Legal Requirement for Marriage in Indonesia – If you intend to get married in Indonesia, you need to know that according to Indonesian marriage law, a marriage is valid if it is performed in accordance with the husband and wife’s religious views. Because religious law is in effect, the requirements differ.
The following offices are authorized to perform marriages in Indonesia:
- Kantor Urusan Agama or local mosque for Muslims
- Kantor Catatan Sipil – Civil Registry and a church or temple for a Christian, Hindu or Buddhist marriage
The following requirements must be met by both foreigners and Indonesians, as well as the production of the following documents:
- If you’re a woman, you must be 16 years old or older; if you’re a man, you must be 19 years old or older.
- A valid passport (for a foreigner)
- A valid entry visa into Indonesia (for a foreigner) and a valid National Identification Card (Kartu Tanda Penduduk/KTP) for an Indonesian
- Foreigner’s birth certificate – original preferred, otherwise a notarized photocopy; the applicable Consulate may need to provide written verification
- Marital status must be proven legally:
- A Letter of No Impediment to Marriage is required for the foreign national.
- The marital status of an Indonesian is declared on the National Identification Card (KTP)
- Letters from both sets of parents or guardians declare that there are no objections to the marriage for Indonesian women aged 16 to 21 and Indonesian men aged 18 to 21.
- If the couple is both Christians and members of a church, they will need a letter of notification from their church in order to be married in an Indonesian church.
- The marriage must be recorded with the Religious Affairs Office (Kantor Urusan Agama) in their local area if one or both of the couple requires to convert to Islam in order to be married according to Islamic Law.
- For Christian, Hindus, or Buddhists, the marriage must be reported and registered with the local Civil Registry (Kantor Catatan Sipil). A preliminary Notice of Intention to Marry is required ten days before the wedding; however, for tourists marrying in Indonesia, this period might be waived.
- The wedding is usually first held in a church or temple. Every non-Islamic marriage must be registered with the Civil Registry after the ceremony (Kantor Catatan Sipil). If the marriage is not registered within a certain time frame (typically 60 days), a fine may be imposed; check with the local Catatan Sipil for details.
- During the marriage ceremony, two witnesses over the age of 18 must be present. They must file photocopies of their National Identification Card (KTP) or foreign passport. Employees of the Civil Registration Office (Kantor Catatan Sipil) are permitted to serve as witnesses.
Letter of No Obstruction to Marriage
An official letter from a foreigner’s home consulate stating that the foreigner has never been married, divorced, or a widow or widower is required by Indonesian authorities. It can be difficult to prove that a marriage never took place, and restrictions vary depending on the foreigner’s country of origin. Foreigners should consult their consulates.
Notice of Intention to Marry
Both partners must have the following authentic documents when delivering a letter of Notice of Intention to Marry at the Civil Registry (Kantor Catatan Sipil):
- The Indonesian spouse’s National Identification Card (KTP) and the foreign spouse’s passport
- Certified birth certificates
- Certified final divorce decree or death certificates as regards termination of previous marriages (where applicable)
- Four 4 x 6cm photos, both partners side by side
- For the foreign spouse: The Letter of No Impediment to Marriage issued by the foreigner’s consulate
- For Indonesian citizens: a Letter of Certification of No Previous Marriages (Surat Keterangan Belum Kawin) from the mayor or village chief (Kepala Desa or Lurah), and a letter of parental consent for Indonesian women aged 16-21, and Indonesian men aged 18-21
Certificates of Marriage
A ten-day waiting period is expected for non-Muslim marriages before a marriage certificate is issued. If the couple plans to live in Indonesia, Islamic Marriage Certificates (Marriage Book or Buku Nikah) issued by an Office of Religious Affairs (Kantor Urusan Agama) may be obtained in a shorter time and are usually valid throughout Indonesia. They do not require registration with any other agency.
Those are some legal requirement for marriage that you need to pay attention to if you intend to get married in Indonesia. For more complete information, you can check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page here https://kemlu.go.id/capetown/en/pages/menikah_mix/3519/etc-menu.
