For those of you who are in a relationship with a foreign citizen and have plans to get married in Indonesia, don't let yourself down by listening to those issues who said it will be difficult to get your marriage legalized. This time, we will provide guidance for those of you who will soon celebrate the big day.
All the regulation of mixed marriage has been stated on UU No. 1 Year 1974 Article 57 regarding Marriage. Based on the law, a mixed marriage is a marriage between two people who hold different citizenship, in which one of them owns an Indonesian citizenship. The next paragraph states that those who register their marriage legally can take citizenship from their partner, which means losing their own citizenship at the same time.
Just like we have stated previously, there is no such dual citizenship in Indonesia. Therefore, if you'd like to inquire for a citizenship, you must choose to become an Indonesian citizen, or following your partner's citizenship instead. Please note that you will lose all the rights of Indonesian citizens when you're becoming a foreigner, such as a loss of property rights in Indonesia. This has been regulated in UU No.5 Year 1960 regarding Basic Regulations on Agrarian Principles.
Of course, compared to the regular marriage, mixed marriage will require a more complicated process. However, the practice of mixed marriage in Indonesia is very possible if you collect all the documents and follow the procedure as required at Kantor Urusan Agama or Catatan Sipil.
Below are administrative requirements that must be collected by foreigners:
1. Photocopy of identity, which is a valid passport, birth certificate and original resident card. You might as well need to include valid visa and KITAS.
2. Marriage Permit or Status from the embassy of the foreign nationals. Be sure to make an appointment at least one working day prior to applying the permit.
3. A divorce certificate or a death certificate of the previous spouse.
4. A proof of tax payment if the foreigner works in Indonesia.
5. 4 sheets of photograph in size 2x3 and 3x4 with a blue background.
6. Permission from the competent authority for the police.
7. All different documents must be translated into Indonesian by the official translator.
If all of the above documents have been completed, the next process will be the same as what we have discussed in how to legally register your marriage.
Also keep in mind that marriage that can only be conducted to couples of the same religion. For Islamic weddings, it will be held at the KUA or the mosque where the ceremonial procession is arranged. Please prepare a statement that one party has converted their religion and make sure this process is accompanied with witnesses. Whereas, for other religious weddings, there will be a certain attendance of pre-marital lessons and a proof of religious certificate that have been determined by their respective places of worship. After completing all the requirements, newlyweds can register their marriage to Catatan Sipil after the wedding ceremony.
Each province may have different administrative terms and conditions in conducting mixed marriages in Indonesia. Therefore, we advise to seek more information through your wedding organizer and consult to your local governor if it's possible.
