You are interested in obtaining Indonesian citizenship. Indonesia is a very good selection, as the country offers a good life and a strong passport with a bright future for you and your family. Indonesia is famous for its natural beauty and unbelievable islands, Bali, and its vibrant capital, Jakarta.
Becoming an Indonesian national requires a strong connection to this beautiful country; of course, you will need to reside in this country for some time and become a part of Indonesian society. Indonesia offer multiple opportunities for foreigners with talent and strong financial status but it is not limited to highly talented people and investors with different conditions normal people also can obtain Indonesia citizenship.
Why Indonesian citizenship?
Indonesia is a country of the future; this country has the strongest economy in Southeast Asia, reaching 1.37 trillion USD in 2023. The expected growth is 5.2% in 2024. With a growing economy, Indonesia offers a wide range of opportunities for great success.
Beyond the economic situation Indonesia is a very diverse country; different cultures, different religions, and different languages are making this country liveable for everyone.
The Indonesian passport is one of the strongest passports in the region; if you become an Indonesian national, you will be able to travel to 94 countries without a visa or a visa on arrival. You will get a very strong passport and freedom of movement.
It’s not only about visa-free countries; you will be able to get a visa for the rest of countries very easily. Indonesia is an immigration-risk-free country; this is a very trusted and respected nation. You will be able to get any country visa without a lot of documents and inspections.
It’s not only about the current strength of the Indonesian passport; the country is growing very fast, and it’s projected that Indonesia will become the 5th strongest economy at 2050. The growing economy and partnerships promise that Indonesian passports will become stronger and get more visa-free access to more countries.
How to Get Indonesian Citizenship?
If you are interested in obtaining Indonesian citizenship, you need to have a relationship with this country; it can be any type of relationship, like residing in the country for multiple years, having a job in Indonesia, getting married to an Indonesian national, etc.
If you have a job in Indonesia and you live there for at least 5 consecutive years or 10 unconsecutive years in Indonesia, then you are meeting the main eligibility requirement for Indonesian citizenship.
In Southeast Asia, Indonesia has the lowest residence requirement; the same requirement is ten years in Malaysia. Eight years in Cambodia. But in Indonesia it’s only five years, which is pretty good for foreigners who want to become Indonesian citizens.
Indonesia does not recognize dual citizenship; by becoming an Indonesian national, you will renounce your current citizenship. This is something normal in Southeast Asia; here, most countries do not accept dual citizenship; you should be only a citizen of one country at a time.
Another requirement for Indonesian citizenship is knowing the Indonesian language. If you are willing to be Indonesian, it’s a must to know the Indonesian language. To become a citizen with the rest of the requirements, you also need to be able to speak, write, and read in Indonesian.
Having a job with a liveable income is also necessary for Indonesian citizenship; you are required to have a job and proof your regular income, which meets the average Indonesian income. (It’s always better if you have a higher income than normal income in Indonesia.).
To prove your job and income, you will need to present a job letter or agreement with a bank statement and some salary payment slips for the last six months.
Have a clean criminal record; a police clearance certificate should be presented by you from your country of origin. Not older than 90 days. Criminal record can cause citizenship application rejection.
Be at least 18 years old.
You should be healthy physically and mentally, especially if you don’t have a contagious disease.
Indonesia Citizenship by Investment
Indonesia really focuses on investors and offers multiple opportunities for investors to invest in Indonesia, making it easy for investors to move to Indonesia with their whole families. For this purpose, Indonesia has multiple long-term residency visas that lead to permanent residency and citizenship.
It’s not possible to obtain Indonesian citizenship directly without the residence requirement by investment, but you can get residence immediately with investment.
Visas like second homes and others offer up to 10 years of residence; after three years of residence in Indonesia, these investors can get permanent residency, and after five years of residency in Indonesia, they can apply for citizenship.
By investment, you will get immediate residence in Indonesia, but you will need to get citizenship by naturalization. So you also have to meet the rest of the requirements.
Indonesian Citizenship by Marriage
It’s very understandable to request citizenship of Indonesia if you are married to a citizen of Indonesia; by marriage, you are immediately granted a temporary residence in Indonesia.
But it’s not possible to become an Indonesian citizen by marriage immediately. The only benefit of marriage about citizenship is getting a valid reason for citizenship application and residency.
Those getting married to an Indonesian national marriage cannot reduce the resistance requirement; in most countries, marriage reduces the resistance time by at least two years, but in Indonesia it doesn’t effect the residence time.
You are again required to wait five years. A five-year continued residency is required in Indonesia. Plus, you should also meet the rest of the requirements. The important plus point is that by marriage, mostly your citizenship application will be approved.
How do I apply for Indonesian citizenship?
To apply for Indonesian citizenship, you will need to have resided in the country for five years. After this, you have to collect all the required documents, such as the citizenship application form, your residence permit copy, passport, police clearance certificate, job agreement, bank statement, and birth of marriage certificate.
Now you should visit the local immigration office and submit your application. From there, they will follow up on your application; they may request additional documents at anytime, and you will have to attend multiple interviews.
