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I start this thread because i have had a look around the Forums and I cannot see a general explanation in simple terms of the various Departments and Authorities which we must deal with as regards Immigration. I may not be 100% on everything, so I hope others will correct me where I am wrong. for your information, I live in Cibubur and my wifes KTP is covered by Bogor and a lot of Bogor Administration such as Catatan Sipil, Police Resort and Divorce are dealt with in Cibinong.
Here goes.
1. INDONESIAN CONSULATES outside of Indonesia to where we must go in order to get a Sosbud or other Visa for re-entry. they are Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, Songkha and Bangkok in Thailand. Ones beyond the geographical frontier are also beyond the budget we plan for on 'visa runs'. I tried Songkhla once last year (flew to Phuket). Be careful to check that the Consulate is a Consulate General (like Penang and KL) or they may refuse to process the Sosbud Application. Songhkla very nearly refused me
2. KANTOR KELURAHAN is our local registry office for giving notice of birth marriage or death, giving notice for change of KTP (Indonesian person of course) and also where you go to get the Domicile letter leading to the Kitas. My information is that these people are paid a very basic wage and rely on 'donations' to top it up. reflected by the lack of investment in their everyday operation - 1970 typewriters, foolscap paper and no computers in sight!
3. KANTOR KECAMATAN which is a step up from the Kantor Keluhiran and may even be the same place if you are lucky (I am not, they are 10 km apart) and they process the papers signed by the kantor Keluhiran. Kecamatan is computerized and issue the new KTP or Family Card for the Indonesian Citizen if there is a change of circumstances. (If an Indonesian has changed address but not their KTP and they do it sometime afterwards, suddenly perhaps in response to an immigration requirement for you, beware, it can take a month to get the new KTP
4. KANTOR IMMIGRASI which is the one we all know but we occasionally get it wrong when the Immigration Office says that the application is the jurisdiction of a different Immigration office. Dont assume for a Visa on Arrival extension you can go to any Immigration to process it, wrong! If the KTP of the sponsor is Manado, you must go to Manado Immigration to process it. so better find an Indonesian sponsor in the place where you are
5. KANTOR WILAYAH is a Department which confuses me, I think its the regional Immigration office but be careful with places like Depok and Bekasi. I thought I could deal with Cawang Wilayah but got sent to Bandung because Cibubur comes under Bogor and thus under Bandung. Thats also the case on I think the third sosbud extension. Must be the same place but somebody here can confirm. Actually quite easy to find in Bandung and its a pleasant day trip by the special minibus
6. POLICE RESORT is the title for the Police HQ where you reside. For Bogor its Cibinong and its to the Police Report where your sponsor must report you within 7 days of your arrival on Sosbud, best done within 24 hours. Do NOT report to your local Police station. Police Resort is otherwise called POLRES and not to be confused with POLSEK and POLRI which are more or less your local police stations for crime
7. IMMIGRATION GENERAL DIRECTORATE . Located on Rasuna Said off the Mampang.Kuningan toll intersection and dead easy to find after the Malaysian Consulate. this is where we must come for the 1 year Family Visa (pay 5 juta?) oh no! or 'transit' there for the issue of the requisite letters en route to getting the 1 year Kitas. Of course go there for other Visa queries but I have not found it necessary yet
8. KANTOR CATATAN SIPIL is the Indonesian Civil registry Office for birth death and marriage Jakarta may operate differently. In Cibinong, its around the corner from the Polres and very much departmentalized in separate buildings and the office is computerized but the administration is distinctly old fashioned, more efficient than the Keluhiran but I shall make no further comment. Suffice to say that you cannot go there until you have completed your papers in turn with the Keluhiran and the Kecamatan
9. KANTOR URUSAN AGAMA/KUA operates independently of the Catatan Sipil and Muslim marriages taking place there are not registered with the Catatan Sipil. The KUA system is manual, there are no computers (at least where I went), they issue the Marriage Books to husband and wife called Buku Nikah which look like a Passport but no marriage Certificate. If you are rich (and a foreigner) you can pay as much as 3 juta to get married there. If you are poor, as little as 100,000 rupiah. Trick is to ensure your Indonesian Wife (to be) obtains a letter from the R T that she has low income status and the KUA cant and wont argue with that
10. RT. Every Indonesian knows who this is because they must report to him/her in the district where they live and also report any visitors staying longer than 24 hours. Mr/Mrs RT is your first port of call actually and your Wife obtains a confirmation letter from him confirming you live at the address you state to take to the Keluhiran before Kecamatan and others
11. THE DIVORCE COURTS are divided just in the way that marriage registration is divided between Catatan Sipil and KUA. Cibinong, using my local example, have a Muslim and Civil Divorce registry/Court within 2 km of each other and again just around the corner from the Polres
Apart from land Registry and Tax issues, these are the only department with whom we, as foreigners, shall deal in Indonesia. If I knew a few years ago what I know now, things would have been a whole lot easier beforehand. benefit of Hindsight!
