have been through this process.
After arriving with your new visa, what next?
Your visa will have various requirements which you must fulfill and then present the evidence to Manado Immigration that you have done this. Manado Immigration is a very pleasant and relaxed experience. They are helpful and friendly. You don’t get the long queues of frustrated and bad tempered foreigners like in Bali. We can take you to Manado immigration and guide you through any language difficulties.
OK, you have now met the Immigration requirements….
This is where you now have to start dealing with local officials on a local level. These offices are known as Dukcapil. You will need to go to the office which services the area of the address you have used for Immigration purposes.
This is where you need to register to get your National Identity Number (NIK). You can then get a local driver licence, own a motor vehicle and have dealings with real estate. You can also register for the national BPJS health care system which is quite impressive in Manado. The BPJS have offices in every area so probably won’t be far from your Dukcapil
We can introduce you to other expats who have done this and also provide you with an interpreter and transport to make all this happen.
Owning property here
Foreigners can’t own land here. But you can Lease land for 35 years renewable for another 35 years. This is call “Hak Pakai” or in English, the “Right to Use”. This means there is a nominal Indonesian citizen who “officially” owns the land but who leases it to you. It is best but not essential that this person is someone you know. A local Notaris (Notary) will draft the lease contract for you and it is vitally important to get this right. If done properly you will have safe and secure title for a long time. There have, however, been many horror stories in Bali where people have been ripped off badly by not getting this right. We can provide impartial advice and help you through this process. We will put you in touch with other expats who have been through this process.
When you are ready to build or renovate.
Most Manado tradespeople are honest and decent. But if you want to ensure that you have workers who are reliable, competent and on budget, we can help. We know all the best trades people here and can make sure you are connected with them.
