Check a job ID (Baca halaman ini dalam bahasa Indonesia)

Domestic work in the Middle East: still under moratorium, the rules and the red flags

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

Moratorium Domestic and other work for individual employers since 1 July 2015

Moratorium. Indonesians may not be placed with individual employers, including as domestic workers or private drivers, in 19 Middle East countries. No P3MI may send you for this work.

Status as of 7 October 2026 JDIH Kementerian Ketenagakerjaan

Summary

  • There is no legal route to work for an individual employer in the 19 Middle East countries while the Kepmenaker 260/2015 moratorium stands.
  • The moratorium covers domestic workers, nannies and private drivers, because the ban applies to placement with individual employers.
  • KP2MI confirmed on 30 March 2026 that the moratorium is still in force, and on 6 October 2026 it sanctioned a P3MI that broke it.
  • The decision setting up the Saudi Single-Channel Placement System (SPSK) was revoked on 20 January 2026, so that pilot no longer has a legal basis.
Show the full summaryShow less
On this page
  1. What are the requirements?
  2. What does it cost and who pays?
  3. How much does it pay?
  4. Which schools or training lead to the Middle East?
  5. How has the moratorium developed over time?
  6. What legal options do you have to work in the Middle East?
  7. What are the warning signs of offers to the Middle East through this route?
Official routes, who runs them, and their legal basis
Route Run by Official link Who pays placement costs Legal basis
Domestic and other work for individual employers Penghentian dan Pelarangan Penempatan Tenaga Kerja Indonesia pada Pengguna Perseorangan di Negara-negara Kawasan Timur Tengah · Ban on placing Indonesian workers with individual employers in Middle East countries (Kepmenaker 260/2015) No legal placement channel at present Official source There is no legal placement through this route, so any request for a placement fee is a red flag. See the cost rules Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

See this route in the comparison table

What do you need to work in the Middle East through Domestic and other work for individual employers?

There is no legal placement channel for working in the Middle East through Domestic and other work for individual employers at present.

Placement channels from Indonesia
No legal placement channel at present
Job types
Domestic workers, nannies and private drivers for individual employers (banned during the moratorium)

What does working in the Middle East through Domestic and other work for individual employers cost, and who pays?

There is no legal placement for working in the Middle East through Domestic and other work for individual employers at present, so anyone asking for a placement fee for it should be treated as suspect.

  1. Law 18/2017 Article 30(1): Indonesian migrant workers may not be charged placement costs. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  2. Ministerial Regulation P2MI 17/2025: the employer bears placement costs. A worker may be charged only costs that are written and itemised in the Placement Agreement. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  3. Any request for money outside that document, in cash or to a personal account, is a red flag.

Cost rules for this route

  • Money demanded by brokers: Paying to leave as a domestic worker for the Middle East does not make the trip legal. Law 18/2017 Article 72 bans anyone from placing migrant workers in a country declared closed or without an SIP2MI, and Article 69 bans individuals from placing migrant workers. Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

What is the minimum pay for working in the Middle East through Domestic and other work for individual employers?

Not enough data: we have not found an official pay floor for this route that we could verify.

Which schools or training lead to the Middle East?

The education and training routes linked to working in the Middle East through Domestic and other work for individual employers: Vocational high school (SMK) in Indonesia, BNSP competency certification in Indonesia.

How has the moratorium developed over time?

Timeline of the moratorium on placing Indonesian workers with individual employers in the Middle East
DateEvent
1 July 2015Kepmenaker 260/2015 takes effect: placement with individual employers in 19 Middle East countries is stopped and banned.
18 December 2018Kepmenaker 291/2018 sets up the Single-Channel Placement System (SPSK) for placement in Saudi Arabia.
14 March 2025The President approves a plan to reopen placement to Saudi Arabia. The plan has not become a rule in force.
19 March 2025KP2MI and other ministries agree eight points, including an MoU with Saudi Arabia and a review of Kepmenaker 291/2018 and 260/2015.
23 October 2025KP2MI negotiates with Saudi Arabia for contracts with legal-entity companies instead of individuals.
20 January 2026Kepmenaker 8/2026 revokes Kepmenaker 291/2018 on the SPSK and its amendment. Kepmenaker 260/2015 is not revoked.
30 March 2026KP2MI confirms that placement in the Middle East is still banned under Kepmenaker 260/2015.
6 October 2026KP2MI sanctions a P3MI that placed workers in Saudi Arabia, a moratorium country, outside legal procedures.