I welcome any corrections on anything which I have outlined
Here goes.
1. INDONESIAN CONSULATES outside of Indonesia to where we must go in order to get a Sosbud or other Visa for re-entry. they are Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, Songkha and Bangkok in Thailand. Ones beyond the geographical frontier are also beyond the budget we plan for on 'visa runs'. I tried Songkhla once last year (flew to Phuket). Be careful to check that the Consulate is a Consulate General (like Penang and KL) or they may refuse to process the Sosbud Application. Songhkla very nearly refused me
2. KANTOR KELURAHAN is our local registry office for giving notice of birth marriage or death, giving notice for change of KTP (Indonesian person of course) and also where you go to get the Domicile letter leading to the Kitas. My information is that these people are paid a very basic wage and rely on 'donations' to top it up. reflected by the lack of investment in their everyday operation - 1970 typewriters, foolscap paper and no computers in sight!
3. KANTOR KECAMATAN which is a step up from the Kantor Keluhiran and may even be the same place if you are lucky (I am not, they are 10 km apart) and they process the papers signed by the kantor Keluhiran. Kecamatan is computerized and issue the new KTP or Family Card for the Indonesian Citizen if there is a change of circumstances. (If an Indonesian has changed address but not their KTP and they do it sometime afterwards, suddenly perhaps in response to an immigration requirement for you, beware, it can take a month to get the new KTP
4. KANTOR IMMIGRASI which is the one we all know but we occasionally get it wrong when the Immigration Office says that the application is the jurisdiction of a different Immigration office. Dont assume for a Visa on Arrival extension you can go to any Immigration to process it, wrong! If the KTP of the sponsor is Manado, you must go to Manado Immigration to process it. so better find an Indonesian sponsor in the place where you are
5. KANTOR WILAYAH is a Department which confuses me, I think its the regional Immigration office but be careful with places like Depok and Bekasi. I thought I could deal with Cawang Wilayah but got sent to Bandung because Cibubur comes under Bogor and thus under Bandung. Thats also the case on I think the third sosbud extension. Must be the same place but somebody here can confirm. Actually quite easy to find in Bandung and its a pleasant day trip by the special minibus
6. POLICE RESORT is the title for the Police HQ where you reside. For Bogor its Cibinong and its to the Police Report where your sponsor must report you within 7 days of your arrival on Sosbud, best done within 24 hours. Do NOT report to your local Police station. Police Resort is otherwise called POLRES and not to be confused with POLSEK and POLRI which are more or less your local police stations for crime
7. IMMIGRATION GENERAL DIRECTORATE . Located on Rasuna Said off the Mampang.Kuningan toll intersection and dead easy to find after the Malaysian Consulate. this is where we must come for the 1 year Family Visa (pay 5 juta?) oh no! or 'transit' there for the issue of the requisite letters en route to getting the 1 year Kitas. Of course go there for other Visa queries but I have not found it necessary yet
8. KANTOR CATATAN SIPIL is the Indonesian Civil registry Office for birth death and marriage Jakarta may operate differently. In Cibinong, its around the corner from the Polres and very much departmentalized in separate buildings and the office is computerized but the administration is distinctly old fashioned, more efficient than the Keluhiran but I shall make no further comment. Suffice to say that you cannot go there until you have completed your papers in turn with the Keluhiran and the Kecamatan
9. KANTOR URUSAN AGAMA/KUA operates independently of the Catatan Sipil and Muslim marriages taking place there are not registered with the Catatan Sipil. The KUA system is manual, there are no computers (at least where I went), they issue the Marriage Books to husband and wife called Buku Nikah which look like a Passport but no marriage Certificate. If you are rich (and a foreigner) you can pay as much as 3 juta to get married there. If you are poor, as little as 100,000 rupiah. Trick is to ensure your Indonesian Wife (to be) obtains a letter from the R T that she has low income status and the KUA cant and wont argue with that
10. RT. Every Indonesian knows who this is because they must report to him/her in the district where they live and also report any visitors staying longer than 24 hours. Mr/Mrs RT is your first port of call actually and your Wife obtains a confirmation letter from him confirming you live at the address you state to take to the Keluhiran before Kecamatan and others
11. THE DIVORCE COURTS are divided just in the way that marriage registration is divided between Catatan Sipil and KUA. Cibinong, using my local example, have a Muslim and Civil Divorce registry/Court within 2 km of each other and again just around the corner from the Polres
Apart from land Registry and Tax issues, these are the only department with whom we, as foreigners, shall deal in Indonesia. If I knew a few years ago what I know now, things would have been a whole lot easier beforehand. benefit of Hindsight!
I welcome any corrections on anything which I have outlined
). They look like a small hut in between two trees in the jungle with a friendly petugas sipping a coconut.
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