KTKLN Card & e-PMI for Indonesian Helpers in Singapore (2026 Guide)

TL;DR: The physical KTKLN card was abolished by President Joko Widodo on 30 November 2014. In 2026, proof that an Indonesian helper is deploying through the official procedure is the Electronic Indonesian Migrant Worker Card (E-KPMI), still widely called "e-PMI". It is generated in the government's SISKOP2MI system, and since 9 March 2026 every new or extended card must use a new standard format with a live QR code. Under Indonesian rules, placement costs for domestic workers cannot be charged to the helper.

Reviewed by Yvonne, Placement Consultant at Upwill Employment Services (MOM EA Licence 24C2628). Last updated: 22 September 2026.

If you hired an Indonesian helper in Singapore years ago, you may remember her carrying a small card called the KTKLN, short for Kartu Tenaga Kerja Luar Negeri (Overseas Worker Card). Many Singapore employers and helpers still use the term "KTKLN" in 2026, but that card no longer exists. Its job is now done by an electronic card, the E-KPMI (Kartu Pekerja Migran Indonesia Elektronik), produced through SISKOP2MI, the placement system run by Indonesia's migrant worker protection authority, KP2MI/BP2MI.

This guide explains what changed, what the E-KPMI shows, what your Indonesian helper completes on the Indonesia side before she boards a flight to Singapore, what you as the Singapore employer need to provide, and what is new in 2026.

1. What KTKLN Was and What Replaced It

KTKLN was an ID card issued to Indonesian migrant workers as proof that they had gone through the official pre-departure process. It became notorious for extortion and unofficial fees at airports. On 30 November 2014, after a video conference with Indonesian workers abroad, President Joko Widodo announced that the KTKLN was abolished (Cabinet Secretariat of Indonesia).

Registration moved online. In July 2023 the old SISKOTKLN system was replaced by SISKOP2MI, which now carries a worker from registration and pre-departure orientation through to her electronic card (KP2MI). In 2025 the card was put on a firm legal footing by Ministerial Regulation (Permen) No. 34 of 2025 on the Electronic Indonesian Migrant Worker Card.

In casual conversation you will still hear helpers and agents say "sudah ada KTKLN" ("already have KTKLN"). What they mean in 2026 is that her E-KPMI is issued and active.

2. Who Runs It in 2026: KP2MI and BP2MI

BP2MI (Badan Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia), the agency most Singapore guides still name, now works alongside a full ministry, the Kementerian Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia (KP2MI). The two operate as one organisation, KP2MI/BP2MI, under a single minister who also heads BP2MI (kp2mi.go.id). In practice your helper deals with a licensed Indonesian placement company (P3MI), the provincial labour office and the local BP3MI service unit, all working through SISKOP2MI.

This Indonesia-side process runs in parallel with the Singapore-side Work Permit and IPA application handled by your MOM-licensed agency.

Hiring an Indonesian helper? Upwill (MOM EA Licence 24C2628) handles the E-PMI and embassy paperwork end to end as part of every Indonesian placement. Chat with us on WhatsApp or see our Indonesian helper service.

3. What Changed on 9 March 2026: the New E-KPMI Format

KP2MI/BP2MI Circular (Surat Edaran) No. 366 of 2026 standardised the card nationally. From 9 March 2026, every E-KPMI issued or extended through SISKOP2MI must use the new format, and the system only validates cards that meet it (Circular No. 366/2026, PDF). The card must show at least:

• The worker's name, spelled exactly as in her passport
• Her Indonesian passport number
• Her region of origin
• The placement country (for your helper, SINGAPURA)
• The placement company, as registered
• Her photo
• A QR code linked in real time to SISKOP2MI, showing whether the card is active or inactive
• A "valid thru" date that follows the term of her work agreement

The circular also says that a placement company that sends a worker abroad without a valid, active E-KPMI commits a serious violation, with sanctions ranging from a written warning to suspension and a recommendation to revoke its licence. For you, the practical takeaway is simple: ask to see her E-KPMI and check that the name, passport number and placement country match her IPA.

