KBLI

Indonesian business classification codes, which decide which licenses and ownership rules apply.

Also known as: KBLI, Klasifikasi Baku Lapangan Usaha, business field codes

KBLI (Klasifikasi Baku Lapangan Usaha Indonesia) codes classify what business a company does — and in Indonesia, the code decides a lot: which licenses are needed, whether foreign ownership is allowed in that line, and which incentives apply. Written into the deed and the NIB, the codes quietly shape what the company may legally do.

KBLI lines in deed → license requirements + foreign ownership limits per line
wrong lines → can't get the license, or the PMA structure, you actually need

Pick codes for what you do now plus adjacent lines you credibly will — SaaS, trading, consulting, payments each live under different codes with different consequences. This is a fifteen-minute decision with multi-year effects, worth professional eyes.

The classic mistakes:

One generic code for everything. “Trading” on the deed while operating fintech triggers the wrong license path (or none) and blocks the right one. Match codes to actual activities.
Ignoring foreign-ownership mapping. Some lines are closed or capped for foreign shareholders; discovering this during a PT PMA conversion or fundraise is expensive. Check before structuring.
Set-and-forget. Companies pivot; codes often don’t follow. Review the lines yearly against what the business actually does, especially before licensing events.
Assuming codes are self-explanatory. Descriptions are bureaucratic and overlapping. A consultant or notary who does this weekly reads them correctly in minutes.

Do it with advice at formation and revisit on pivots, fundraising and licensing. The codes are administrative — until they block something real.