Registering the birth of a foreign child in Indonesia involves several government offices, a strict reporting timeline, and more paperwork than most new parents expect. This guide walks you through the full process — from the hospital document to your baby’s ITAS (Izin Tinggal Terbatas — Limited Stay Permit) — based on the collective experience of expats who have been through it. Requirements can vary slightly between cities and between individual immigration offices, so treat this as a detailed framework rather than a guaranteed checklist, and always confirm current requirements with your local Catatan Sipil (Civil Registry Office) and Kantor Imigrasi (Immigration Office) before you begin.
For foreigners who give birth in Indonesia, it will be necessary to obtain a local birth certificate before a foreign passport can be issued for your baby. Once you have the passport, you will then need to apply for an ITAS (Izin Tinggal Terbatas — Limited Stay Permit) for your baby, which will be linked to the visa of the sponsoring parent.
Note: If the child is born to a mixed couple — one Indonesian spouse and one foreign spouse — many of these requirements and procedures differ, because you have the option of that child being an Indonesian citizen. See Pendaftaran Anak Berkewarganegaraan Ganda dan Fasilitasi Imigrasi — Menteri Hukum dan HAM No. 22 Tahun 2012. In brief, children of mixed couples may hold dual citizenship until the age of 18, at which point they must choose one nationality. The documentation process differs substantially from the all-foreign process described below. For more information see Mixed Marriages.
Where to Start: Documents You Will Need
Our thanks to visitors to the Expat Forum for their advice on how to register the birth of a foreign child (a foreign national with a foreign passport) in Indonesia. Which documents are actually required may differ depending on the Catatan Sipil (Civil Registry Office), but the minimum will be:
- Birth certificate (Akte Lahir — Official Birth Certificate)
- Foreign parents’ passports
- E-KITAS (Electronic Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas — Limited Stay Permit Card), E-KITAP (Electronic Kartu Izin Tinggal Tetap — Permanent Stay Permit Card), or Visit Stay Permit
- Relevant application forms
Other documents that foreign nationals have reported needing at various stages of the process include:
- Surat Keterangan Lahir (Certificate of Birth — the preliminary birth notification issued by the delivering hospital, physician or midwife; see below for a full explanation)
- Passports of both parents
- Birth certificates of both parents
- Parents’ marriage certificate (with a certified translation into Indonesian if the original is not in Indonesian or English)
- Parents’ ITAS / E-KITAS (for foreign nationals) or KTP (Kartu Tanda Penduduk — Indonesian National Identity Card) for an Indonesian spouse
- Surat Sponsor (Sponsor Letter — a letter from the sponsoring employer or Indonesian spouse confirming responsibility for the foreign national)
- Kartu Keluarga (Family Registration Card — for those with an Indonesian spouse)
When you have gathered all these documents, take ALL the originals and AT LEAST two photocopies of each one with you to every appointment. Prepare passport-sized photos as required by each office — Indonesian government documents consistently require a red background. Confirm the exact sizes and quantities required with each office before your appointment, as these vary by location and document type.
What Is a Surat Keterangan?
You will encounter the term Surat Keterangan (literally “statement letter” or “certificate of explanation”) frequently throughout this process. In Indonesian bureaucratic practice, a Surat Keterangan is an official letter issued by an authorised body — a hospital, a government office, an employer, or a local official — that certifies a particular fact or status. It is not a formal registered document like a birth certificate or passport, but it carries official weight and is required at many steps in the immigration and civil registration process. In the context of registering your baby’s birth, the key documents are the Surat Keterangan Lahir (birth notification from the hospital) and the Surat Lapor (registration report from the immigration office). Neither can be substituted with a self-prepared letter; both must come from the issuing authority.
Step-by-Step: The Registration Process
The table below gives you a quick overview of the full process. Detailed guidance on each step follows.
| Step | Action | Where | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Obtain Surat Keterangan Lahir (Hospital Birth Notification) | Hospital, clinic or midwife | On the day of birth |
| 2 | Obtain Akte Lahir (Official Birth Certificate) | Catatan Sipil / Disdukcapil (Civil Registry Office) | As soon as possible after birth |
| 3 | Register birth with immigration — obtain Surat Lapor (Birth Registration Report) | Kantor Imigrasi (Local Immigration Office) | Within 60 days of birth — begin immediately |
| 4 | Register birth at your foreign embassy | Your country’s embassy or consulate | Per your country’s requirements |
| 5 | Apply for baby’s foreign passport | Your country’s embassy or consulate | Per your country’s requirements |
| 6 | Return to immigration with passport — apply for baby’s ITAS and KITAS card | Kantor Imigrasi (Local Immigration Office) | Within 60 days of birth |
Note: Steps 3 through 6 are interdependent and time-sensitive. Begin the process at the hospital on the day of birth if at all possible.
