Acquiring Indonesian Citizenship through Marriage to an Indonesian Spouse
The Citizenship of Indonesia may be acquired through marriage with an Indonesian citizens. This is a new method provided by the new Indonesia’s 2006 Citizenship Law in acquiring a Citizenship of Indonesia. The Indonesian spouse can be the sponsor for his/her spouse to turn status to Indonesian citizen.
This article will hopefully useful for foreigners married to Indonesian spouse who are considering to relinquish his/her current citizenship and wish to seek the possibility of becoming an Indonesian.
General Eligibility
Application for Indonesian citizenship may be forwarded by the applicant upon meeting the following general eligibility:
- Applicant must legally married to an Indonesian citizen;
- At the time of forwarding the application, the applicant has resided in Indonesian territory for at least 5 (five) consecutive years or at least 10 (ten) years non-continuously. This is prerequisite to the citizenship application;
- The Indonesian citizenship will not caused double citizenship.
Citizenship Proceeding Application for citizenship should be forwarded in Indonesia in writing by the applicant using Bahasa Indonesia, on paper affixed with sufficient duty stamp and addressed to the local district office of Ministry of Law and Human Rights having jurisdiction over the applicant’s residence.
Time Frame
In accordance to the Decree of Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the Indonesian citizenship can be acquired within 4 (four) months upon receipt of completed application. The Ministry’s approval also be sent to the applicant’s foreign embassy in Indonesia.
The approved-applicant required to return his/her previous citizenship documentation to the foreign embassy in Indonesian within 14 days.
What If You’re Rejected?
If your citizenship application is rejected, the KITAS-holder-applicant will be awarded a permanent residency permit (so called KITAP/Kartu Ijin Tinggal Tetap) which valid for five years.
What If You’re Not Married to an Indonesian Citizen?
You need to go with naturalization process upon meeting the following requirements:
- Aged 18 (eighteen) or married;
- At the time of forwarding the application has resided in Indonesian territory for at least 5 (five) consecutive years or at least 10 (ten) years intermittently;
- Sound in health and mind;
- Able to speak Bahasa Indonesia and acknowledges the state basic principles of Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution;
- Was never legally prosecuted due to acts of crime and sentenced jail for 1 (one) year or more;
- Upon acquiring Indonesian Citizenship will relinquish any other citizenship;
- Employed and/or has a steady income, and
- Pay a naturalization fee to the Government Treasury.
Application for naturalization should be forwarded in Indonesia in writing by the applicant using Bahasa Indonesia, on paper affixed with sufficient duty stamp and addressed to the President of the Republic of Indonesia through the Minister of Law and Human Rights.Copies of the Presidential Decree on naturalization and report on the declaration of allegiance ceremony becomes legal proof of Indonesian citizenship for a person who has been granted citizensh
