Children who hold limited dual citizenship under Indonesian law must choose their citizenship after turning 18 or marrying. For an unmarried child who turns 18, the deadline will generally fall on their 21st birthday.
Which Children Are Subject to the Citizenship-Choice Rule?
Limited dual citizenship applies to several categories of children. These include children born from a legal marriage between an Indonesian father and foreign mother or an Indonesian mother and foreign father. It can also cover a child born outside marriage to a foreign mother and legally acknowledged by an Indonesian father before the child turns 18 or marries, certain Indonesian children acknowledged by foreign fathers, and Indonesian children under five who are legally adopted by foreign nationals.
Different rules can affect children born before the 2006 Citizenship Law took effect. Transitional arrangements applied to children who already fell within the relevant categories, including registration requirements. Their current citizenship position can depend on whether those requirements were completed.
When Must the Child Choose?
Article 6 of Law No. 12 of 2006 on Indonesian Citizenship requires a person with limited dual citizenship to choose one citizenship after reaching 18 years of age or marrying. The written declaration must be submitted within three years.
An unmarried child who turns 18 on September 1, 2026, would therefore generally have until September 1, 2029, to make the required declaration.
If the person marries before turning 18, the three-year period runs from the marriage rather than waiting for the 18th birthday.
What Changes After the Child Chooses a Citizenship?
| Issue | Indonesian Citizenship Chosen | Foreign Citizenship Chosen |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesian citizenship | Retained | Indonesian citizenship is no longer retained |
| Residence in Indonesia | No immigration stay permit required as an Indonesian citizen | Immigration status required |
| Employment in Indonesia | Indonesian citizen rules apply | Foreign-worker rules may apply |
| Indonesian passport | Eligible as an Indonesian citizen | No longer eligible as an Indonesian citizen |
| Land rights | Indonesian citizen rules apply | Foreign-national restrictions apply |
What happens to the other nationality depends on the foreign country’s citizenship law. A foreign country permitting dual nationality does not extend Indonesia’s limited dual-citizenship period beyond the deadline imposed by Indonesian law.
A foreign national also cannot generally hold Hak Milik land rights in Indonesia.
How Is the Citizenship Choice Made?
The citizenship choice must be made in writing. The administrative requirements differ depending on whether the person chooses Indonesian or foreign citizenship.
Indonesia has moved services for children with limited dual citizenship onto its eVisa platform. Since March 12, 2026, registration for limited dual-national children has been handled through the Citizenship section of the Immigration eVisa system. Children registered before that date are also required to re-register through the platform.
What Happens if the Three-Year Deadline Is Missed?
If a person with limited dual citizenship does not make the required choice within the three-year period, they can no longer retain the limited dual-citizenship status provided under Article 6.
A separate issue applies to some children covered by the transitional provisions of the 2006 Citizenship Law. Government Regulation No. 21 of 2022 introduced a naturalization mechanism for certain former limited dual-national children who did not complete the earlier registration or citizenship-choice requirements. This is a separate route rather than simply making the original citizenship declaration after the deadline.
A previously issued Indonesian passport does not extend the three-year citizenship-choice period.
Contact Jarji Zaidan & Partners for Indonesian Citizenship Assistance
Jarji Zaidan & Partners advises Indonesian-foreign families on citizenship matters involving dual-national children. Contact us at info@jarjizaidan-partners.com  or on WhatsApp at +62 821-9000-3273 / +62 813-1403-8907 for expert guidance.
