The Ministry of Law has recorded a significant surge in applications for citizenship transfer from foreign nationals to Indonesian citizens over the past six years.
Widodo, Director General of General Legal Administration at the Ministry of Law, revealed that the growing interest of foreigners to become Indonesian citizens can be seen from application data between 2020 and 2025.
“In 2020 there were 37 applications, 29 were approved. In 2021 there were 63 applications, 61 were approved to become Indonesian citizens. In 2022, 63 applications (all approved). In 2023, 69 applications, 66 approved, so three were not accepted,” Widodo detailed.
However, in the last two years the number of applications has risen sharply. A total of 265 foreigners submitted applications to become Indonesian citizens. From these hundreds of applications, only a small portion was approved.
Strict and Selective
An interesting fact in 2024 shows 265 new applications, but only 20 were approved. And in 2025 there were 147 applications, with only 2 fully processed and accepted as Indonesian citizens.
Widodo also revealed that, to date, there are still more than 700 applications in process and completing documents. He emphasized that the citizenship transfer process is carried out strictly and selectively.
“This means there are many, hundreds, in total more than 700 that are still in process completing their documents to become Indonesian citizens. That’s how strict and selective we are — it is not easy to become an Indonesian citizen,” Widodo continued.
In addition to applications from foreign nationals in general, Widodo said his office also received hundreds of applications from children of mixed marriages between Indonesians and foreigners. In total, around 714 children have applied to become Indonesian citizens.
As information, based on Law No. 12 of 2006, children of mixed marriages hold limited dual citizenship until the age of 18, and must choose their nationality no later than the age of 21.
Sources : PRFMNews
Feat Image : via Immigration Samarinda Office