Step 1 — Surat Keterangan Lahir (Hospital Birth Notification)
Ask the hospital where the baby was born to provide you with a Surat Keterangan Lahir (Hospital Birth Notification). This is the foundational document for everything that follows. Once you have it in hand, you can use it to obtain the official Akte Lahir (Official Birth Certificate) from the Catatan Sipil (Civil Registry Office).
Step 2 — Akte Lahir (Official Birth Certificate)
Take the Surat Keterangan Lahir, together with copies of the foreign parents’ passports, to the Catatan Sipil or Disdukcapil (Dinas Kependudukan dan Pencatatan Sipil — Department of Population and Civil Registration) office in the city or area where the child was born. This office will issue the Akte Lahir (Official Birth Certificate).
Don’t let officials tell you that your baby cannot have a middle or family name on the certificate. You may need to advocate firmly — Indonesian administrative practice has traditionally favoured single names, but foreign nationals are entitled to register their child’s full legal name. Be politely persistent.
Step 3 — Registering with Immigration
Take the Akte Lahir and the documents listed above to your local Kantor Imigrasi (Immigration Office) to register your foreign national baby. Apply for a Kelahiran Orang Asing (Birth of a Foreign National) document from the immigration office and obtain your Surat Lapor (Birth Registration Report).
The current registration window under UU Nomor 24 Tahun 2013 is 60 days from the date of birth. This count includes weekends and public holidays (Tanggal Merah), regardless of whether government offices are open on those days. Do not treat the 60-day window as breathing room — obtaining the Akte Lahir from the Catatan Sipil can take time, and delays stack up quickly. Begin the process on the day of birth wherever possible.
If documents are incomplete or the registration is not filed within the required window, the immigration office may classify the baby as overstay, which carries a daily financial penalty. Confirm the current penalty amount directly with your local immigration office or a licensed immigration consultant, as fee schedules are updated periodically.
Step 4 and 5 — Your Foreign Embassy
Go to your embassy to register your baby’s birth in your home country, using the local Akte Lahir and other documents as required by your country’s regulations. At the same time, apply for a passport for your newborn. Requirements vary by country but typically include:
- Proof of citizenship of the parent or parents — usually original birth certificates, passports, or other relevant documents
- Original or certified copy of the parents’ marriage certificate
Requirements vary significantly between embassies. Some embassies in Jakarta and Bali process newborn passports relatively quickly; others have waiting times of several weeks. Contact your embassy as early as possible — ideally before the birth — to understand their specific documentation requirements and current processing times.
Step 6 — Baby’s ITAS (Izin Tinggal Terbatas — Limited Stay Permit)
According to Indonesian government regulations, once you have the baby’s foreign passport in hand, you have 60 days from the birth to return to the Indonesian Kantor Imigrasi (Immigration Office) to obtain the ITAS stamp in the baby’s passport and collect the KITAS card (Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas — Limited Stay Permit Card).
Documents required to apply for the baby’s ITAS include:
- Surat Keterangan Kerja (Letter of Employment — confirming the sponsoring parent’s employment)
- Passports of both parents and the child
- KTP (Kartu Tanda Penduduk — Indonesian National Identity Card) or ITAS / E-KITAS of the mother
- Kartu Keluarga (Family Registration Card — if one spouse is Indonesian)
- Surat Lapor (Birth Registration Report — the registration letter obtained from the immigration office at Step 3)
- Akte Lahir (Official Birth Certificate) of the child, and birth certificates of both parents
- Surat Nikah (Marriage Certificate)
- Surat Sponsor (Sponsor Letter) — if your spouse is Indonesian, she or he can act as sponsor; otherwise a sponsorship letter from your employer is required. It is advisable to bring an employer sponsorship letter regardless, as individual offices may request it
- At least two photocopies of all documents — there is usually a photocopier near the immigration office entrance if you need to make copies on the spot
Note: The Buku Mutasi (the blue foreigner’s registration book previously used by KITAS holders) is no longer part of the current E-KITAS system and is not required for this application. If an official requests it, politely clarify that you hold an E-KITAS.
Once you have applied, the ITAS is generally issued within approximately three working days, though this can vary between offices.
Important: ITAS Expiry and Reporting
Remember that your baby’s ITAS will carry the same expiry date as the sponsoring parent’s ITAS. This is critical. No later than one month before the parent’s ITAS expiry date, you must report your child to the immigration office. Failure to do so carries a financial penalty — confirm the current amount with your local Kantor Imigrasi or immigration consultant.
Once your baby has a passport and an ITAS, also make sure to obtain a re-entry permit (IMK — Izin Masuk Kembali) for the baby, in case you need to travel out of Indonesia at short notice.
Using the Hospital or a Professional Service
Some major international hospitals — particularly in Jakarta and Bali — have records departments that can manage a significant portion of this administrative process on your behalf, including liaison with the immigration office and certified translation of the birth certificate for your foreign passport application. Using these services reduces the administrative load considerably in what is already an exhausting early post-birth period. The fees are real but are typically posted and transparent. A warm manner and a few words of Bahasa Indonesia will always help move things along.
