Children holding dual citizenship can be issued with an Indonesian passport until they reach the age of 21, at which point they are required to select one of their parents’ nationalities.
Achmad Nur Saleh, the Public Relations Sub-coordinator of the Directorate General of Immigration, outlined specific prerequisites for obtaining an Indonesian passport for dual-citizen children.
“For dual-citizen children seeking an Indonesian passport, their parents must furnish evidence of the child’s dual-citizenship registration. Furthermore, parents of such children must provide a joint statement affirming their responsibility for the child’s use of Indonesian travel documents,” Saleh stated on Tuesday, 26th September 2023.
He also emphasised the necessity for parents to register their children with dual citizenship before the child reaches 18 years of age.
The general requirements for passport applications for dual-citizen children include:
- A valid identity card
- Family card
- Documents such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, diploma, or baptism certificate
- Certificate of Indonesian citizenship for foreign nationals who have acquired Indonesian citizenship or an official statement to choose citizenship as required by law
- A determination letter for a name change (for those who have changed their name) from an authorised official
- Immigration residence permit for the child’s foreign parent(s)
- Photocopy of the passport of the child’s parent(s)
“The requirements for applying for an Indonesian passport for dual-citizen children are stipulated in Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation No. 18 of 2022” Saleh concluded.
He also stressed that Indonesian passports for dual-citizen children should not exceed the age limit at which the child must declare their choice of citizenship.
Conversely, children with dual citizenship also have the option of immigration facilities, such as an affidavit. An affidavit is an immigration document affixed to a foreign passport that indicates the child’s dual citizenship status.
Those who already possess an affidavit will enjoy immigration benefits, including exemption from visa, residence permit, and re-entry permit requirements when using their foreign passport at Indonesian immigration checkpoints.
To apply for this immigration facility, parents of dual-citizen children must provide proof of the child’s limited dual-citizenship registration. The affidavit fee is Rp400,000, in accordance with the provisions of PP No. 28 of 2019.
For instance, if a child is 17 years old when applying for a passport, he or she can receive an Indonesian passport with a maximum validity period of four years. This is because dual-citizen children are granted a limited time frame between the ages of 18 and 21 to make their citizenship choice.