--- title: "Indonesia Law 18/2017 on Migrant Workers: Key Articles" description: "Indonesia's Law 18/2017 sets migrant workers' rights, documents, who may place workers abroad, the ban on charging placement costs, and penalties." lang: en canonical: "https://kariraman.com/en/regulations/law-18-2017-migrant-workers/" datePublished: "2026-10-07" dateModified: "2026-10-07" sources: - "https://peraturan.go.id/files/uu18-2017bt.pdf" - "https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/337869/uu-no-1-tahun-2026" - "https://peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-17-tahun-2025.pdf" - "https://www.peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-2-tahun-2026.pdf" - "https://peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-34-tahun-2025.pdf" - "https://www.ntvnews.id/news/01110993/kemlu-ri-pulangkan-1203-wni-korban-sindikat-online-scam-dari-myanmar-hingga-juli-2026" --- > Markdown version of https://kariraman.com/en/regulations/law-18-2017-migrant-workers/. Cite that HTML page and its update date. # Law 18/2017 on the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers: what it says Written by KarirAman editorial team Approved by [Kaiser Khan](https://kariraman.com/en/authors/kaiser-khan/) (editor), 8 October 2026 Updated 7 October 2026 In force Indonesia's Law 18/2017 sets migrant workers' rights, documents, who may place workers abroad, the ban on charging placement costs, and penalties. ## Summary - Law 18/2017 was enacted and promulgated on 22 November 2017 and took effect that day. - Article 30(1) says Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) cannot be charged placement costs. - Only three parties may place migrant workers: KP2MI/BP2MI, a licensed agency (P3MI), and a company posting its own staff (Article 49). - Individuals may not place migrant workers (Article 69); the penalty is up to 10 years in prison (Article 81). - The law's criminal penalties were aligned with the new Criminal Code by Law 1/2026 on Criminal Penalty Adjustment. - **Number:** UU No. 18 Tahun 2017 - **Type:** UU - **Date:** 22 November 2017 [Official document (PDF)](https://peraturan.go.id/files/uu18-2017bt.pdf) [Official page](https://peraturan.go.id/id/uu-no-18-tahun-2017) ## What does Law 18/2017 cover? Law 18/2017 on the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (UU 18/2017), enacted on 22 November 2017, protects Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) before, during and after work abroad (Article 7). It repealed Law 39/2004 (Article 89). It sets the requirements and documents for prospective migrant workers, their rights and duties, who may place them, placement costs, the tasks of central and regional government, and the prohibitions and criminal penalties. The law uses the term PMI (pekerja migran Indonesia); the old term TKI is no longer used. According to the preamble of P2MI Regulation 2/2026, Law 18/2017 has been amended several times, most recently by Law 1/2026 on Criminal Penalty Adjustment. ## Who does Law 18/2017 protect? Article 4(1) of Law 18/2017 covers three groups: migrant workers employed by a legal-entity employer, migrant workers employed by an individual or household, and seafarers on merchant and fishing vessels. Article 4(2) excludes, among others, students and trainees abroad, refugees and asylum seekers, investors, and staff sent by international organisations on official duty. ## What are the requirements and documents? Article 5 requires prospective migrant workers to be at least 18 years old, competent, physically and mentally healthy, registered with a Jaminan Sosial (social security) membership number, and to hold complete documents. Article 13 lists the documents: 1. a marital status letter (with a copy of the marriage book if married); 2. permission from a spouse, parent or guardian, acknowledged by the village head or lurah; 3. a work competency certificate; 4. a health certificate based on medical and psychological examinations; 5. a passport issued by the local immigration office; 6. a work visa; 7. the Perjanjian Penempatan (placement agreement); and 8. the Perjanjian Kerja (employment contract). For the passport itself, see [Panduan Warga passport guide](https://panduanwarga.org/en/guides/indonesian-passport-m-paspor/). ## What rights do migrant workers have under Law 18/2017? Article 6(1) gives every prospective and current migrant worker rights including: - correct information about the labour market, placement procedures and working conditions abroad (point c); - treatment without discrimination before, during and after work (point d); - wages in line with the destination country's standard, an agreement between the two countries, or the employment contract (point f); - protection and legal aid (point g); - access to communication (point i); - holding their own travel documents while working (point j); and - receiving their documents and their employment contract (point m). Families also have rights, such as information about the worker's condition and return (Article 6(3)). ## Who may place migrant workers? Article 49 of Law 18/2017 recognises only three placement executors: the Agency (now KP2MI/BP2MI), a licensed placement company (P3MI), and a company placing workers for its own business. The Agency places workers under written government-to-government agreements or agreements with legal-entity employers abroad (Article 50). A P3MI must hold a written SIP3MI licence from the Minister, which cannot be transferred (Article 51). Workers may also go independently (PMI perseorangan), but only to a legal-entity employer; they bear their own employment risks and must report to the labour authority and the Indonesian mission (Article 63). ## Who pays the placement costs? The order of the rules matters: 1. **Law 18/2017 Article 30(1):** migrant workers cannot be charged placement costs. Paragraph (2) leaves the details to an agency regulation. 2. **P2MI Regulation 17/2025:** placement-cost components are borne by the employer (Article 2(6)). Exceptions apply only to certain jobs where costs are set by law, international law, international agreements or a placement cooperation agreement (Article 3), and the P3MI must list every component and amount in the Perjanjian Penempatan (Article 5). 3. **Red flag:** any request for money outside what is written and itemised in the Perjanjian Penempatan, especially in cash or to a personal account, is a red flag. Article 72(a) also bars anyone from charging a prospective worker for cost components the employer has already borne, and Article 86 sets a penalty of up to 5 years in prison. ## What are the prohibitions and criminal penalties? Law 18/2017 sets its prohibitions in Articles 65 to 73 and its penalties in Articles 79 to 87. The ones most often linked to job scams: **Key prohibitions in Law 18/2017 and their penalties after Law 1/2026** | Prohibited act | Prohibiting article | Penalty | | --- | --- | --- | | An individual placing migrant workers (a broker or calo) | Article 69 | Article 81: up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VI | | Placing a worker in a job that differs from the contract or breaks the law | Article 67 | Article 82: up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category VI | | Charging costs the employer bears, placing in a closed country, or placing without an SIP2MI | Article 72 | Article 86: up to 5 years in prison and/or a fine of up to category IV | Fine categories follow the Criminal Code (Law 1/2023) under Attachment I, item 126, of Law 1/2026 on Criminal Penalty Adjustment. When a company commits the offence, the company and its managers can be prosecuted, and the company can lose its licence (Article 87). ## What has changed since Law 18/2017 was passed? Its implementing rules have been replaced several times. The most relevant ones for prospective migrant workers today are: - [P2MI Regulation 17/2025 on placement costs](https://kariraman.com/en/regulations/p2mi-regulation-17-2025-placement-costs/) , which repealed [BP2MI Regulation 9/2020](https://kariraman.com/en/regulations/bp2mi-regulation-9-2020-fee-exemption/) ; - [P2MI Regulation 2/2026 on placement procedures](https://kariraman.com/en/regulations/p2mi-regulation-2-2026-placement-procedure/) , which uses the term OPP and registration through the worker's own Sisko P2MI account; and - [P2MI Regulation 34/2025 on the E-KPMI](https://kariraman.com/en/regulations/p2mi-regulation-34-2025-e-kpmi/) , the free electronic migrant worker card. The criminal penalties in the law were aligned with the new Criminal Code by Law 1/2026, in force since 2 January 2026. Before you leave, make sure your agency is listed as an active P3MI on the official SISKOP2MI list, and report suspicious offers to KP2MI. - **Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI)** [0800-1000](tel:08001000) [+62-21-29244800](tel:+622129244800) [WhatsApp 0811-8080-141](https://wa.me/628118080141) [kp2mi.go.id](https://kp2mi.go.id/) - **Licensed agency (P3MI) list on SISKOP2MI** [siskop2mi.bp2mi.go.id](https://siskop2mi.bp2mi.go.id/profil/lembaga/list_lembaga/p3mi) Not legal advice. For your own case, contact the official channels listed. ## Frequently asked questions **Is Law 18/2017 still in force?** Yes. Law 18/2017 has been in force since its promulgation on 22 November 2017 and has been amended several times, most recently by Law 1/2026 on Criminal Penalty Adjustment. Its newest implementing rules include P2MI Regulations 17/2025, 34/2025 and 2/2026. **Is it legal to go abroad for work through an individual broker?