Indonesia launches Global Citizenship visa: A new residency shortcut; Here's how to apply

Indonesia has formally rolled out a new visa route aimed at drawing its diaspora closer, and potentially pulling back skilled workers leaving the country. The Global Citizenship visa program offers lifetime residency to foreign nationals with blood or family ties to Indonesia amid concerns over a widening brain drain.

“The hope is that the Indonesian diaspora … can contribute to [the country]'s development,” Immigration and Corrections Minister Agus Andrianto told Nikkei Asia.

The move is designed to offer a residency pathway in a country that does not permit dual nationality. 

What are the requirements?

The immigration ministry first revealed the Global Citizenship of Indonesia (GCI) scheme in November. According to the program’s website, foreign passport holders who were previously Indonesian citizens, as well as their children and grandchildren, can apply. Andrianto added on Monday that foreign spouses of Indonesian nationals are also eligible.

Applicants must show proof of at least $15,000 in annual income or $1,500 monthly, and provide a so-called “immigration guarantee.” For experts recruited by the Indonesian government, an invitation letter or “urgent” notice from the government is sufficient as a guarantee. Other applicants must commit to investing at least $5,000 in Indonesian bonds, stocks, mutual funds and/or bank deposits, or commit to property ownership with a minimum value of $1 million, the website says.

But the property clause raises questions, as foreign nationals have long been barred from buying land and houses in Indonesia, while apartments can be owned only through leasehold agreements.

Officials said India’s Overseas Citizen of India program helped inspire the GCI framework. India’s scheme, however, allows land ownership, except for agricultural tracts.

Andrianto said only seven people have applied so far, including some Australian passport holders. “We’ll refine the process … to avoid future problems,” the minister said. Application fees start from 34.8 million rupiah ($2,078).