Indonesia plans to allow limited dual citizenship for the first time for certain members of the national diaspora and highly skilled professionals. President Prabowo Subianto put forward the initiative, proposing that Parliament amend the citizenship law. The president presented the initiative during a speech in parliament on Indonesia’s 2027 state budget proposal.
According to him, the new policy will not apply to everyone who wishes to obtain a second passport. It involves limited dual citizenship for professionals and members of the diaspora in whom the state has an interest.
Among the potential categories, Prabowo named scientists, doctors, engineers, artificial intelligence specialists, researchers, entrepreneurs, artists, and athletes.
“We propose allowing dual citizenship for certain talents that the country needs,” the president stated.
According to him, the authorities should not force Indonesia’s most successful expatriates to choose between an international career and maintaining ties with their historical homeland.
It is expected that potential recipients of dual citizenship will undergo a separate selection process, including a background check. The rights and obligations of such citizens are to be defined separately by law, taking into account national security considerations.
Current Indonesian law generally does not recognize dual citizenship for adults.
Children who have acquired citizenship in two countries may temporarily retain both statuses; however, upon reaching the age specified by law, they must choose one citizenship.
Therefore, implementing Prabowo’s initiative will require amending the current law and obtaining parliamentary approval. A timeline for adopting the relevant amendments has not yet been announced.
The initiative is a continuation of a long-standing discussion on engaging the Indonesian diaspora. As far back as 2024, authorities publicly discussed the possibility of dual citizenship for former citizens and professionals of Indonesian descent.
The authorities cite the brain drain as one of the reasons for the reform. According to Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration, nearly 4,000 Indonesians obtained Singaporean citizenship between 2019 and 2022, renouncing their Indonesian passports. The authorities hope that the option to retain Indonesian citizenship will allow professionals to pursue international careers without severing their legal ties to the country.
The involvement of the diaspora is already particularly noticeable in sports. In recent years, the Indonesian national soccer team has included a number of players born primarily in the Netherlands who have Indonesian roots. The authorities implemented special procedures for them to obtain citizenship.
Ahead of a possible reform, Indonesia launched the Global Citizenship of Indonesia (GCI) program.
It allows former Indonesian citizens and certain foreigners of Indonesian descent to obtain a permanent residence permit with the right to enter the country multiple times without renouncing their existing foreign citizenship. However, GCI does not constitute Indonesian citizenship and does not entitle holders to an Indonesian passport.
The program applies, in particular, to former Indonesian citizens, their descendants, and certain categories of family members with ties to Indonesia.
The limited dual citizenship currently being proposed should go much further and allow certain members of the diaspora to simultaneously retain their foreign citizenship and restore or obtain Indonesian citizenship.
CITIZENSHIP, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION, INDONESIA, ДІАСПОРА
