Is my English-only contract valid?
Risky, not automatically void — and the nuance is recent. The language rules require Indonesian for agreements involving Indonesian parties, and one well-known loan agreement was voided all the way to cassation for missing it. The Supreme Court's 2023 guidance then moved the line: a missing Indonesian version alone no longer cancels a contract without bad faith. The honest 2026 position: an English-only contract with an Indonesian party is a needless dispute risk. Bilingual execution removes the fight entirely.
See the service: Terms and Conditions Drafting for Digital Platforms
Which language prevails in a bilingual contract?
The one the parties choose — the implementing rules say the foreign-language version stands as an equivalent or translation, and that on interpretation differences the language the parties designated prevails. So designate it, expressly, every time. With Indonesian counterparties, remember that a Bali judge reads the Indonesian text.
See the service: Terms and Conditions Drafting for Digital Platforms
Do I need a notary for my contract to be binding?
No — a contract that meets the validity conditions binds the parties like law, notarised or not. What a notarial deed buys is evidentiary weight: an authentic deed proves itself in court, while a private document can be disputed down into a handwriting fight. For contracts you may one day need to enforce — leases, loans, settlements — notarial form is cheap insurance.
See the service: Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) Drafting
Can't I just use my template from home?
It will be enforced here, under Indonesian rules — and foreign templates fail in predictable places: no Indonesian text; standard clauses that are banned outright in consumer-facing terms, where liability-shifting boilerplate is void by statute; mandatory local rules on employment and land the template never heard of; and remedies drafted for someone else's court procedure. Localise it once, properly, and reuse it forever.
See the service: Terms and Conditions Drafting for Digital Platforms
Should my contract choose Indonesian courts or arbitration?
It depends on the counterparty and what enforcement looks like if you win. Arbitration buys confidentiality and choice of arbitrator at a higher entry cost; court is cheaper to enter and slower to get through. The one clearly wrong answer is silence: with no forum clause, the first thing fought over is the forum.
See the service: Shareholders Agreement (SHA)
Do I need a privacy policy?
If your business collects personal data — names, emails, phone numbers, booking details — yes, and the duty in Indonesia comes in two layers: the general personal data protection rules, plus electronic-sector rules that remain in force and are often missed. A policy copied from an overseas site almost always misses that second layer, including its retention duties.
See the service: Privacy Policy & Personal Data Protection Compliance Toolkit
This is general information for business owners, not legal advice for your own situation. If your circumstances are specific, ask — it is cheaper to ask now than to repair later.
Ask about your situation
All topics
Last checked: 2026-08-03