JAKARTA, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), the nation’s largest lender by assets, has officially opened a new branch in Taipei, marking a significant expansion into East Asia. The move aims to capture opportunities from growing trade ties and remittance flows between Indonesia and Taiwan.
Strategically located on Nanjing East Road in Taipei’s Zhongshan District, the branch is positioned to serve a market with substantial growth potential, fueled by rising cross-border transactions and a sizeable Indonesian community in Taiwan.
Hery Gunardi, president director of Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), delivers a speech during the openin of the BRI Taipei branch in Taiwan, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025.
BRI President Director Hery Gunardi said the Taipei branch will play a pivotal role in supporting the financial needs of approximately 360,000 Indonesian migrant workers in Taiwan — a key contributor group to Indonesia’s economy.
“As the only Indonesian bank branch in Taiwan, BRI Taipei is committed to providing comprehensive banking services, including remittances, savings, and investment products, to help our migrant workers plan and secure their financial future,” Hery said.
The branch offers integrated financial solutions such as savings products, financing services, remittance facilities, and foreign exchange transactions. It has also launched a BRI ATM card that can be used across Taiwan’s banking network.
Beyond serving the Indonesian community, BRI hopes to position the branch as a gateway for Taiwanese investment into Indonesia by offering competitive investment returns. “We see this as an opportunity to facilitate more Taiwanese investors entering the Indonesian market,” Hery added.
Rp 40 Trillion in Annual Remittances
Arif Sulistiyo, head of the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office (KDEI) in Taipei, welcomed the expansion, noting that it would help strengthen economic cooperation between the two economies.
Taiwan is home to nearly 400,000 Indonesians — the third-largest overseas Indonesian community after Malaysia and Saudi Arabia — with the majority working as caregivers and factory workers. These migrant workers send more than Rp 40 trillion (US$2.5 billion) home annually.
The Taipei branch secured its full retail foreign bank license in 2021 from Taiwanese regulators, enabling it to offer a complete suite of banking services, including deposits, lending, remittances, trade financing, and treasury operations.