4. How the Indonesia-Side Process Works

1. Registration in SISKOP2MI through a licensed Indonesian placement company (P3MI), linked to a real job order.
2. Medical and psychological examination in Indonesia.
3. Pre-departure orientation (OPP, Orientasi Pra Pemberangkatan), registered through SISKOP2MI.
4. Work agreement with the employer, legalised as part of the procedure.
5. E-KPMI generated in SISKOP2MI once the procedure is complete, valid for the term of the work agreement.
6. Departure to Singapore with her passport and her copy of the MOM IPA letter, which she needs to enter Singapore.

KP2MI does not publish a single fixed processing time in the sources we checked, and the order of steps can vary by province and by placement company. Ask your agency for an estimate based on your helper's home region.

5. What the Singapore Employer Provides

• The MOM IPA letter, once your Work Permit application is approved
• A signed employment contract in a language your helper understands (your agency prepares this)
• A copy of your NRIC or pass and your Singapore address, as requested by the agency

Names must match across documents. The E-KPMI standard requires data to be identical to what is in SISKOP2MI and names to follow the passport spelling, so double-check the helper's name, passport number and date of birth on your IPA before anything is filed.

6. Costs: What Cannot Be Charged to Your Helper

Indonesia's Law No. 18 of 2017 says migrant workers cannot be charged placement costs, and BP2MI Regulation No. 9 of 2020 spells this out for ten vulnerable job categories, including housekeepers, baby carers, elderly carers and child carers (KP2MI). The costs that cannot be charged to the worker include:

• Departure and return tickets
• Work visa
• Legalisation of the work agreement
• Job training and competency certification
• The placement company's service fee
• Passport and police certificate
• Migrant worker social security
• Medical and psychological examinations in Indonesia, including extra checks a destination country requires
• Local transport from her home area to the departure point, and accommodation

Any agent asking your helper to pay a "KTKLN fee" in 2026 is asking for something that no longer exists. Ask your Singapore agency to explain in writing how the Indonesia-side costs are handled for your placement. See also Indonesian maid agency Singapore 2026.

7. The Role of KBRI Singapura After Arrival

In Singapore, Indonesia is represented by its embassy, KBRI Singapura, which handles labour matters for Indonesian domestic workers, including contract renewals. Its renewal application form asks for her passport, Work Permit, the employer's IC, the past or current contract and proof of salary (KBRI Singapura renewal form, PDF).

A common mix-up: KDEI is Indonesia's economic and trade office in Taipei, not in Singapore. For a helper working in Singapore, the office is KBRI Singapura.

8. Common Causes of Delay in 2026

• Data mismatch: a single spelling difference between her passport, SISKOP2MI and your IPA. Since March 2026, cards that do not meet the standard cannot be processed in the system.
• IPA validity running out: the IPA has its own validity window. If she needs more time to arrive, the employer or agency extends it through MOM's FDW eService before it lapses.
• Home-region processing: steps run through provincial and district offices, so timing differs between regions. Ask your agency early.

9. What Singapore Employers Should Ask Their Agency

• Which Indonesian placement company (P3MI) do you use, and is it licensed?
• Will her E-KPMI be issued in the new format, with the placement country shown as Singapore?
• How are the Indonesia-side costs handled, given the zero-placement-cost rule?
• Who handles KBRI Singapura paperwork for contract renewal?
• What is your estimated Indonesia-side processing time for my helper's home province?

See our criteria to hire a maid in Singapore 2026 and Filipino vs Indonesian vs Myanmar comparison.

10. After Arrival: the Singapore Steps

1. Medical examination within 14 days of arrival, then Work Permit issuance and card delivery (MOM).
2. Settling-In Programme (SIP) for first-time helpers: a one-day MOM programme within 7 days of arrival, excluding Sundays and public holidays, paid for by the employer (MOM).
3. KBRI Singapura services for her contract, handled with your agency.

Only after these steps is the helper fully cleared on both the Singapore and Indonesian sides.