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Working in the Middle East: what is still banned and what is legal

Written by KarirAman editorial team Approved by Kaiser Khan (editor), Updated

Placing Indonesian workers with private households, including domestic work, in 19 Middle East countries is still banned. Formal jobs remain open.

Kepmenaker 260/2015 bans placing Indonesian migrant workers with individual employers, including as domestic workers and private drivers, in 19 Middle East countries. KP2MI confirmed the ban is still in force in 2026.

Summary

  • Ministerial Decision (Kepmenaker) 260/2015 has stopped and banned placing Indonesian workers with individual employers in 19 Middle East countries since 1 July 2015.
  • On 30 March 2026 KP2MI said the moratorium is still in force, and the Manpower Ministry's legal database lists the decision as in force.
  • KP2MI says about 25,000 Indonesian workers leave for the Middle East outside legal procedures every year, often on umrah or pilgrimage visas.
  • Formal jobs with legal-entity employers still go through a P3MI agency holding the job order (SIP2MI) for that position.
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On this page
  1. Which legal work routes exist for the Middle East?
  2. Which countries are under the moratorium?
  3. What is the difference between formal work and work for an individual employer?
  4. What should you do if a family member already left through a broker?

Which countries are under the moratorium?

The annex to Kepmenaker 260/2015 lists 19 Middle East countries:

  • Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon and Libya.
  • Morocco, Mauritania, Egypt, Oman, Palestine and Qatar.
  • Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Jordan.

In all of them, Indonesian migrant workers may not be placed with individual employers. Workers already employed there when the decision took effect may work until their contract ends and may extend it.

What is the difference between formal work and work for an individual employer?

Formal work means your employer is a legal entity, such as a company, hotel or hospital. This route is not covered by the moratorium and goes through a P3MI holding a recruitment permit (SIP2MI) for that position. Work for an individual employer means your employer is a person or family, for example as a domestic worker, nanny or private driver. That route is banned during the moratorium. Indonesian Law 18/2017 Article 72 also bans anyone from placing migrant workers in a country declared closed, or without an SIP2MI.

What should you do if a family member already left through a broker?

Keep all evidence: the recruiter's name and number, transfer receipts, photos of the passport and visa, and the last known address. Contact KP2MI and the Foreign Ministry's Peduli WNI portal through the official channels below. If there are signs of violence, confinement or a confiscated passport, also report to the police, because it may be the crime of human trafficking.

Which official channels can you contact?

Frequently asked questions

Has the Middle East moratorium been lifted?

No. A reopening plan was announced, but on 30 March 2026 KP2MI confirmed that placement is still banned under Kepmenaker 260/2015, and the Manpower Ministry's legal database lists the decision as in force. On 6 October 2026 KP2MI also sanctioned a P3MI for placing workers in Saudi Arabia outside legal procedures.

I was offered a job as a private driver, not a domestic worker. Is that allowed?

The Kepmenaker 260/2015 ban covers placement with individual employers, not only domestic work. A private driver employed by an individual is covered. In October 2026 KP2MI sanctioned a P3MI that sent workers on formal work visas who were then employed as private drivers in Saudi Arabia.

Who wrote and reviewed this page?

Written by KarirAman editorial team Published Updated

Prepared with AI assistance. Checked against official sources and approved for publication by Kaiser Khan (editor). Approval date: .

Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.

  1. Keputusan Menteri Ketenagakerjaan Nomor 260 Tahun 2015 tentang Penghentian dan Pelarangan Penempatan Tenaga Kerja Indonesia pada Pengguna Perseorangan di Negara-negara Kawasan Timur Tengah JDIH Kementerian Ketenagakerjaan · Kepmenaker 260/2015 · accessed
  2. Keputusan Menteri Ketenagakerjaan Nomor 260 Tahun 2015 tentang Penghentian dan Pelarangan Penempatan TKI pada Pengguna Perseorangan di Negara-negara Kawasan Timur Tengah JDIH Kementerian Ketenagakerjaan · Kepmenaker 260/2015 · accessed
  3. Masih moratorium, Kementerian P2MI berantas calo PMI ke Timteng (ANTARA) ANTARA · official statement via media · accessed
  4. KP2MI jatuhkan sanksi kepada P3MI yang menempatkan PMI non-prosedural ke Arab Saudi (laporan Prokalteng) Prokalteng (Jawa Pos Group) · official statement via media · accessed
  5. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
  6. Undang-Undang Nomor 21 Tahun 2007 tentang Pemberantasan Tindak Pidana Perdagangan Orang Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 21/2007 · accessed
How to cite

KarirAman (2026). Working in the Middle East: what is still banned and what is legal. Updated 7 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/middle-east/

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