You have done the research. You have compared providers. You are ready to move forward with an EOR in Indonesia.
And then the question nobody's article seems to answer: what actually happens next?
Most EOR content focuses on helping you decide: the benefits, the compliance, the cost comparison. Almost nothing covers the post-decision experience.
What does Week 1 look like? Who does what? When does your engineer actually start working?
This article walks through the exact onboarding timeline RainTech follows — day by day, week by week — so you know what to expect before you sign, not after.
Before the Clock Starts: What You Need to Have Ready
Onboarding speed depends partly on the EOR and partly on how prepared the client is. The fastest onboardings happen when clients come in with clear role requirements and a candidate already identified.
Before signing, have these ready:
- Role description — job title, responsibilities, required stack or skills, seniority level.
- Candidate details — full legal name, Indonesian ID number (KTP), bank account details, address, tax ID (NPWP) if available.
- Agreed salary — in USD or IDR, monthly gross.
- Start date preference — the EOR can typically work to your timeline if given 7–10 days notice.
- Contract type — fixed-term (PKWT, up to 5 years) or indefinite (PKWTT).
If you do not have a candidate yet, RainTech can begin sourcing in parallel with the service agreement process.
Day 1-3: Service Agreement and Role Confirmation
What Happens
Once you confirm you want to proceed, RainTech prepares and sends the Master Service Agreement (MSA) — the commercial contract between your company and RainTech as the EOR. This defines the scope of service, fee structure, termination clauses, IP assignment, and data processing terms.
Your Side
Review and sign the MSA. Most clients complete this in 1–2 business days. If your legal team needs to review it, factor in their availability — this is the most common cause of onboarding delays.
RainTech's Side
Confirms role requirements, aligns on salary structure, and begins preparing the employment contract template for your specific hire.
What is not Happening yet
The engineer has not signed anything. BPJS has not been registered. No payroll has been set up. Everything at this stage is commercial, between your company and RainTech.
Day 3-7: Employment Contract Drafting and Signing
What Happens
RainTech drafts the Indonesian employment contract (Perjanjian Kerja) in Bahasa Indonesia, as required by Indonesian Manpower Law. The contract covers:
- Job title and description.
- Salary in IDR (converted from agreed USD rate at the month's applicable rate).
- Working hours and leave entitlements.
- Probation period (typically 3 months for indefinite contracts).
- Termination conditions and notice periods.
- IP assignment clause (all work product belongs to your company).
- BPJS enrollment confirmation.
The contract is reviewed by the candidate, signed digitally, and countersigned by RainTech as the legal employer.
Your Side
You receive a copy of the signed contract for your records. You do not sign the employment contract — RainTech does, as the legal employer. Your company's relationship with the engineer is governed by the MSA and a separate work assignment letter.
What to Watch for
If the candidate has salary expectations in USD but the contract is in IDR, make sure the FX conversion methodology is agreed in advance — ideally a fixed monthly rate or a referenced rate like Bank Indonesia's mid-rate.
Day 5-10: BPJS Registration
What Happens
This is often the step that surprises clients: BPJS registration is not instant. After the contract is signed, RainTech initiates registration with both BPJS Kesehatan (health insurance) and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan (employment social security) under RainTech's existing employer registration.
The process involves:
- Submitting the employee's personal data to BPJS systems.
- Receiving BPJS Kesehatan card (usually issued within 7 working days of registration).
- Confirming enrollment across all four Ketenagakerjaan programs: JHT, JKK, JKM, and JP.
Your Side
Nothing required from you at this stage. RainTech handles all BPJS administration directly.
Important
The engineer is legally protected from Day 1 of their contract start date — BPJS coverage is backdated to the contract commencement date even if the physical card arrives a few days later. This is standard under Indonesian law.
Why This Matters
BPJS registration must be completed before the first payroll run. If onboarding is rushed and BPJS registration is skipped or delayed, the employer (RainTech) is liable for any backdated contributions and penalties. Reputable EORs never skip this step — it is the first compliance checkpoint after contract signing.
Day 7-14: Payroll Setup and First Invoice
What Happens
With the contract signed and BPJS initiated, RainTech sets up the payroll run for the engineer. This includes:
- Adding the employee to RainTech's monthly payroll cycle.
- Configuring PPh 21 income tax withholding based on the employee's tax status (NPWP holder or non-holder, married/single status affects the effective rate).
- Setting up the payment account — salary disbursed in IDR to the engineer's Indonesian bank account.
- Preparing your first monthly invoice.
Your First Invoice Breakdown
- Engineer's gross salary (in IDR equivalent of agreed USD rate).
- Employer BPJS contributions (Kesehatan + Ketenagakerjaan, passed through at cost).
- THR provision (1/12 of monthly salary set aside monthly, paid as a lump sum before Lebaran).
- RainTech EOR service fee: $300/month.
You receive this invoice with full line-item transparency: no bundled charges, no hidden BPJS markup.
Your Side
Settle the first invoice. RainTech pays the engineer's salary on the agreed payroll date. For most clients, payroll runs on the 25th or end of the month — confirm the cycle during onboarding.