Many expat families also use licensed immigration consultants or legal service providers to handle the end-to-end process. This is not a requirement, but the time and stress saved in the first weeks after a birth can make it well worth the cost. [SEO TEAM NOTE: Insert external link to Noble Legal Documents service here, with a brief one-line description. URL and business details to be provided by site owner before publication.]
Apostille: A Significant Change Since 2022
Indonesia formally joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 4 June 2022. This means that Indonesian-issued documents, including your child’s Akte Lahir (Official Birth Certificate), can now be apostilled for recognition in other Hague Convention member countries — replacing the previously required multi-step legalisation chain through the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the destination country’s embassy.
If you intend to use your child’s Indonesian birth certificate in your home country for any legal purpose — citizenship registration, school enrolment, inheritance, or otherwise — check with your embassy and your home country’s relevant authority whether an apostilled copy of the Akte Lahir will now be accepted, and how to obtain the apostille through the Kemenkumham (Kementerian Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia — Ministry of Law and Human Rights).
Fees
Fees will vary depending on your immigration facilitator, the immigration office, and the embassy. The most significant cost in this process is typically the registration of the birth at the foreign embassy and the issuance of the foreign passport. It is difficult to give precise figures as fees change regularly and vary between cities and service providers. Budget generously and verify all current official fees directly with the relevant offices before you begin.
The Most Important Thing: Don’t Delay
As soon as you have the Surat Keterangan Lahir from the hospital, begin the process. The 60-day registration window moves quickly, particularly when you are navigating multiple government offices with a newborn. Delays result in penalty fees and administrative complications that are easily avoided by acting promptly.
Relevant Regulation
Relevant regulation about reporting changes in your family to immigration — UU No. 6 Tahun 2011 (Immigration Law of the Republic of Indonesia, Year 2011):
Article 71
Each foreigner residing in the Territory of Indonesia shall:
a. provide all necessary information regarding their identity and/or their families, and report any changes in civil status, nationality, occupation, sponsor, or address to the local Immigration Office; or b. …
Article 116
Each foreigner who does not perform his or her obligations as stipulated in Article 71 shall be punished with a maximum confinement of 3 (three) months or a fine of up to Rp. 25,000,000 (twenty-five million rupiah).
Note: Indonesian immigration legislation has continued to develop since 2011 and 2013. The articles cited above remain the foundational references for family reporting obligations, but implementing regulations, fee schedules and administrative procedures may have been updated. Always confirm current requirements directly with Ditjen Imigrasi (imigrasi.go.id) or a licensed immigration consultant.
When a foreign spouse marries an Indonesian, according to Indonesian law, the children have the option to be Indonesian citizens or foreign citizens. For more information see Mixed Marriages: Indonesian and Expatriate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to register my baby’s birth with Indonesian immigration?
The current registration window under UU Nomor 24 Tahun 2013 is 60 days from the date of birth, including weekends and public holidays. However, it is strongly advisable to begin the process at the hospital on the day of birth — delays in obtaining the Akte Lahir from the Catatan Sipil can consume that window faster than expected.
What happens if I miss the birth registration deadline in Indonesia?
If the registration is not completed within the required window, the baby may be classified as overstay, which carries a daily financial penalty. Incomplete documentation can also result in the application being treated as a non-registration. If you have missed the deadline, contact a licensed immigration consultant immediately.
Can I register my baby’s birth online in Indonesia?
Some aspects of Indonesian immigration administration have moved online through the Ditjen Imigrasi portal at imigrasi.go.id, but the birth registration process for foreign nationals still generally requires in-person attendance at the Catatan Sipil and Kantor Imigrasi. Confirm current online service availability with your local office before your visit.
Does my baby need a separate ITAS in Indonesia?
Yes. A newborn foreign national requires their own ITAS, which is issued once the baby’s foreign passport is obtained and presented to the Indonesian immigration office. The baby’s ITAS will carry the same expiry date as the sponsoring parent’s ITAS.
Can my baby born in Indonesia hold dual citizenship?
If both parents are foreign nationals, the child will hold the nationality of the parents as determined by the relevant country’s law — not Indonesian citizenship. If one parent is Indonesian, the child may be eligible for dual citizenship under Indonesian law until the age of 18. See the Mixed Marriages section of this site for details.
Does Indonesia now accept apostilled birth certificates?
Yes. Indonesia joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 4 June 2022. Indonesian birth certificates (Akte Lahir) can now be apostilled for use in other Hague Convention member states, through the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham). Contact Kemenkumham or a licensed document service provider for the current procedure.
Do I need an immigration consultant or legal service to register my baby’s birth in Indonesia?
You are not legally required to use one, but many expat families find the process considerably more manageable with professional assistance — particularly in the first weeks after a birth. The records departments at some major international hospitals can also assist with parts of the process.