** No. Article 69 of Law 18/2017 bars individuals from placing migrant workers, and Article 81 sets a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Lawful placement goes only through KP2MI/BP2MI, a licensed P3MI agency, or a company posting its own employees. **Can an agency keep my passport while I work abroad?** Article 6(1)(j) of Law 18/2017 gives migrant workers the right to hold their own travel documents while working. If your passport is withheld, contact KP2MI or the nearest Indonesian mission. Passport seizure also appears in trafficking cases; Kemlu reported online-scam victims in Myanmar whose passports were seized (2026). ## Who wrote and reviewed this page? Written by KarirAman editorial team Published 7 October 2026 Updated 7 October 2026 Prepared with AI assistance. Checked against official sources and approved for publication by Kaiser Khan (editor). Approval date: 8 October 2026. ## Sources The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them. 1. [Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia](https://peraturan.go.id/files/uu18-2017bt.pdf) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed 7 October 2026 2. [Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2026 tentang Penyesuaian Pidana](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/337869/uu-no-1-tahun-2026) JDIH BPK RI (peraturan.bpk.go.id) · UU 1/2026 · accessed 7 October 2026 3. [Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 17 Tahun 2025 tentang Biaya Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia](https://peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-17-tahun-2025.pdf) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 17/2025 · accessed 7 October 2026 4. [Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 2 Tahun 2026 tentang Tata Cara Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia oleh Pelaksana Penempatan](https://www.peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-2-tahun-2026.pdf) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 2/2026 · accessed 7 October 2026 5. [Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 34 Tahun 2025 tentang Kartu Pekerja Migran Indonesia Elektronik](https://peraturan.go.id/files/permen-p2mi-no-34-tahun-2025.pdf) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 34/2025 · accessed 7 October 2026 6. [Kemlu RI Pulangkan 1.203 WNI Korban Sindikat Online Scam dari Myanmar hingga Juli 2026](https://www.ntvnews.id/news/01110993/kemlu-ri-pulangkan-1203-wni-korban-sindikat-online-scam-dari-myanmar-hingga-juli-2026) NTV News (Antara) · official statement via media · accessed 7 October 2026 **How to cite** KarirAman (2026). Law 18/2017 on the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers: what it says. Updated 7 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/regulations/law-18-2017-migrant-workers/ [Report a fake job](https://kariraman.com/en/report-form/) [Report a data problem](mailto:redaksi@kariraman.com?subject=Data%20correction%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fkariraman.com%2Fen%2Fregulations%2Flaw-18-2017-migrant-workers%2F&body=Page%3A%20Law%2018%2F2017%20on%20the%20Protection%20of%20Indonesian%20Migrant%20Workers%3A%20what%20it%20says%0AUpdated%3A%207%20October%202026%0A%0AWhat%20needs%20correcting%3A%0A%0ACorrect%20official%20source%20%28link%29%3A%0A) [How we handle corrections](https://kariraman.com/en/contact/#koreksi) ## Related guides - [**P2MI Regulation 17/2025: who pays placement costs for Indonesian migrant workers**](https://kariraman.com/en/regulations/p2mi-regulation-17-2025-placement-costs/) - [**P2MI Regulation 2/2026: placement steps and documents for Indonesian migrant workers**](https://kariraman.com/en/regulations/p2mi-regulation-2-2026-placement-procedure/) - [**P2MI Regulation 34/2025: the E-KPMI electronic card for Indonesian migrant workers**](https://kariraman.com/en/regulations/p2mi-regulation-34-2025-e-kpmi/) - [**Placement fees for Indonesian migrant workers: who pays and what is lawful?**](https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/placement-costs/) - [**How to check a licensed overseas recruitment agency (P3MI) on SISKOP2MI**](https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/check-a-licensed-agency/) - [**Human trafficking (TPPO) through job offers**](https://kariraman.com/en/job-scams/human-trafficking/) - [**Working abroad through legal routes: requirements, costs and agency checks**](https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/) CariTalent and PanduanHewan are Kode Nirlaba projects; Panduan Warga and The Cast Index are independent publications with the same founder. 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