The legal option is formal work for a legal-entity employer, such as a company, hotel or hospital, through a P3MI holding an SIP2MI for that position, or as an independent migrant worker with a legal-entity employer under Law 18/2017 Article 63. Check the job order and the P3MI's status on SISKOP2MI before paying anything or handing over any document.

What are the warning signs of offers to the Middle East through this route?

  • You are offered travel on an umrah, pilgrimage or tourist visa and then work. KP2MI says this is the brokers' main trick for the Middle East.
  • After arrival you will be moved on to another country such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon or Egypt.ANTARA (official statement via media)
  • Your work visa names a formal job, but you will be employed by an individual, for example as a private driver or domestic worker.Prokalteng (Jawa Pos Group) (official statement via media)
  • The recruiter says the moratorium has been lifted or mentions the SPSK. The SPSK decision was revoked on 20 January 2026 and the moratorium still stands.JDIH Kementerian Ketenagakerjaan
  • The recruiter is a private individual or village sponsor, not a P3MI. Law 18/2017 Article 69 bans individuals from placing migrant workers.Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)
  • You are kept in a holding house and not allowed to leave, or wages are cut to repay a travel debt. Law 21/2007 names harbouring and debt bondage in its definition of trafficking.Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id)

How to check a P3MI agency in 5 steps Learn the signs of trafficking through job offers

KarirAman is 100% free. We never ask for money. Our no-fee policy

Not legal advice. Always check SISKOP2MI before you sign up.

Frequently asked questions

Has Saudi Arabia reopened for Indonesian domestic workers?

No. The President approved a reopening plan on 14 March 2025, and KP2MI negotiated with Saudi Arabia for contracts with legal entities. But on 30 March 2026 KP2MI said the moratorium is still in force, and on 6 October 2026 KP2MI still called Saudi Arabia a moratorium country.

What about Indonesians already working there before the moratorium?

Kepmenaker 260/2015 says Indonesians already working in Middle East countries when it took effect may keep working until their contract ends, and their contract may be extended.

What is the SPSK and is it still running?

The SPSK, or Single-Channel Placement System, was a pilot for placement in Saudi Arabia set by Kepmenaker 291/2018. Kepmenaker 8/2026 of 20 January 2026 revoked it and its amendment, because migrant worker placement has moved to KP2MI. A job offer through the SPSK therefore has no legal basis.

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. Keputusan Menteri Ketenagakerjaan Nomor 8 Tahun 2026 tentang Pencabutan Keputusan Menteri Ketenagakerjaan Bidang Penempatan dan Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia JDIH Kementerian Ketenagakerjaan · Kepmenaker 8/2026 · accessed
  4. Masih moratorium, Kementerian P2MI berantas calo PMI ke Timteng (ANTARA) ANTARA · official statement via media · accessed
  5. Presiden Prabowo setuju pembukaan kembali penempatan PMI ke Arab Saudi Kementerian Sekretariat Negara RI · accessed
  6. Ini 8 poin kesepakatan rencana pencabutan moratorium penempatan pekerja migran ke Arab Saudi Kementerian Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia (KP2MI) · accessed
  7. KP2MI berunding dengan Arab Saudi soal moratorium pekerja migran ANTARA · official statement via media · accessed
  8. KP2MI jatuhkan sanksi kepada P3MI yang menempatkan PMI non-prosedural ke Arab Saudi (laporan Prokalteng) Prokalteng (Jawa Pos Group) · official statement via media · accessed
  9. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
  10. Peraturan Menteri P2MI/Kepala BP2MI Nomor 17 Tahun 2025 tentang Biaya Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · Permen P2MI 17/2025 · accessed
  11. 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). Domestic work in the Middle East: still under moratorium, the rules and the red flags. Updated 7 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/middle-east/domestic-work-moratorium/

Save this page

Report a fake job Report a data problem How we handle corrections