Indonesia Tightens Citizenship Laws For Foreign Nationals Living In Bali

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Thinking about starting a whole new life in Indonesia? For some foreigners, the dream of living in Indonesia is only complete once citizenship is achieved.

Although Indonesia has just made it easier for those with strong ties to the country to reside long term, the government has also just made obtaining citizenship even harder. 

Most foreigners who relocate to Bali to build a new life do so for a relationship, to start a business, for work, or via investment. For some foreigners, the ultimate goal is to obtain Indonesian citizenship.

While this is not super common, it is becoming more frequent, especially with foreigners from Australia and Europe. One of the key reasons why foreigners who have lived in Indonesia for a decade opt not to obtain citizenship, even if they would be eligible, is that Indonesia does not allow for dual citizenship.

This means that if a foreigner successfully obtains Indonesian citizenship, they must forfeit their birth-country citizenship. 

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The Directorate General of Immigration at the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Services has confirmed that the requirements for obtaining Indonesian citizenship by foreigners have just been tightened. As stipulated in Circular Letter of the Director of Visas and Travel Documents No. IMI.2-1054.GR.01.01 of 2025.

In applying for Indonesian citizenship, foreigners must now also submit “proof of return of all immigration documents issued while still holding WNA status; a certificate of renunciation of foreign citizenship issued by the diplomatic representation of the country of origin; and proof of return of foreign passport to the authorities of the country of origin.”

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Speaking to reporters, Eko Budianto, Director of Visas and Travel Documents, explained, “Through this policy, we want to ensure that every former foreign national applying for a Republic of Indonesia passport has fully fulfilled all administrative and legal obligations related to relinquishing their foreign citizenship.” 

He added, “This policy was issued to strengthen administrative verification and ensure legal certainty in issuing passports to former foreign nationals, while also preventing potential misuse of Indonesian travel documents.”

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This tightening of the citizenship criteria comes as Indonesia launched a landmark new immigration policy that makes it easier for those with strong ties to the country but who are not citizens to reside long-term. The new Global Citizen Indonesia (GCI) stay permit is designed for those who have direct ties to Indonesia, either by birth or by marriage. 

The Ministry of Immigration explained the policy in greater detail, stating, “Subjects who are eligible to apply for GCI include foreign nationals who are former Indonesian citizens, descendants of former Indonesian citizens up to the second degree, or spouses of Indonesian citizens.” 

The GCI is also an option for children born of a legal marriage between an Indonesian citizen and a foreign national, as well as legal spouses of both current and former Indonesian citizens. The GCI can be applied for via the Official Indonesian eVisa website. 

This myriad of policy changes is part of the Indonesian Immigration Department’s objective to provide a more inclusive immigration service that benefits citizens and foreigners in the country.

As part of the All Indonesia program, a series of immigration changes have come into effect. This includes the rollout of the All Indonesia app, the new digital arrivals card platform for all arrivals into Indonesia, including Bali.

All tourists traveling to Bali must download the All Indonesia app and complete the required forms before landing in Denpasar. This will include a customs declaration and a health declaration card. 

While the tightening of the citizenship policies and the launch of the GCI won’t affect the majority of Bali tourists directly, it does show that the Indonesian Immigration is rapidly rolling out new policies with little prior notice.

This is why it’s essential that tourists traveling to Bali stay up to date with the latest news in the weeks before they travel. Here at The Bali Sun, we’ve got you covered!