The Minister of Immigration and Correctional Affairs, Agus Andrianto, has instructed his staff to prepare a policy roadmap for the introduction of a single Indonesian passport type, with a passport number that would remain valid for life.
He also requested that the current 10-year passport validity period be reviewed and potentially reduced to five years.
Agus delivered the instruction during the 2025 Coordination, Evaluation, and Performance Control Meeting of the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta on Tuesday, December 16.
“The 10-year validity period will be reduced to five years,” Agus said in front of ministry officials.
He explained that changes in facial appearance were a key consideration behind the proposal.
“Because only certain people blessed by the Almighty have faces that do not change for five years. Is that right? Usually, it changes after five years or more. So, if possible, let us return to five years. Let us be grateful to those blessed with faces that do not change for more than five years,” he added.
Currently, Indonesian passports are available with validity periods of up to 10 years for adult applicants. Once expired, passport holders are required to renew their documents to remain valid for travel.
The government is now reviewing whether the longer validity period remains suitable, particularly in relation to identity updates, document security, and administrative oversight. Agus stated that the proposal is under consideration and will not be implemented immediately.
Single Passport Type Targeted for 2027
In addition to reviewing validity periods, Agus raised concerns about the multiple passport types currently in circulation. These include regular non-electronic passports and electronic passports, which are further divided into laminated and polycarbonate versions.
According to Agus, the variety of passport types has caused confusion among applicants. He therefore asked his staff to prepare a roadmap for a single standardised passport, with a target implementation year of 2027.
“I also asked for a roadmap to be created for a single type of passport. There will no longer be regular passports, electronic passports, laminated passports, or polycarbonate passports. In the future, I hope to establish a single type of passport,” said Agus, who previously served as Deputy Chief of the National Police.
He added that the proposed unified passport system would ideally allow passport numbers to remain valid for life.
“My hope is that with a single passport, hopefully this number will be valid for life. Later, the ‘nice’ number can be replaced by PNBP,” he said, referring to Non-Tax State Revenue.
Agus also instructed the ministry to use existing passport materials before transitioning to a single type. “I hope we can implement a single passport by 2027. Please use up the remaining balance immediately. Prepare a single type of passport that will be valid throughout Indonesia,” he said.
The Ministry of Immigration and Corrections confirmed that discussions are ongoing and remain at the internal evaluation stage. As of December 2025, no official decision has been finalised regarding the implementation of a single passport type or changes to validity periods.
Previously, both five-year and 10-year passport validity options were regulated under Government Regulation No. 45 of 2024 on Types and Tariffs of Non-Tax State Revenue. The regulation allowed applicants to choose a validity period based on their needs.
However, the Directorate General of Immigration has stated that longer validity periods may conflict with the need for regular population data updates, particularly amid changing employment status, mobility patterns, and biometric accuracy.
The government emphasised that any policy changes will require regulatory revisions and alignment with international travel document standards. Officials also stated that infrastructure readiness, data security, and public impact will be assessed before any implementation begins.
