The Indonesian government has decided to tighten the naturalisation process for foreign nationals becoming Indonesian citizens in order to protect national assets.
According to Indonesian Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas, the government aims to prevent foreign nationals from using citizenship status solely as a means to secure property assets and land ownership rights in Indonesia. He also noted indications that some foreign applicants—who already own businesses in Indonesia—were applying for Indonesian citizenship on an individual basis.
“I must ensure that the objective behind [foreign nationals] seeking Indonesian citizenship through standard naturalisation is not merely to secure assets in Indonesia or to acquire land—specifically real estate—under full ownership rights,” the Minister explained at the Borobudur Hotel, Jakarta, on Friday, the 7th of August.
Agtas confirmed that this tightening measure will apply to applicants from all countries. He also emphasised that this measure is comprehensive and does not discriminate based on the applicant’s country of origin.
“As for their families—specifically immediate family members, such as a wife or dependent children—if someone truly desires citizenship, it makes no sense for the husband to be an Indonesian citizen while the wife holds a different nationality. The logic is simple,” he asserted.
The Commission XIII of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia or DPR RI) has expressed its support for the government’s firm steps to tighten the naturalisation process, as the Commission also believes that such is crucial to protect national assets and prevent misuse of citizenship status for property and land ownership.
On top of that, the Chairman of Commission XIII DPR RI, Willy Aditya, remarked that granting Indonesian citizen status should not simply be based on practical reasons such as athlete status, investments, or marriage ties.
”Becoming a citizen is not just a utilitarian matter of becoming an athlete, investing, getting married, or even controlling assets. A person who chooses to become an Indonesian citizen must be aware and willing to integrate themselves completely—not only with legal status, but also with culture, social values, and even the Pancasila philosophy,” Aditya said in a statement on Sunday, the 9th of August.
Previously, the Indonesian government raised the naturalisation application fee for foreign nationals, which officially took effect on Saturday, the 1st of August, as stipulated by Government Regulation Number 30 of 2026 concerning Types and Tariffs of Non-Tax State Revenue applicable to the Ministry of Law. Under these new regulations, the fee for a foreign national to become an Indonesian citizen has increased from Rp50 million to Rp75 million per application.
In addition to naturalisation, Government Regulation Number 30 of 2026 also sets the fees for a number of other citizenship services.