Day 10-14: Engineer Onboarded and Active
What Happens
With contract signed, BPJS registered, and payroll configured — your engineer is fully onboarded and active. RainTech provides:
- A welcome email to the engineer with their employment details and BPJS information.
- An onboarding summary to you confirming all compliance steps completed.
- A dedicated point of contact at RainTech for any HR or payroll queries going forward.
Your Side
The practical onboarding begins: access provisioning, equipment setup, team introductions, and your own internal onboarding process.
RainTech has handled the legal employment layer. Everything from here is your standard new-hire workflow.
Case Study: 5-Day Onboarding
This is what RainTech delivered for a European client who needed a software engineer live within five days to meet a critical project deadline.
- Scope: Candidate confirmation, contract preparation, BPJS registration, and payroll setup.
- Result: All completed in under a week.
"Genuinely surprising how fast and organized it was compared to other providers we had used before." — RainTech Client
Month 1 and Ongoing: What RainTech Handles so You Don't Have to
Onboarding is day one. The ongoing EOR service is what actually protects your investment.
After your engineer is live, RainTech continues to manage:
Monthly
- Payroll processing and salary disbursement in IDR.
- PPh 21 income tax withholding and remittance to the Directorate General of Taxes.
- BPJS contribution calculation, payment, and reporting via SIPP Online.
- Invoice to your company with full itemized breakdown.
Annually
- THR (Tunjangan Hari Raya) calculation and payment before Lebaran — typically one month's salary, legally required.
- Annual PPh 21 tax reconciliation and employee tax reporting (SPT).
- BPJS Ketenagakerjaan JP salary cap update (adjusted annually based on GDP growth).
- UMK/UMP minimum wage review — if your engineer's salary is close to the provincial minimum, RainTech flags this proactively.
On Request
- HR documentation (employment letters, salary confirmation letters for visa applications).
- Contract amendments if role responsibilities change significantly.
- Termination management — notice, severance calculation, final payroll, BPJS deregistration.
Full Timeline at a Glance
| Day | Milestone | Who Does It |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1–3 | Service agreement signed, role confirmed | Both parties |
| Day 3–7 | Employment contract drafted in Bahasa Indonesia | RainTech |
| Day 5–7 | Contract signed by engineer and RainTech | Engineer + RainTech |
| Day 5–10 | BPJS Kesehatan and Ketenagakerjaan registration | RainTech |
| Day 7–14 | Payroll setup, PPh 21 configured | RainTech |
| Day 10–14 | First invoice issued, engineer active | RainTech → You |
| Month 1+ | Monthly payroll, BPJS, tax — ongoing | RainTech |
| Pre-Lebaran | THR (Holiday Bonus) payment processed | RainTech |
| Annually | Tax reconciliation, UMK review, JP cap update | RainTech |
Total time from signed agreement to live engineer: 7–14 days (2–3 weeks if sourcing from scratch is also required).
FAQs
What if I don't have a candidate yet — can onboarding still start?
Yes. RainTech can begin the service agreement process and sourcing simultaneously. Candidate identification typically adds 1–2 weeks to the total timeline. Once you confirm a candidate, the employment contract and BPJS steps begin immediately.
Does the engineer know they are employed by RainTech and not my company?
Yes, and this is standard practice globally. The employment contract names RainTech as the legal employer. A separate work assignment letter defines the working relationship with your company. Most experienced Indonesian engineers who have worked with international companies are familiar with the EOR model.
What happens to BPJS if the engineer leaves?
RainTech handles the deregistration from BPJS systems as part of the offboarding process. The engineer retains their accumulated JHT savings, which they can access under the conditions of the program. Final payroll, severance (if applicable), and all documentation are managed by RainTech.
Can I change the engineer's salary after onboarding?
Yes. Salary adjustments require a contract amendment, which RainTech prepares. Updated BPJS contributions and PPh 21 withholding are recalculated from the effective date of the amendment.
What if something goes wrong in the first month?
Your dedicated RainTech contact is available throughout. For compliance issues: BPJS queries, tax questions, contract clarifications — response is same-day. For HR situations — performance concerns, communication issues — RainTech can advise on how to handle them within Indonesian employment law.
Ready to see week 1 in motion?
Most clients are living with their first Indonesian engineer in under two weeks. The process is more predictable than most expect, because RainTech has done it hundreds of times.
If you are close to a decision and want to know exactly what your onboarding would look like — your role, your timeline, your cost — book a 30-minute call with our team.
Related Articles:
- Understanding Employer of Record: An Essential Guide for Global Companies Hiring in Indonesia
- Stop Waiting 6 Months: Why EOR is Crushing PT PMA for Indonesian Tech Hiring in 2026
- Indonesia Remote Team: 2026 HR & Payroll Compliance Guide
- BPJS Indonesia Guide: Costs, Risks, and Employers Rules (2026)
- Hiring Senior Node.js Engineers: How a Dutch Firm Cut Time to 18 Days & Saved 60%
References:
- Onrec — Employer of Record in Indonesia: 2026 Hiring Guide (March 2026)
- PNB Immigration Law Firm — Employer of Record in Indonesia: Legal Guide 2025