Who Issues Them: Government vs Private Company

NIB is issued by the Indonesian government through the OSS system managed by the Ministry of Investment/BKPM. It is an official state document with legal standing under Indonesian law. Its existence is recognized by all government and private institutions within Indonesia.

DUNS, by contrast, is issued by Dun & Bradstreet, a US-based private company. Although it does not carry governmental legal force, DUNS is widely recognized in the international business ecosystem and is used as an identification standard by many global platforms.

Different but Complementary Functions

NIB serves as the basic operating license in Indonesia, a business identifier within the government system, and a prerequisite for obtaining various sectoral licenses. It is proof that your business operates legally under Indonesian law.

DUNS serves as an identifier within the international business network, a business credit profile, and validation of business existence for international platforms and institutions. Google uses DUNS to verify organizations in Play Console because D&B maintains an extensive global business data network.

  • NIB: mandatory for all business operators in Indonesia
  • DUNS: required for verification on international platforms
  • NIB: access to government licensing services
  • DUNS: access to international business and credit networks
  • Both: required for complete verification on Play Console

Differences in the Registration Process

NIB is processed through the OSS portal oss.go.id, which is the government's integrated system. The process is standardized, free of charge, and can generally be completed within one business day. Verification is performed automatically by the system using existing civil and corporate registration data.

DUNS is processed through the D&B portal, which is an international commercial platform. The process involves manual verification by the D&B team, requires active communication from the applicant, and takes considerably longer. Although basic registration is free, paid premium services are available.

When Your Business Needs Both

If your business operates solely in the domestic Indonesian market and does not need verification on international platforms, NIB alone may be sufficient for basic needs. However, if you intend to publish applications on the Google Play Store through an organization account, having both is a practical necessity.

The recommended sequence is to obtain NIB first because the process is faster and NIB is needed as a supporting document when applying for DUNS. Once the NIB is issued, the DUNS application can be submitted with the NIB as one piece of evidence of business existence.

Common Questions About the Differences

A question that frequently arises is whether NIB can replace DUNS for Play Console verification. The answer is no. The two fill different roles in Google's verification ecosystem. NIB is not registered in the system that Google uses to validate a DUNS number.

Conversely, DUNS cannot replace NIB for legal purposes in Indonesia. They are independent yet complementary documents, and any business operating in both ecosystems requires both.